Documentary

The Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program (DFP) is dedicated to supporting contemporary-issue nonfiction filmmakers worldwide in the production of cinematic documentaries with human rights themes. In supporting such work, the DFP encourages the diverse exchange of ideas by artists as a critical pathway to developing an open society. Our year-round support activities for filmmakers amount to a celebration of documentary as an increasingly important global art form and a critical cultural practice in the 21st century.

• Sundance Institute Documentary Fund, which grants $1-2 million per year
• Creative Documentary Labs with seasoned Creative Advisors, held at the Sundance Resort every summer
• Work-in-progress screenings held at museums, film festivals, and cultural institutions globally
• Documentary filmmaker and field support at the Sundance Film Festival
• Creative and strategic partnerships to amplify the use of film around key global challenges.

Under the direction of Cara Mertes, the Documentary Film Program also convenes events and forges partnerships to amplify the use of film as a tool for increasing awareness of key global challenges and motivate change towards more open and equitable societies.

Sundance Institute Documentary Fund

The Sundance Institute Documentary Fund provides support for U.S. and international documentary films that focus on current human rights issues, freedom of expression, social justice, civil liberties, and exploring critical issues of our time. More than 500 awards have supported documentary filmmakers in 61 countries globally. The Documentary Fund was established at Sundance Institute in 2002 with a gift from the Open Society Institute and is supported by grants from the Ford Foundation and Open Society Institute, among others.

"There has never been a time when creative independent documentary filmmaking has been more important in our society." —Cara Mertes

Creative Documentary Labs

Each summer, the DFP holds three invitation-only Laboratories at the Sundance Resort in Utah: a week-long Documentary Edit and Story Lab, the Documentary + Composers Lab, and the Documentary Film Creative Producing Lab. World-class directors, editors, and producers work with projects at each Lab to bring the projects to a new level of excellence in nonfiction storytelling.

Past Fellows and Advisors of the Documentary Edit and Story Lab include Zana Briski and Ross Kaufman (Born Into Brothels), Laura Poitras (My Country, My Country, The Oath), Ra'anan Alexandrowicz (The Inner Tour), and Tia Lessin and Carl Deal (Trouble the Water). Click here for a full list of alumni.

Work-in-Progress Screenings

Since 2006, the DFP has presented screenings around the world to spotlight grantee films-in-process. These screenings are designed to advance storytelling technique and provide professional development opportunities. The chance to preview work for an audience and offer a window into the creative process can be invaluable for both artists and film lovers. The DFP has provided a platform for filmmakers at Lincoln Center, Film Forum, Brooklyn Academy of Music, MoMA, and Hammer Museum, as well as venues across the globe.

Skoll/Stories of Change

The DFP and the Skoll Foundation have partnered in a $3 million, three-year partnership, Stories of Change: Social Entrepreneurship in Focus Through Documentary. The program is designed to explore the role of film in advancing knowledge about social entrepreneurship. A combination of invited gatherings and documentary film project funding, the partnership supports the notion that powerful storytellers and innovative change-makers can benefit from each other. In addition to funding the creation of new documentary films, Stories of Change brings together leaders in both documentary film and social entrepreneurship at key gatherings over the course of the three-year partnership, including the Skoll World Forum in Oxford and the Sundance Film Festival.