January 26, 2011 | 1:33 p.m

Social media will save art.

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Kickstarter sent the first crowd-funded film to the Sundance Film Festival this year with Matthew Lessner's The Woods, about a group of anarchist 20-somethings who abandon civilization and move to the forest.

Kickstarter is primarily a way to raise money, but the platform has become a way to build an engaged audience even before creating a product or piece of art. The Sundance Institute, the global nonprofit organization founded by Robert Redford, is launching a program in partnership with Kickstarter and Facebook to teach filmmakers how to engage their audiences online.

Facebook employees taught Sundance alums how to change their settings and buy ads during a workshop at the Festival; Kickstarter cofounder Yancey Strickler also led workshops at the Festival.

Kickstarter will provide branding, educational, and promotional support to alumni of Sundance Institute's artistic development program, according to a press release. Beginning this spring, the Institute will curate alumni projects at Kickstarter and encourage its alumni and supporters to contribute.

Watch the trailer for The Woods below.

ajeffries [at] observer.com | @adrjeffries