Ash Hoyle grew up in the Wallingford-Swarthmore area, attended Strath Haven High School, and In 2014, watched his first Sundance film at the Ritz, writes Bedatri for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

The film was Richard Linklater’s Boyhood, From then on, he was hooked.

Today, the Vassar College graduate is a programmer at the Sundance Film Festival and he treasures the arts scene energy of the Philadelphia region.

 “I feel like [the arts] is a part of the community, the city, the school. The schools here in Philadelphia make sure that people grow up knowing how important art can be, and proving the impact of that on young lives. I am certainly a product of that,” Hoyle said.

He remembers fondly when his grandparents took him to the Bryn Mawr Film Institute. He’s a horror fan and programmed genre films for the Midnight section of this year’s festival Jan. 19 to 29 in Park City, Utah.

Many of the films programmed this year are available online. Hoyle recommends five titles—“Going Varisty in Mariachi”, “Mutt”, “Smoke Sauna Sisterhood”, “Animalia”, and “Bravo, Burkina!” from Philadelphia-based filmmaker Wale Oyejide.

Read more about Ash Hoyle, the Sundance Film Festival, and his recommended films in The Philadelphia Inquirer.