Virtual Sundance Film Festival Screens At Tulsa Theaters, Features Tulsa Filmmaker

Two Tulsa movie theaters could benefit from the changes happening at the Sundance Film Festival, which starts Thursday.

The acclaimed film festival is normally held in Park City, Utah, where hundreds of thousands of people usually gather. Due to the pandemic, the festival is now online and at theaters across the U.S. like the Circle Cinema and Admiral Twin Drive-in in Tulsa.

One film being shown this year is “Ghost Dogs,” the passion project of Tulsa filmmaker Joe Cappa.

"’Ghost Dogs’ is like the big leap into making something big and artful and a story that I wanted to tell," Cappa said.

Cappa said the animated film is about a rescued puppy that discovers its new home is haunted by the family’s former pets. Cappa said getting into Sundance brings big-name recognition to his film.

"Getting the phone call from Sundance kind of just made all our efforts worthwhile,” he said. 

The film will be shown at the Circle Cinema this Saturday, where folks are busy preparing for the festival. Circle Cinema Film Programmer Chuck Foxen is proud that Tulsa is part of such a famous event. 

"It's an unprecedented year and it got us this unprecedented opportunity, and I think it's going to be a lot of fun," said Foxen.

Circle Cinema will join about two dozen other theaters and drive-ins across the country as a satellite screen to help show the films.

"These will all be world premieres, so when we show them at Circle Cinema, it will be the first time they've been shown,” Foxen said.

He said the theater will operate at 20 percent capacity to help with social distancing. They're also partnering with the Admiral Twin Drive-in, which will be showing the same films. You can buy tickets and learn more about discussions with local filmmakers on their website.

Foxen said 100 percent of their ticket proceeds will go to the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Centennial Commission.

For more information, visit the Circle Cinema website here.