This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The Slamdance Film Festival is marking its 20th year by introducing a new prize — the Founders Award — and giving it to one of the upstart film festival's most successful alumnae.
The first Founders Award recipient will be the acclaimed director Christopher Nolan, Slamdance officials announced today.
Nolan's first film, "Following," debuted at Slamdance in 1999. Since then, Nolan has made such movies as "Memento," "Insomnia," "The Prestige," "Inception" and, of course, the trilogy that revived DC Comics' Batman: "Batman Begins," "The Dark Knight" and "The Dark Knight Rises."
With that mainstream success, said Slamdance president and co-founder Peter Baxter, Nolan has remained a supporter of independent film. "Throughout his incredible successes, Christopher Nolan has stood firml behind the Slamdance filmmaking community," Baxter said in a statement.
In a statement, Nolan said, "I'm honored to be recognized by a Festival that gave me some of my first opportunities to connect with an audience. Slamdance continues to provide an important forum for emerging filmmakers and I'm proud to be part of their history."
Nolan will receive the award Saturday, Jan. 18, at Slamdance's headquarters, the Treasure Mountain Inn in Park City.