SUNDANCE ASCAP MUSIC CAFÉ RETURNS TO ACURA HOUSE OF ENERGY TO CELEBRATE THE LOVE AFFAIR BETWEEN MUSIC AND FILM WITH COMPOSER CONVERSATIONS AND LIVE PERFORMANCES FROM ERIC BAZILIAN & JAMES BOURNE, TOBY GAD WITH ANTONIQUE SMITH & MAE MAE, THE WILD FEATHERS, HAFFWAY AND AMBAR LUCID ON JANUARY 26 AND JANUARY 27

ASCAP Screen Time Hosts Exclusive Interviews Featuring Composers Jeff Morrow (SALLY) Katya Mihailova (How to Build a Library), Jay Wadley (The Wedding Banquet) and Josh Dibb (OBEX)

NEW YORK, Jan. 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) announces the ASCAP songwriters and composers taking the stage for the 27th Annual Sundance ASCAP Music Café at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. Together with Acura, longtime Presenting Sponsor and Official Vehicle of Sundance Film Festival, the Café features exciting live music performances and interviews with top film music composers on Sunday, January 26 and Monday, January 27 from 2:00 - 6:00 PM and 12:00 - 4:15 PM respectively, at Acura's House of Energy, 550 Swede Alley, Park City, UT.

With a mix of chart-topping and up-and-coming songwriters and composers, this year's Sundance ASCAP Music Café will feature performances from Eric Bazilian of celebrated rock band The Hooters with James Bourne of pop-punk band Busted; Grammy-winning hitmaker Toby Gad (John Legend's "All of Me," Fergie's "Big Girls Don't Cry") alongside acclaimed vocalist and actress Antonique Smith and up-and-coming singer-songwriter Mae Mae; southern rock band The Wild Feathers, whose eclectic mix of Americana and heartland pop has landed them on tours with major acts like Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson; Nashville singer-songwriter HAFFWAY, whose unique sound is a blend of folk and alternative or "folkternative;" and Mexican-Dominican singer-songwriter Ambar Lucid, an artist who transports listeners with her dreamy music.

ASCAP Screen Time, the ASCAP Film & Television team's ongoing interview series about the craft and business of music for screens, will host four exclusive conversations with the creators behind some of the festival's most anticipated films. Composer Jeff Morrow will speak with director Cristina Constantini on scoring SALLY, a documentary about Sally Ride, the first woman to blast off into space. Then, composer Katya Mihailova will discuss working on the documentary How to Build a Library, a story that follows two Kenyan women as they transform a dilapidated, junk-filled town library in downtown Nairobi into a hub for the city's citizens and creatives. The interview series will also feature conversations with composer Josh Dibb and director Albert Birney on their film OBEX, a black and white fantasy film following a man living in seclusion with his dog Sandy, as well as composer Jay Wadley on his score for The Wedding Banquet starring Bowen Yang and Lily Gladstone.

"At a time when so many in our community are feeling the effects of the LA fires, we think it's important to be here at Sundance to support our ASCAP members, to bring people together and inspire them as only the power of music can. Join us at the Sundance ASCAP Music Café, to explore the love affair between music and film through intimate performances and conversations featuring an incredible lineup of songwriters and composers," said Loretta Muñoz, ASCAP AVP Membership.

See the full schedule and get performer/panelist bios at www.ascap.com/sundance2025.

For the latest information on ASCAP events at the Sundance Film Festival, follow ASCAP on X, Facebook and Instagram, and through the event hashtag, #ASCAPMusicCafe.

Music in Film

The 2025 Sundance Film Festival includes many films and audio/visual projects that prominently feature the music of ASCAP's composer and songwriter members. ASCAP composers and foreign affiliates who have scored Festival films and audio/visual projects this year include:

Marco Beltrami (Deaf President Now!), Steven Price (Oh, Hi!), Jung Jae-Il (Twinless), Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe (Life After and Seeds), Jon Brion (Pee-wee as Himself), Sofia degli Alessandri (Prime Minister), Jeff Morrow (SALLY), Nico Muhly (The Librarians), Jay Wadley (The Wedding Banquet), Joel P. West (Love, Brooklyn), William Ryan Fritch (Coexistence, My Ass!), Troy Herion (Jesus 2), Daniel Hoffknecht, Maia Lekow & Katya Mihailova (How to Build a Library), Jimmy LaValle (Touch Me), Lia Ouyang Rusli (Sorry, Baby), Jonathan Sanford (Heightened Scrutiny), Sam Slater (2000 Meters to Andriivka), Simon Sohel TaufiQue (Ricky), Alexander Aarøen (Em & Selma Go Griffin Hunting), Robert Ames (Atropia), Diego Ayala Raffalli (Como si la tierra se las hubiera tragado), Benjamin Balcom (Azi), Alex Baranowski (Brides), Amine Bouhafa (All That's Left of You (اللي باقي منك)), Justine Bourgeus (UPPER), Philippe Brault (Two Women), Arthur Brouns (Trokas Duras), Cantautoma (GEN_), Giulio Carmassi (By Design), Florent Chronie-De Maria (Sukkwan Island), Lucrecia Dalt (Rabbit Trap), Emil Davidsen (Sauna), Josh Dibb (OBEX), Maxime Fortin (Platanero), Lukas Frank (East of Wall), Tim Hecker (Predators), Laura Heinzinger (The Perfect Neighbor), Alexandra Katerinopoulou (Flowers Stand Silently, Witnessing), Coral Rose Kindred-Boothby (Eating of an Orange), Antu La Banca & David Tokar (Luz Diabla), Jani Lehto (Flower Show), Eliot Leigh (We Were the Scenery), Mindie Lind (View From the Floor), Marcin Mazurek (Bunnyhood), Will Morrissey (Stranger, Brother.), Michal Rataj (Mr. Nobody Against Putin), Niklas Sandahl (Mad Bills to Pay (or Destiny, dile que no soy malo)), Miles Senzaki (Third Act), Karim Sabastian Elias (Cutting Through Rocks (اوزاک یوللار)), Pander Sera (Such Good Friends), Jeremy Warmsley (Zodiac Killer Project), Mimi Xu (LUZ).

Additional ASCAP members featured include music legend Jeff Buckley (It's Never Over, Jeff Buckley) as well as multi-hyphenate creator Questlove, who directed SLY LIVES! (aka The Burden of Black Genius).

Find more information about the ASCAP composers at this year's Festival www.ascap.com/sundancecomposers2025.

About ASCAP
The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) is a membership association of more than one million songwriters, composers and music publishers, and represents some of the world's most talented music creators. Founded and governed by songwriters, composers and publishers, it is the only performing rights organization in the U.S. that operates on a not-for-profit basis. ASCAP licenses a repertory of over 20 million musical works to hundreds of thousands of businesses that use music, including streaming services, cable television, radio and satellite radio and brick and mortar businesses such as retail stores, hotels, clubs, restaurants and bars. ASCAP collects the licensing fees; identifies, matches and processes trillions of performances every year; and returns nearly 90 cents of every dollar back to its members as royalties. The ASCAP blanket license offers an efficient solution for businesses to legally perform ASCAP music while respecting the right of songwriters and composers to be paid fairly. ASCAP puts music creators first, advocating for their rights and the value of music on Capitol Hill, driving innovation that moves the industry forward, building community and providing the resources and support that creators need to succeed in their careers. Learn more and stay in touch at www.ascap.com, on Twitter and Instagram @ASCAP and on Facebook.

SOURCE ASCAP - American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers