Since 1978, the Sundance Film Festival has been the place where independent filmmakers find their audience. This quiz focuses on the festival’s history and its impact on the industry.
You will see questions about specific films like The Blair Witch Project, the mechanics of movie distribution, and the rise of indie cinema in the 90s. Some questions are simple, while others ask for specific details.
When you finish, try New Hollywood history, look at director techniques, or browse other festivals.
Which iconic American actor founded the Sundance Film Festival in 1978?
Francis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola
George Lucas
George Lucas
Martin Scorsese
Martin Scorsese
Robert Redford
Robert Redford
In which mountain town is the Sundance Film Festival primarily held?
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Park City, Utah
Park City, Utah
Aspen, Colorado
Aspen, Colorado
Telluride, Colorado
Telluride, Colorado
What was the primary original vision behind the creation of the Sundance Institute?
To preserve archival film reels
To preserve archival film reels
To celebrate Hollywood blockbusters
To celebrate Hollywood blockbusters
To showcase independent film talent
To showcase independent film talent
To premiere international horror films exclusively
To premiere international horror films exclusively
The 1999 film ‘The Blair Witch Project’ famously reinvigorated which specific cinematic sub-genre?
High-budget science fiction blockbusters
High-budget science fiction blockbusters
Micro-budget horror films
Micro-budget horror films
Silent films with live orchestration
Silent films with live orchestration
Experimental documentary shorts
Experimental documentary shorts
What was the approximate production budget of ‘The Blair Witch Project’?
$24,000
$24,000
$120,000
$120,000
$60,000
$60,000
$250,000
$250,000
Roughly how much did ‘The Blair Witch Project’ gross globally at the box office?
$100 million
$100 million
$248 million
$248 million
$800 million
$800 million
$450 million
$450 million
In what year was the sleeper hit ‘The Blair Witch Project’ released?
2005
2005
1992
1992
1999
1999
1985
1985
Which studio acquired the distribution rights for ‘The Blair Witch Project’ after its successful festival debut?
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Miramax Films
Miramax Films
Artisan Entertainment
Artisan Entertainment
New Line Cinema
New Line Cinema
What nickname was often given to the wave of young directors who emerged through the Sundance festival platform in the 1990s?
The Midnight Producers
The Midnight Producers
The Film Market Syndicate
The Film Market Syndicate
The Guerrilla Filmmakers
The Guerrilla Filmmakers
The Sundance Kids
The Sundance Kids
The 1990s saw a trend of record-breaking bidding wars for indie films at Sundance; which amount became a common benchmark for these high-stakes acquisitions?
$10 million
$10 million
$5 million
$5 million
$20 million
$20 million
$50 million
$50 million
Which 1989 film is often cited as the catalyst for the “indie boom” of the 1990s following its Sundance premiere?
The Usual Suspects
The Usual Suspects
Reservoir Dogs
Reservoir Dogs
Clerks
Clerks
Sex, Lies, and Videotape
Sex, Lies, and Videotape
Which 1978 film by Charles Burnett was rediscovered and restored decades after its initial production, becoming a landmark of American independent cinema?
Citizen Kane
Citizen Kane
2001: A Space Odyssey
2001: A Space Odyssey
The Wizard of Oz
The Wizard of Oz
Killer of Sheep
Killer of Sheep
Which organization is best known for maintaining the list of “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” films that are often rescued from potential loss?
The British Film Institute Archive
The British Film Institute Archive
The Tokyo Film Preservation Center
The Tokyo Film Preservation Center
The Library of Congress Film Registry
The Library of Congress Film Registry
The Cinémathèque Française
The Cinémathèque Française
Which director became the poster child for the Sundance discovery movement after his 1989 film won the Audience Award?
Smith
Smith
Linklater
Linklater
Tarantino
Tarantino
Soderbergh
Soderbergh
What was the approximate reported production budget for the cult classic ‘Clerks’ which was famously filmed in a convenience store at night?
$27,000
$27,000
$75,000
$75,000
$15,000
$15,000
$45,000
$45,000
What is the primary reason many independent films from the 1970s and 80s were “forgotten” before the advent of digital streaming?
Lack of distribution interest
Lack of distribution interest
Physical media degradation
Physical media degradation
Political censorship
Political censorship
Restoration technology
Restoration technology
In 1999, the film ‘Happy, Texas’ sparked an intense bidding war at Sundance that reached approximately what amount?
$20 million
$20 million
$5 million
$5 million
$1 million
$1 million
$10 million
$10 million
Which movement, established in 1995, aimed to purify filmmaking by forbidding special effects and focusing on story and performance?
Direct Cinema
Direct Cinema
Mumblecore
Mumblecore
Dogme 95
Dogme 95
No Wave Cinema
No Wave Cinema
How was the 1927 silent classic ‘Metropolis’ famously “rediscovered” after a long-lost version was found?
A film stolen from a studio vault in 1950
A film stolen from a studio vault in 1950
A film found in a New Zealand archive in 2010
A film found in a New Zealand archive in 2010
A film mislabeled as a documentary for decades
A film mislabeled as a documentary for decades
A lost silent film
A lost silent film
What is the primary ongoing mission of the Sundance Institute’s Labs?
To create a primary distributor for Hollywood films
To create a primary distributor for Hollywood films
To foster a community for filmmakers outside the studio system
To foster a community for filmmakers outside the studio system
To ensure studio profitability
To ensure studio profitability
To train actors for mainstream commercial roles
To train actors for mainstream commercial roles
What marketing strategy was largely responsible for the massive viral success of ‘The Blair Witch Project’?
It featured multiple A-list Hollywood stars who worked for free
It featured multiple A-list Hollywood stars who worked for free
It had a massive multi-million dollar television advertising budget
It had a massive multi-million dollar television advertising budget
It was only released on DVD
It was only released on DVD
It used a revolutionary viral marketing campaign online
It used a revolutionary viral marketing campaign online
In 2009, the total economic impact of the Sundance Film Festival on the Utah economy was estimated to be around what amount annually?
$90 million
$90 million
$110 million
$110 million
$70 million
$70 million
$130 million
$130 million
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If you enjoy this, check out our trivia on cult classics, keep learning with documentary history, or move to silent film pioneers.
