Rev is thrilled to announce that we’re the official accessibility sponsor of the 2022 Sundance Film Festival, which kicked off its nine-day virtual screenings and events this week.
Just 15 days prior to the festival launch, the Sundance Institute made the decision to pivot from a hybrid-festival model to being fully virtual due to increasing concerns about the rapidly-spreading Omicron variant.
The last-minute shift from snowy Park City, UT, to living rooms around the world caused a blizzard of ahhhs, but one silver lining we’re celebrating is a fully-accessible virtual festival.
“The pandemic highlighted the critical importance of inclusion and accessibility, both at events like Sundance and in everyday life,” said Karim Ahmad, Director of Outreach & Inclusion at the Sundance Institute. “The success of our partnership with Rev last year underscored how valuable our collaborations with partners like Rev are to ensuring we advance our inclusion and accessibility values.”
Last year’s online-only Festival came with a new requirement — that filmmakers and partners caption films and programming — and it drew over 1.3 million visitors and over 600,000 official program viewers — making 2021 the largest and most accessible Festival ever.
This year the Institute will continue its captions requirement, ensuring that the event remains open and inclusive for its online audiences. Using Rev’s services, Festival filmmakers and partners will caption thousands of minutes of video.
Rev Founder and CEO Jason Chicola said, “Our core values align strongly with those of the Sundance Institute, and we work every day to promote inclusion and accessibility through our products. The Sundance Film Festival is a pillar of the film community, and we’re thrilled to be a part of their vision to create a more inclusive festival experience.”
The 80+ feature films will now be available through their streaming platform at festival.sundance.org, along with Zoom Q&As and other live events. Keep your eyes peeled for Rev captions on some of your favorite screenings!
