Latest news with #anti-LDS
Axios
01-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
Cinephiles scoff at Utah leaders' plans to replace Sundance with a new film festival
Some movie lovers are cracking wise at Utah leaders' efforts to replace the illustrious Sundance Film Festival now that it's leaving the state. The big picture: Festival organizers said last week that they're leaving Park City for Boulder, Colorado's infrastructure and cost advantages. Yes, but: The announcement came on the heels of a debate over whether Sundance clashed with Utah's conservative politics and culture. Driving the news: Shortly after Sundance's decision, Gov. Spencer Cox said state leaders "have already begun meeting with partners, stakeholders, and creative voices to create a new festival — one that honors our legacy." Ryan Smith, who owns the Jazz and Utah Hockey Club — and whose downtown sports district is getting up to $900 million in public funds, dwarfing the $3.5 million lawmakers offered to Sundance — jumped in to promise support for "a fresh new experience starting from scratch." Silicon Slopes, the nonprofit that promotes Utah's tech industry, offered its help, too. Reality check: After four decades, Sundance is widely considered the most prestigious film festival in the country and among the world's " Big Five" cinema events. The other side:"Fine, Utah will just make its own internationally famous independent film festival," chortled entertainment site the A.V. Club. "Finally, Utah indie film can flourish without Sundance's massive prestige and fame and popularity and money overshadowing it." "Sundance was Sundance. You don't replace that with soulless corporate/government sanitized hogwash," state Sen. Nate Blouin (D-Salt Lake City) posted on X. Context: After reports that festival organizers objected to Utah's new ban on pride flags in public buildings, some conservatives urged Sundance to leave. State Sen. Dan McCay (R-Riverton) said Sundance films promote "porn," "alternative lifestyles" and "anti-LDS themes." Between the lines: Festival organizers said they evaluated each prospective city's "ethos and equity values" and praised Boulder's "welcoming environment." They noted that they wanted "a community rooted in independent thought, artistic exploration, and social impact." What they're saying: Sundance fans in Utah and beyond took to social media to envision a film festival that wouldn't invite ire from the right. "Prepare yourself for blockbuster breakouts like: 'Hold the Fluoride,' 'MLMs are God's Miracle,' 'Tops in Natural Beauty and Plastic Surgery,' 'We Take Pride in Being Anti-Pride Flag,' [and] 'Still Trying to Convert Park City,'" one wrote on Instagram's Threads. "Can't wait for something that's inevitably marketed as a "Sundance alternative" and it's chock full of Tim Allen and Jim Caviezel right wing fairytales," another predicted on X. "What is it going to show? Angel Studios films and Hallmark movies?" another asked on Facebook. Angel Studios is a Provo film production company that emerged from VidAngel, an entertainment-censoring service that was discontinued after multiple Hollywood studios sued, alleging copyright violations.
Axios
13-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
Utah conservatives to Sundance: Don't let the door hit you on your way out
Some of Utah's conservative leaders are encouraging Sundance to leave following a report that the state's pending ban on pride flags could push the film festival out the door. The latest: Deadline, citing an anonymous source, reported Wednesday that a state bill to ban pride flags from schools and government buildings could tip the scales as the festival decides whether to relocate. Sen. Dan McCay (R-Riverton) posted the story on X, claiming that Sundance promotes "porn," "alternative lifestyles" and "anti-LDS themes." "Sundance does not fit in Utah anymore," McCay wrote. The post was shared by at least one other Republican lawmaker and some prominent conservative activists. Goud Maragani, a recurring GOP presence in Salt Lake County elections, also called on Sundance to leave. Catch up quick: Until Wednesday, state and local leaders had been trying to keep the 41-year-old film festival after it sought bids last year from other prospective host cities. Festival organizers had planned to announce the future location within weeks, having narrowed the options down to staying put, Cincinnati or Boulder, Colorado. To sweeten the deal, lawmakers this month surpassed Gov. Spencer Cox's request for $3 million to keep the festival local, instead budgeting $3.5 million. What they're saying:"What are they thinking?" a source, identified as a "Sundance insider" told Deadline in reference to lawmakers who passed the pride flag ban. "Utah is Utah, but this goes to the heart of the community Sundance has worked years and years to develop," the source added. Neither legislative leaders nor festival organizers responded to Axios' request for comment. Reality check: Sundance has screened a variety of films, including many children's films, documentaries, Oscar winners and movies that launched some of the most celebrated talents in the industry — or went on to be canonized as pioneering classics of cinema. By the numbers: Out-of-state visitors spent $106.4 million during last year's festival, which drew over 72,000 in-person attendees, per an economic impact report. Yes, but: In Park City, where most of the films and events take place, the festival has gotten increasingly mixed reviews as it has grown. Attendees have complained of traffic, pricey lodging and large corporations and brands taking over the festival's independent vibe. "Sundance used to have such an artful pulse on the street that went beyond the films. Now it all seems to be gone and replaced with police presence and regulations," a Park City business owner told Variety in a January article. What's next: The 2026 festival, which could be Utah's last, is scheduled for Jan. 22–Feb. 1. What we're watching: Whether Cox signs the pride flag ban.
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Federal worker layoff controversy; Arizona apologizes to BYU
From Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes firing back at President Donald Trump, Elon Musk and DOGE for federal worker layoffs, to Arizona apologizing to BYU after Wildcats fans chanted anti-LDS sentiments, here are tonight's top stories.
