The Sundance Collection at UCLA

For a sample list of available titles and additional research resources at UCLA please download our expanded collection profile

The Sundance Collection at UCLA was established in 1997 in order to provide long-term access to independent film production. With support from the Ahmanson Foundation, the Sundance Collection at UCLA is one part of a multi-faceted plan within the Archive for preserving, studying and exhibiting independent cinema.

A joint effort between the UCLA Film and Television Archive and the Sundance Institute, the Sundance Collection at UCLA underscores the importance of independent production while recognizing that such films are at much greater risk of disappearing from the public sphere than larger budget, studio-based cinema. By combining the resources of one of the world's leading media and preservation centers with an organization at the forefront of contemporary independent cinema, we hope to guarantee that future generations of filmmakers and media historians will be able to appreciate this extraordinarily vital part of contemporary culture.

Eight founding donors have already begun to add 35mm and videotape copies of their films to the collection, including: Fine Line Features, Gramercy Pictures, Miramax Films, New Line Cinema, October Films, Sony Picture Classics, Strand Releasing, and Trimark Pictures. Along with the titles which come from individual filmmakers, the support from these founding donors ensures that the collection will be truly representative of the independent landscape and that it will continue to grow over time. Films within the Sundance Collection at UCLA already include: "A Walk on the Moon," "Breaking the Waves," "Clerks," "Exotica," "High Art," "Paris is Burning," "Pulp Fiction," "Wild Bill: Hollywood Maverick," and many more. The collection includes documentaries, narratives, general release and limited release independent projects. A complete list of titles from the Sundance Collection at UCLA is available in the ARSC office, located in the Powell Library on the UCLA campus.

Video copies of films in the collection will be maintained in the Archive Research and Study Center (ARSC), as well as at the Sundance Institute. ARSC is open to the public and provides on-site study access to the Archive's vast media collections. For more information on viewing titles at ARSC, including the Sundance Collection at UCLA, please call 310-206-5388 or e-mail the Study Center at arsc@ucla.edu. Information on the full range of ARSC services and activities can also be found on the Archive Research and Study Center page.