Sundance London to Have a Longer Run

Sundance will sport a British accent for at least two more years. Robert Redford's Sundance Institute and AEG Europe plan to announce a two-year extension of Sundance London, a four-day film and music festival that held its first installment in April at the O2 complex. Sundance said the second round would include a similar mix of films, concerts and panel discussions; the inaugural Sundance London featured 27 films (all culled from the lineup at its primary festival in Utah) and 17 concerts.

Sundance's British extension comes as the organization pushes harder to expand its brand around the world, a move partly viewed in film circles as a way to remain competitive with the fast-growing Tribeca Film Institute. But Sundance also wanted to give American-made independent film a lift in Europe, where distribution has traditionally been difficult to obtain.