M+E Daily
Dolby Atmos Transforms the 2017 Sundance Film Festival (MESA)
Story Highlights
Sundance Institute and the Dolby Institute, along with the Ray and Dagmar Dolby Family Fund, announced that Mudbound, cowritten, directed, and executive produced by Dee Rees, has been selected as the 2017 recipient of the Dolby Family Sound Fellowship. This fellowship provides a range of post-production resources to enable the recipients to fulfill the creative potential of their films’ soundtracks. Chosen for its creative and unique soundscapes and sound design potential, Mudbound will premiere at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival at the Eccles Theatre in Dolby Atmos on January 21, 2017.
This is the fourth year in a row the Eccles Theatre will premiere a Dolby Family Sound Fellowship-winning film featuring a Dolby Atmos soundtrack. The Eccles received a permanent Dolby Atmos installation in 2015, making it the crown jewel for Sundance Film Festival premieres.
“We use sound design very narratively in this film to continually parallel the ‘battle at home’ versus the ‘battle abroad.’ From the theater of war to the everyday brutal indifference of nature, we’re using a layered and unexpected mix of score, diegetic music, and atmosphere to animate the landscapes. Through non-literal, expressive soundscapes we transform disparate geographies into breathing, sentient beings,” explained Dee Rees, cowriter, director, and executive producer of Mudbound. “The grant from Dolby has made the pivotal difference in us being able to create this film’s unique and expansive feeling. I’m very grateful that Sundance Institute and the Dolby Institute saw the potential of our film and honored us in this way.”
Sundance Institute and the Dolby Institute collaborated on the film-vetting process; a committee made up of members from both organizations with the help of leading sound designer Craig Henighan (Deadpool, Black Swan) selected the winning film.
The Mudbound team has used the grant to create a Dolby Atmos sound design and mix. The soundtrack was helmed by sound supervisor Damian Volpe, scored by Tamar-kali, and mixed in Dolby Atmos by both Damian Volpe and rerecording mixer Rob Fernandez.
