Slamdance Film Festival

Slamdance is an independent film festival started in 1995 by a group of filmmakers whose films had not been accepted by Sundance. Its main competition is reserved for first-time directors of low-budget narrative and documentary features, and the whole programme is selected from open submissions by more than 200 alumni filmmakers. Besides the debut features, the festival shows Breakouts by non-first-time directors, the Unstoppable programme of films by and about people with disabilities, narrative, documentary, animation and experimental shorts, episodes, and DIG, a strand of digital, interactive and gaming work.

After many years in Park City, Utah, Slamdance announced in May 2024 that the festival was moving to Los Angeles. The 2027 edition takes place from 18 to 24 February 2027 at several venues in Los Angeles. The non-profit Slamdance Group also runs a screenplay competition, the Slamdance Channel and the Polytechnic education programme.