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Sundance pulls two award winners from online festival after piracy
“Twinless” is a comedic drama featuring “Mazerunner” actor Dylan O’Brien. The film follows two young men who meet in a twin bereavement support group, confronting themes of loss, loneliness and codependency.
The U.S. dramatic section film won the audience and special jury award for acting at Friday’s festival award ceremony.
But after scenes from the film were leaked online, Sundance removed the selection from its online viewing platform Saturday.
“The film ‘Twinless’ was a victim of some copyright infringement on various social media platforms, therefore the festival, in partnership with the filmmakers, have made the decision to remove the film from the Sundance Film Festival online platform,” Sundance said in a statement Saturday.
Online ticket holders will no longer be able to access the film. Sundance reports any single ticket holder who had not yet seen the film will receive a voucher to select another film to screen.
“We acknowledge and regret the disappointment this may cause. However, part of our commitment to advocating for independent filmmakers is ensuring that they can protect the art that they have created — now and in the future,” the statement said. “We take copyright infringement extremely seriously and intend to fully cooperate with local, state and federal law enforcement on all piracy-related issues.”
The other films already on Sundance’s online screening platform will remain available for viewers until the festival ends Sunday.
“Twinless” was not the only film removed. A documentary about the late Selena Quintanilla known for Tejano music was removed as well. “Selena y Los Dinos,” which won a documentary special jury award for archival storytelling at the festival, was also pulled due to piracy.
Recently, Sundance Film Festival made the difficult decision to pull two award-winning films from its online platform after discovering that they had been pirated. This unfortunate incident serves as a reminder of the ongoing challenges faced by filmmakers and the industry as a whole when it comes to protecting their work from unauthorized distribution.
The films in question, both highly acclaimed and celebrated at the festival, were removed from the lineup after it was discovered that they had been illegally uploaded and shared online. Sundance officials were quick to address the situation and take action to ensure that the filmmakers’ rights were protected.
Piracy remains a significant issue in the film industry, with filmmakers and distributors constantly working to combat unauthorized sharing and distribution of their work. The impact of piracy can be devastating, not only financially but also in terms of the integrity and control of the creative process.
As audiences continue to consume content online, the importance of supporting artists and creators by respecting their work and consuming it through legitimate channels cannot be overstated. Sundance’s decision to pull the pirated films serves as a reminder of the importance of upholding the rights of filmmakers and protecting their work from unauthorized distribution.
Moving forward, it is essential for audiences to continue to support filmmakers and the industry by watching films through legal and authorized platforms. By doing so, we can help ensure that the creative voices and visions of filmmakers are respected and protected in the digital age.
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- Sundance Film Festival
- Award-winning films
- Online festival
- Piracy
- Copyright infringement
- Film industry news
- Digital rights management
- Anti-piracy measures
- Film festivals
- Sundance winners
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