At the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, CreativeFuture and HP partner on a series of panels, reflecting a shared commitment to technology that empowers artists.

PARK CITY – It’s been a busy week for CreativeFuture at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. CreativeFuture partnered with HP on a series of panels and workshops at The Sundance House Presented by HP, reflecting a shared commitment to technology that empowers artists to bring groundbreaking storytelling to audiences. See full list of activities.

Inaugural Horizon Award-Winning Film by Verónica Ortiz-Calderón Premieres (Jan 26)

On Monday evening, the inaugural Horizon Award was presented to Syracuse University student Verónica Ortiz-Calderón for her film Y Ya No Te Gustas (And You Don’t Like Yourself Anymore) at a reception co-hosted by CreativeFuture and the Sundance House Presented by HP.

The award and a $10,000 check were presented to Ortiz-Calderón by Sharon Waxman, CEO and Editor in Chief of The Wrap, along with CreativeFuture Executive Director Ruth Vitale and the Horizon Award founders – producers Cassian Elwes, Lynette Howell, and Christine Vachon.

The 2015 Horizon Award’s corporate and organizational co-sponsors include The Black List, The Creative Mind Group, CreativeFuture, Indiegogo, The Sundance Institute, Twitter, Vimeo, and Women in Film. Read more about the Horizon Award.

A Conversation with Director Adam Salky (January 26)

CreativeFuture hosted a presentation at the Sundance Film Festival today featuring director Adam Salky discussing his new film, I Smile Back – a 2015 U.S. Dramatic Competition selection.

Salky (Dare, 2009 Sundance Grand Jury Prize nominee) spoke about the creative process behind I Smile Back alongside co-writers Amy Koppelman and Paige Dylan and producer Michael Harrop. Erin Grover of IndieWire moderated the discussion.

CreativeFuture Hosts Inner-City Filmmakers (January 26)

This afternoon, CreativeFuture hosted visiting students from Inner-City Filmmakers at Sundance House by HP for a technical demonstration and roundtable discussion about creativity and innovation.

All of the students received a copy of Adam Leipzig’s book, “Inside Track for Independent Filmmakers,” with a forward by Ted Hope.

A Young Filmmaker’s View of Sundance (January 25)

Kiersten Myers is a 13-year-old filmmaker attending Sundance for the first time.

While in Park City, Myers has had the opportunity to meet dozens of fellow creatives who have films being shown at the festival. She has been taking photos and conducting interviews on the streets of Park City.

After meeting Kiersten at the 2014 Temecula Valley International Film and Music Festival in September, where her short film, Future Earth, won first place in its category, CreativeFuture Executive Director Ruth Vitale invited Myers to Sundance. HP outfitted Kiersten with the latest technical tools to assist her filming and editing process.

We will update our blog with video once Kiersten has had time to edit. In the meantime, you can see Kiersten Myers’ pictures of her time at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival here.

Panel 2: Sundance Then and Now – The Changing Nature of Being a Filmmaker in the Digital Age (January 25)

For independent filmmakers, a lot has changed since the first Sundance Film Festival in 1978.

A group of Sundance veterans, award-winners, and first-timers gathered to discuss the opportunities – and the challenges – that face today’s filmmakers at the CreativeFuture panel in the Sundance House Presented by HP.

Panelists included Nikole Beckwith, Writer/Director (Stockholm, Pennsylvania); Chloe Zhao, Writer/Director (Songs My Brothers Taught Me); Eugene Jarecki, Director/Producer and two-time Sundance Grand Jury Prize-Winner (Why We Fight, The House I live In, Freakanomics); Paul Federbush, International Director, Feature Film Program, Sundance Institute; and Ruth Vitale, Executive Director, CreativeFuture – moderated by Franklin Leonard, Founder, The Black List.

Panel 1: Creativity Matters: A Discussion on the Cultural, Ethical, and Economic Implications of Creativity (January 24)

At the Sundance House Presented by HP today, CreativeFuture hosted a lively discussion on creativity in the digital age that featured experts from technology and independent film.

The panelists for “Creativity Matters: A Discussion on the Cultural, Ethical, and Economic Implications of Creativity,” included Cassian Elwes, Producer (Margin Call, Dallas Buyers Club, All is Lost); David Ginsberg, CTO, Sundance Institute; Steve Poehlein, Digital Media Practice Executive, HP Enterprise Services; and Ruth Vitale, Executive Director, CreativeFuture. The discussion was moderated by Josh Dickey, Entertainment Editor, Mashable.

CreativeFuture also premiered a new animated video trailer called “The Value of Creativity,” which details the cultural and economic benefits of creativity, the harm caused by piracy, and how the creative community can advocate for the rights of creators in today’s digital age. View video trailer here.