Sundance London offshoot to return next year after break

LONDON (Reuters) - The London version of the Sundance Film Festival will return to the British capital in 2016 after taking a year off, organizers said on Thursday. Founded by Hollywood actor Robert Redford in 1981, the Sundance Institute said in January the London offshoot of the annual Utah-based festival would not take place this year. Instead it will return next year to the new Picturehouse Central, a seven-screen cinema in the city center due to open this summer. It has previously been held at the O2 arena in southeast London. Sundance is considered the top U.S. independent film festival. "After three successful years in London we wanted to take the time to evaluate the program and explore all our options fully," a Sundance Institute spokesperson said. No dates were announced for the London event. Sundance Institute also said its Hong Kong event would take place from Sept. 17-27, 2015 at The Metroplex in Kowloon Bay. (Reporting by Marie-Louise Gumuchian; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)