PARK CITY, Utah — Marlee Matlin, Jeremy O. Harris and Eliza Hittman left the premiere of a film in competition at the Sundance Film Festival on Friday night after the closed captioning device malfunctioned.
Matlin, who is deaf, is on the jury alongside Harris and Hittman for films debuting in the US Dramatic Competition at the Park City, Utah film festival this week. The jurors went out together when they learned about the situation, which took place during the premiere of the movie “Magazine Dreams”. Variety first reported the news.
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Joana Vicente, CEO of the Sundance Institute, said in a statement to The Associated Press on Saturday that the captioning device, which relies on Wi-Fi, had been tested before the screening and was working, but not working properly.
“Our team immediately worked with the devices at that location to retest them for the next screening, and the device worked without any malfunction,” Vicente said. “Our goal is to make all experiences (in person and online) as accessible as possible for all participants. Our accessibility efforts are, of course, constantly evolving, and your feedback helps the community as a whole move forward.”
Accessibility at film festivals has been a hot topic for years, and the incident once again highlighted how organizers are trying to make changes to please all fans. Vicente said his team has worked hard in this area, but admitted there is still a lot to learn.
“We are committed to improving the experiences and membership of all festival attendees,” the statement read. “We see accessibility as a major driver of institutional excellence and this work is done in partnership with film crews.”
Matlin did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Vicente said she and her fellow jurors will see “Magazine Dreams” in the coming days.
The Sundance Film Festival will run until January 29.
