Autograph Collection Hotels Returns To The Sundance Film Festival Celebrating Diversity, Individuality & The Powerful Voices That Drive Indie Film

PARK CITY, Utah, Jan. 18, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- An Associate Partner of the Sundance Institute and 2018 Sundance Film Festival, Autograph Collection Hotels returns to Hotel Park City for the third year, celebrating its Indie Film Project: a multi-faceted platform designed to support the art of storytelling by shining a light on today's most-talented screenwriters, filmmakers and distributors working in independent film.

"There is an inherent synergy between independent film and Autograph Collection Hotels," said Amanda Altree, Senior Director, Autograph Collection Hotels. "Indie filmmakers and screenwriters tell stories that inspire, provoke and connect us; while immersive storytelling is part of our DNA, enabling travelers to connect with each other and their destination in a memorable way.  Through the Indie Film Project, we have become unexpected patrons of the arts and are thrilled to support this dynamic and important industry."

Together with partners Franklin Leonard & the Black List, Autograph Collection Hotels will bring back "The Retreat" hosting a series of exclusive parties that champion diversity and individuality in the indie film industry:  from The Kindergarten Teacher starring Maggie Gyllenhaal, written and directed by Sara Colangelo, to the 2nd Annual Power Women's Cocktail co-hosted by the Sundance Institute & Diversity Initiative, Aisha Tyler, Issa Rae and 20th Century Fox's Moira Griffin.

"The 2017 Black List was a high watermark for both screenplays written by women and about women; the 2018 Sundance Film Festival is no different," said Franklin Leonard, Founder, the Black List. "We couldn't be more excited to support these diverse voices, who are receiving long overdue and much deserved recognition."

The two brands will also host an intimate dinner celebrating BLAZE, written and directed by Ethan Hawke, which was filmed with support from Watermark Baton Rouge Hotel an Autograph Collection Hotel; and will end the weekend a late night karaoke party with Blind Dragon open to festivalgoers, who want to sing iconic tunes from some of the greatest indie films.

In support of sharing compelling indie films with a wider audience, and for those not attending the Sundance Film Festival, Autograph Collection Hotels has introduced a dedicated digital film channel: streaming a curated selection of indie films at its hotels across the U.S. and Canada. These critically-acclaimed indie films are curated to resonate with the passions of the brand's guests: art, culture, cuisine, design and travel.   

The complimentary, streaming service has launched with seven films, including Exit Through the Gift Shop about acclaimed street artist Banksy; Soul, featuring Michelin stars chefs Eneko Atxa and Jiro Ono; Floyd Norman: An Animated Life, starring Scarlett Johansson; and The People Garden, starring Dree Hemingway and Francois Arnaud.   

Guests will be able to access Autograph Collection's dedicated digital film channel by connecting to the hotel's Wi-Fi and logging into http://indiefilmsatautographcollection.com via their laptop, tablet, smartphone or other device.

For more information about Autograph Collection Hotels' Indie Film Project, visit autographhotels.com; and for more details about the Black List, visit blcklst.com.

About Autograph Collection Hotels
Autograph Collection Hotels, part of Marriott International, Inc., celebrates individuality by curating one-of-a-kind travel experiences at more than 100 luxury lifestyle hotels in nearly 30 countries and territories, among the world's most desirable destinations. Exactly like nothing else, Autograph Collection properties are hand selected for their rich character and uncommon details. A personal realization of an individual founder's vision, these hotels are defined by unique design, differentiated guest experiences and their meaningful role in locality. Autograph Collection Hotels is proud to participate in the industry's award-winning loyalty program, Marriott Rewards® which includes The Ritz-Carlton Rewards®. Members can now link accounts with Starwood Preferred Guest® at members.marriott.com for instant elite status matching and unlimited points transfer.  For more information, please visit www.autographhotels.com, and explore our social media channels on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook to learn more about championing the independent spirit that is #ExactlyLikeNothingElse.

Franklin Leonard & The Black List:
Franklin Leonard is the host of the Black List Table Reads podcast (an iTunes Best of 2015 pick) and founder of the Black List, the yearly publication highlighting Hollywood's most popular unproduced screenplays and the company birthed to continue its mission of identifying and celebrating great screenwriting and the people who do it.

The Black List, an annual survey of Hollywood executives' favorite unproduced screenplays, was founded in 2005. Since then, more than 333 Black List scripts have been produced, grossing over $26 billion in box office worldwide. Black List movies have won 48 Academy Awards from 241 nominations, including four of the last eight Best Picture Oscars and nine of the last eighteen Best Screenplay Oscars. In October of 2012, the Black List launched a unique online community where screenwriters make their work available to readers, buyers and employers. Since its inception, it has hosted more than 40,000 screenplays and teleplays and provided more than 65,000 script evaluations. As a direct result of introductions made on the Black List, dozens of writers have found representation at major talent agencies and management companies, as well as sold or optioned their screenplays. Currently, the Black List hosts over 2,900 scripts for consideration by over 3,500 film industry professionals ranging from agency assistants, to studio and network presidents, to A-list actors and directors.

SOURCE Marriott International, Inc.