TromaDance
The first and only film festival of the people, for the people, and by the people.
Troma Entertainment runs TromaDance, a free, non-competitive indie film festival that started in 1999. It first took place in Utah, overlapping with Sundance as a more alternative option. After moving around New Jersey from 2010 to 2013, the festival has been held in New York City and at the Mahoning Drive-In Theater since 2014.
Quick Facts
- Date
- Mid-January, concurrent with the Sundance Film Festival (1999-2009), Mid-April (2010-present)
- Established
- 1999
Facts from the source article.
Overview
TromaDance describes itself as dedicated to bringing independent art back to the people. In contrast to Sundance, it charges no entry fee for filmmakers and no admission fee for attendees. Though Troma is known for violent low-budget horror films, the festival presents shorts and features across genres including comedy, drama, documentary, animation, and experimental film, with horror, fantasy, and sci-fi often forming a significant portion. The festival is funded by donations, with all employees and volunteers unpaid. Sponsors have included Filmmaker Magazine, G4, Jägermeister, Kodak, MovieMaker Magazine, PETA, Rue Morgue Magazine, SLUG Magazine, and Stella Artois. Troma also sponsors fan-organized TromaPaloozas, music festivals that raise funds for TromaDance, held in Denver, Las Vegas, Minneapolis, Murfreesboro, and Tulsa.
History
TromaDance was born from a suggestion by South Park co-creator Trey Parker to Troma president Lloyd Kaufman. Parker, whose first film Cannibal! The Musical was released by Troma, believed the Sundance Film Festival had grown too commercial with expensive fees, big-budget so-called independent films, and an exclusive atmosphere. He pushed Kaufman to start a festival that would be Sundance’s complete opposite: free to attend, open only to movies made outside the Hollywood system, and designed to help first-time directors get exposure. Troma later put out five DVD collections titled The Best of TromaDance, each covering two years of festival shorts. At a press event in October 2004 for the 2005 festival, Count Smokula, a long-running Troma character, debuted the official TromaDance theme song.
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