PARK CITY — Former U.S. presidential nominee Hillary Clinton will make an in-person appearance at this years Sundance Film Festival. And other famous folks are likely to follow.
The festival, which runs Jan. 23 to Feb. 3 in Park City, Salt Lake City and Sundance Mountain Resort, might have one of its biggest years in 2020 — partly because of high-profile guests like Clinton, and partly because of a film slate that includes leading performances by Oscar nominees and winners like Glenn Close (“Four Good Days”), Benedict Cumberbatch (“Ironbark”), Michael Keaton (“Worth”), Olivia Colman and Anthony Hopkins (“The Father”), many of which will attend the films’ respective premieres.
Clinton, who was First Lady from 1992 to 2000, Secretary of State from 2009 to 2013, and ran for president in 2008 and 2016, will be on hand for the premiere of “Hillary,” a four-part documentary series coming to Hulu on March 6. Sundance will screen all four episodes at two separate events, the first at Park City’s Ray Theatre on Jan. 25 at 3 p.m., the second at Salt Lake City’s Rose Wagner Center on Jan. 26 at 12:30 p.m.
According to the film festival’s website, both Clinton and the series’ director, Nanette Burstein, will participate in a post-screening Q&A, but the site doesn’t specify if Clinton and Burstein will attend both screenings. The festival has not yet responded to the Deseret News’ request for clarification.
There’s also a chance that “Hamilton” creator Lin-Manuel Miranda and pop star Taylor Swift could be in attendance this year, but those visits have not yet been explicitly announced.
“Hillary” director Nanette Burstein has directed a mix of documentaries and feature films, and is best known for her work on the Oscar-nominated boxing documentary “On The Ropes” (1999) and “The Kid Stays in the Picture” (2002), about Paramount movie producer Robert Evans.
“Miss Americana,” a documentary about Swift, will make its premiere on Jan. 23, the festival’s opening day. Swift fans have wondered whether she’ll make an appearance at the Sundance premiere, happening at Park City’s Eccles Theatre at 9 p.m. that night. “Miss Americana” is being produced by Netlfix, and will come to the streaming service sometime in early 2020.
The director of “Miss Americana,” Lana Wilson, is known for her intimate documentary work on the films “After Tiller” (2013) and “The Departure” (2017). She spent a few years filming Swift, and “Miss Americana” shows the pop star learning “to embrace her role not only as a songwriter and performer, but as a woman harnessing the full power of her voice,” according to the film’s synopsis. Also notable are the documentary’s producers, which includes “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” and “20 Feet from Stardom” director Morgan Neville.
In recent years, Swift has become more outspoken on a variety of political, societal and music industry topics. In 2018 she endorsed two Tennessee Democrats running for reelection in the state’s congressional midterm elections. At last month’s Women in Music Awards, Swift gave an impassioned 15-minute speech in which she discussed music industry sexism, and her legal battle with Scooter Braun over the rights to her music, which music needed to be cleared for the “Miss Americana” documentary.
As for Miranda, his attendance at the festival is likely, given two Sundance films that involve him — “We Are Freestyle Love Supreme” and “Siempre, Luis.”
“We Are Freestyle Love Supreme” follows Miranda’s longtime hip-hop improv group, which paved the way for his eventual Broadway success with “In The Heights” and “Hamilton.” According to Sundance’s website, the screening of “We Are Freestyle Love Supreme” will be followed by a live performance from the group. That first screening is scheduled for Jan. 28 at 2:30 p.m. in Park City’s MARC Theatre, with an additional screening Jan. 31 at 9 p.m. at Salt Lake’s Broadway Centre Cinemas.
“Siempre, Luis,” meanwhile, documents Miranda’s father, Luis A. Miranda Jr., whose career included being the director of Hispanic affairs for former New York City mayor Ed Koch. “Siempre, Luis” premieres Jan. 25 at 6 p.m. in Park City’s Temple Theatre, with an additional screening Jan. 31 at 6 p.m. at the Salt Lake City Public Library. According to Sundance’s website, “there will be a Q&A with director John James and special guests” following the screening. It is unclear if this includes both screenings.