From the Labs

Do You Have a Screenplay Exploring Science and Technology?
From the Labs
Ask Yourself These Questions When Developing Your Documentary Film
From the Labs
Writer-Director Tayarisha Poe: “Something was wrong with my script”
When I applied to the Sundance Institute Screenwriters Lab I knew there was something wrong with my script. When I interviewed for the lab, I once again shared that feeling. And then when I got the call from Michelle Satter and Ilyse McKimmie welcoming me and my story (Selah and the Spades) into the fold, I felt a quiet relief – like finally getting an appointment to see a doctor after months of a very sore throat. So, I entered the lab knowing nothing other than 1) even through those fleece-lined waterproof boots, my toes were freezing and 2) my script wasn’t done, and as strongly as I felt that, I didn’t know why.
From the Labs
Exploring the Power of Vulnerability in Screenwriting
In a world that asks us to be assertive, to know all the answers, and compete against each other, vulnerability can easily be interpreted as weakness. This is not the case.
From the Labs
​5 Reasons Native Storytellers Should Apply to the Full Circle Fellowship
From the Labs
What's The First Film That Blew Your Mind?
“The Film that Blew Your Mind” is as much an exercise in self-exploration as it is an analysis of craft. It’s a reminder that critical acclaim and artistic excellence are not the sovereign rule-makers of taste and creative influence. We revisit some of the evening’s film selections and the subsequent discussions surrounding their effect on each presenter.
From the Labs
“Documentary is the fiction of reality”: Behind the Scenes of the Doc Edit and Story Lab
I came to the Sundance Institute’s Documentary Edit and Story Lab with a mix of emotions. I’d proudly accepted a creative advisor role, joining an esteemed group that included Laura Poitras, Jonathan Oppenheim, Joelle Alexis, Nels Bangerter, and Lillian Benson, but remained skeptical of what I thought might be a “too many cooks in the kitchen” approach to editing documentaries.
From the Labs
4 Universal Tips to Polish Your Screenplay
Last summer I started work on my first feature film, Checkout. It told the story of a man stuck in an old hotel on the outskirts of Istanbul, without the possibility of leaving. One year later I found myself stuck in an old hotel on the outskirts of Istanbul, without the possibility of leaving. Unlike my protagonist, I was ecstatic; I had just arrived at the !f-Sundance Screenwriters Lab. Aside from transforming into my protagonist in a Shining-esque mindbender, there are quite a few universal takeaways that might be worth sharing.
From the Labs
Tramontane's Journey From Lebanon to Cannes
Vatche Boulghourjian’s debut feature Tramontane made its world premiere in Critics’ Week at Cannes on Tuesday. The film, about a blind man on the trail of his origins in post-war Lebanon, took four years to make. The following is a chronological account on the making of Tramontane, told from writer/director Vatche Boulghourjian’s and producer Caroline Oliveira’s points of view.
From the Labs
Last Call for New Voices – Submit Your Short Form Episodic Script
For some reason, staring at the lamp on my desk doesn’t always get me jazzed for a long night of writing. Despite the pleasing geometry of its triangular Ikea frame, it’s always been a rather underwhelming view. It’s a sad reality for home offices here in Brooklyn that they’re crammed with a clutter of things that didn’t make the grade for the rest of your apartment: futons, the art that wasn’t quite nice enough to put up in your living room, a whole corner full of guitars, and a bookshelf that you just gave up on and started stuffing books into horizontally.
From the Labs
Calling All Creators to Apply for the YouTube New Voices Lab
Sundance Institute is seeking applicants for the YouTube New Voices Lab set to take place November 10-12, 2016, at YouTube Space Los Angeles. The Lab is designed to support a group of 10 creators, developing scripted short-form episodic content for digital platforms (up to 25 minutes in length per episode).
From the Labs
Master Class Takeaways: A Short Film Is Not a Trailer For a Feature
An unseasonably windy morning blows in Charlotte as an eclectic group of filmmakers enter the Bechtler Modern Art Museum. With a registration list cut off at 375, the Wells Fargo Auditorium inside the Bechtler fills up, and there are folks who have come hoping to fill a vacant seat. Filmmakers are networking prior to the start of the program, greeting each other with hugs and handshakes. When the door closes and the lights dim, there are more than 245 in the audience, several who have driven more than three hours to attend this Sundance Institute Short Film Master Class.
From the Labs
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