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Films star: Allison Janney, Melissa Benoist, Michael Angarano, Ed O'Neill, Jason Mantzoukas, Taissa Farmiga, Grace Gummer, Tony Revolori, and Ron Livingston

The Vail Film Festival will open its 15th edition with the Colorado premiere of Sun Dogs on Thursday, April 5, 2018. This is the feature directorial debut for Once Upon a Time star Jennifer Morrison, already in production on her next project, Fabled, a TV movie. Sun Dogs was written by Anthony Tambakis, who wrote Warrior, where Morrison played Tess Conlon.

Sun Dogs tells the story of a young man (Michael Angarano) determined to be a military hero, ends up on a misguided adventure with his family and new friend Tally (Melissa Benoist), which leads him to the most unlikely realization of how he can courageously “save lives.”

The festival will close with the road trip comedy, The Long Dumb Road, Saturday, April 7, by director Hannah Fidell. This SXSW Film Festival hit stars Tony Revolori (The Grand Budapest Hotel) and Jason Mantzoukas (Neighbors, The Good Place). The guys serendipitously meet at a time when they both find themselves at personal crossroads and decide to embark on an unplanned road trip across the American Southwest. 

 “We were absolutely charmed by these two films,” said Megen Musegades, Co-Executive Director of the Vail Film Festival, “Directors Morrison and Fidell have captured what I think a lot of us are looking for right now, stories with pure heart, unabashed honesty and a chance to get away, if only for ninety minutes at a time. We are honored to screen the work of these two directors on the rise.”

The 15th annual Vail Film Festival, taking place April 5-8, 2018 in Vail, Colorado, will have a special focus on female filmmakers. In addition to film screenings, the festival will include panel discussions and nightly parties.

The 2018 film program includes narrative features, documentaries, short films, and student films, with many filmmakers in attendance for post-screening Q&As. This year's lineup includes films starring 2018 Oscar winner Allison Janney, Ed O'Neill, Aya Cash, Emily Mortimer, Ron Livingston, Clea DuVall, Margaret Cho, Taissa Farmiga, and Melissa Benoist, among others. For the full 2018 Vail Film Festival lineup, please visit www.vailfilmfestival.com

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About the Vail Film Festival
Celebrating its 15th year, the Vail Film Festival is widely recognized in the international filmmaking community for supporting emerging and critically acclaimed talent from around the globe. The Vail Film Festival is presented by the Colorado Film Institute. More information can be found at www.vailfilmfestival.com

About the 2018 Vail Film Festival Sponsors
2018 Vail Film Festival premiere sponsors include GMC as the Official Vehicle, Vail Resorts as a signature partner and Stella Artois as the Official Beer. For all 2018 supporting sponsors, please visit www.vailfilmfestival.com.

About GMC

GMC is proud to be the official sponsor of the Vail Film Festival, and the exclusive partner of Vail Resorts.  GMC’s lineup of premium trucks and SUVs is built for those who want the best of the best, making it a perfect fit for the active lifestyle of Vail residents and guests.  Led by a family of award-winning Denali trucks and SUVs, every GMC is rated PG for Professional Grade, sets the industry benchmark for refinement, and represents the pinnacle of craftsmanship and capability. Details on all GMC models are available at www.gmc.com, on Twitter at @thisisgmc or at www.facebook.com/gmc.