Steven Soderbergh To Receive Slamdance’s Founders Award; ‘High Flying Bird’ Getting Sneak Preview

The Slamdance Film Festival said Steven Soderbergh will receive the indie fest’s 2019 Founders Award, given to an alum who has continued to represent the Slamdance organization and support its filmmaker community well into their careers.

The award will be bestowed during the fest, which runs January 25-31 and will open with the world premiere of Ski Bum: The Warren Miller Story. Soderbergh will participate in a Q&A with Slamdance co-founder and president Peter Baxter ahead of a sneak preview of his new film High Flying Bird, which bows on Netflix on February 8.

Previous Founders Award recipients include Christopher Nolan and this past year to Avengers writer-directors Joe and Anthony Russo.

High Flying Bird, penned by Oscar-winning Moonlight scribe Tarell Alvin McCraney, is set during a pro basketball lockout and follows a sports agent (Andre Holland) as he pitches a rookie basketball client (Melvin Gregg) on an intriguing and controversial business proposition. Zazie Beetz, Sonja Sohn, Zachary Quinto, Kyle MacLachlan and Bill Duke co-star.

Slamdance also today said the Los Angeles Film Festival award winner This Teacher from Mark Jackson will close the festival, and that Zombeavers director Jordan Rubin’s The Drone is set for its world premiere as an out of competition screening. Slamdance also added a special event
presentation of Blessing Yen and James Kaelan’s iPhone-shot thriller America the Beautiful to the official selection, and unveiled its 78-film strong shorts lineup.