Tuesday, January 30

Dogtown Wins Award At Sundance

Santa Fe Springs, Calif.--Vans announced that the Company's skateboard-themed documentary, entitled Dogtown and Z-Boys, shared the Documentary Audience Award at the recent Sundance Film Festival, and also received the Documentary Directing Award for the work of Director Stacy Peralta.

"Winning these awards is a great testament to this story and the people who essentially gave birth to the modern era of skateboarding and Core Sports,(TM)" said Gary H. Schoenfeld, Vans' President and Chief Executive Officer.

Stacy Peralta commented, "I am completely blown away by the audience's response to the culture we presented in the film. Here we were a bunch of losers that stuck to what we believed in and are getting rewarded for it down the road. It was such an honor to be a part of the Sundance Film Festival and I especially want to thank the producers, Vans, who gave us complete freedom on the project and trusted us to do what was right."

Dogtown and Z-Boys documents the story of the famous "Zephyr" Skateboard Team, comprised of a group of Southern California surfers and skaters who, during the 1970's, created the platform for modern-day skateboarding. Focusing on skate legends such as Stacy Peralta and Tony Alva, both of whom were Vans-sponsored Skaters-of-the-Year in the 70's, and featuring interviews with current superstars such as Tony Hawk and Steve Caballero, the film illustrates the evolution of the sport from its days as a novelty to the current brand of aggressive athletic skating.

The film was written by C.R. Stecyk and Stacy Peralta, directed by Peralta, and narrated by actor Sean Penn. In keeping with the times, the Dogtown and Z-Boys soundtrack features songs from rock icons such as Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, Jimi Hendrix and Ted Nugent.

The Sundance Film Festival is recognized internationally as a showcase for the best in new American independent film, and the World Cinema program of the Film Festival presents new works by today's most innovative international filmmakers. Each year, members of the programming staff of the Sundance Institute view more than 3,000 submissions to select 100 or more feature length films and 60 shorts for exhibition.