At the same time Friday evening that it was revealed that the CIA had evidence the Russians attempted to change the outcome of the U.S. Presidential election, and Donald Trump is considering the CEO of ExxonMobil for, of all things, Secretary of State, the Sundance Institute made the surprise late announcement that “An Inconvenient Truth 2” will be one of the opening-day films at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival on Jan. 19. There has to be some sad irony or coincidence there, no?
According to a release, the unexpected sequel to the Oscar-winning 2006 documentary is “a riveting follow up that shows both the escalation of the crisis and how close we are to a real solution.” The original doc, which premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival, was directed by Davis Guggenheim and starred former Vice President Al Gore. The sequel is directed by Bonni Cohen (“Audrie & Daisy“) and Jon Shenk (“Lost Boys Of Sudan“), and while Gore is involved, the extent of his participation on screen is unknown.
Gore will be on hand for the Festival’s Power of Story panel on Jan. 22 along with with former President Mohamed Nasheed of the Maldives, producer Heather Rae (“Frozen River“), social entrepreneur and philanthropist Jeff Skoll and environmentalist and scientist Dr. David Suzuki. The panel will be moderated by Democracy Now! journalist and broadcaster Amy Goodman.
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“An Inconvenient Truth 2” is part of the festival’s The New Climate initiative, which includes 14 documentaries, short films and virtual-reality experiences. It marks the first time that Festival programmers have focused efforts to highlight a specific cause.
Robert Redford, President and Founder of Sundance Institute, noted, “I believe that storytelling is the greatest platform for getting people to care and take action on some of the most pressing issues of our time. Amid escalating threats to our environment, independent perspectives are adding the depth and dimension needed for us to find common ground and real solutions.”
John Cooper, Director of the Sundance Film Festival, added, “This film and the 13 other films and projects that are part of The New Climate slate this year add a new chapter to our legacy of showcasing stories on the environment and climate change. When my team and I first watched this film, we were taken by its complete, sensitive and cinematic presentation of the issues. It was emotional to see the scope of our world’s problems — and heartening to see the potential for progress.”
The 2017 Sundance Film Festival runs from Jan. 19-29. Look for complete coverage from Park City on The Playlist.
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