LOS ANGELES, CA, October 22, 2026 — Sundance Institute today announced a $3 million gift from The Hearthland Foundation, founded by Kate Capshaw and Steven Spielberg with the mission of building a more just, equitable, and connected country. One of the largest contributions in the Institute’s history, this multiyear commitment will bolster the Feature Film Program, support the return of the renowned Directors Lab to Sundance Mountain Resort, and increase fellowships and direct, unrestricted grants to independent artists.

The gift comes at a pivotal moment for Sundance Institute as it carries forward founder Robert Redford’s vision of championing independent artists and emerging voices across fiction and nonfiction feature films, episodic, and emerging media in the U.S. and around the world. The funding enables the Institute to bring its signature Directors Lab back to its historic home at Sundance Mountain Resort in Utah, providing a creative sanctuary, mentorship, and vital resources to filmmakers from development through audience engagement. 

The investment reflects The Hearthland Foundation’s broader commitment to supporting artists, storytellers, journalists, organizers, and community leaders working to create a shared future. 

“Artists help us see what is, imagine what could be, and understand one another more fully. At Hearthland, we invest in the power of creativity and storytelling to open minds, deepen connection, and expand our sense of what is possible,” said Rachel Levin, President of Philanthropy, The Hearthland Foundation. “The Sundance Institute Directors Lab has done exactly that for generations of filmmakers, giving emerging artists the freedom to take risks, find their voices, and tell the stories only they can tell. Kate and Steven are proud to help carry that extraordinary legacy forward, and hope that this gift will encourage others to further support Sundance’s mission.” 

“This gift is a profound vote of confidence in independent artists and in the future of Sundance Institute. As we carry Robert Redford’s vision forward, The Hearthland Foundation’s generosity ensures that the heart of our work, supporting artists at every stage of the creative process, grows stronger for years to come. We are deeply grateful to Kate, Steven and the Foundation for this extraordinary support,” said David Linde, CEO, Sundance Institute. 

“When you give artists time, trust, and a community that believes in their voice, transformation happens. The incredibly generous support from The Hearthland Foundation will underwrite our Directors Lab returning to the Sundance Mountain Resort and provide vital artist granting, which is profoundly meaningful,” said Michelle Satter, Founding Senior Director, Artist Programs, Sundance Institute. “It will also do more than launch sustainable creative careers: Their support will champion the bold risk-taking and deep community at the heart of Sundance Institute, ensuring vital, original stories reach U.S. and global audiences.”

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About Hearthland Foundation

The Hearthland Foundation was founded by Kate Capshaw and Steven Spielberg with the belief that philanthropy is a creative act. Hearthland builds a more just, equitable, and connected country by investing in artists, storytellers, journalists, organizers, and community leaders working to create a shared future. Underlying all of this work is Steven and Kate’s understanding that storytelling shapes how people see and act towards one another, whose experiences are valued, what histories are remembered, and what’s yet possible.  

About Sundance Institute

As a champion and curator of independent stories, the nonprofit Sundance Institute provides and preserves the space for artists across storytelling media to create and thrive. Founded in 1981 by Robert Redford, the Institute’s signature labs, granting, and mentorship programs, dedicated to developing new work, take place throughout the year in the U.S. and internationally. Sundance Collab, a digital community platform, brings a global cohort of working artists together to learn from Sundance Institute advisors and connect with each other in a creative space, developing and sharing works in progress. The Sundance Film Festival and other public programs connect audiences and artists to ignite new ideas, discover original voices, and build a community dedicated to independent storytelling. Through the Sundance Institute artist programs, we have supported such projects as Beasts of the Southern Wild, The Big Sick, Bottle Rocket, Boys Don’t Cry, Boys State, Call Me by Your Name, Clemency, CODA, Dìdi (弟弟), Drunktown’s Finest, The Farewell, Fire of Love, Flee, Fruitvale Station, Half Nelson, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Hereditary, The Infiltrators, The Last Black Man in San Francisco, Little Woods, Love & Basketball, Me and You and Everyone We Know, Mudbound, Nanny, One Child Nation, Pariah, Raising Victor Vargas, RBG, Requiem for a Dream, Reservoir Dogs, Sin Nombre, Sorry to Bother You, Strong Island, Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), Swiss Army Man, A Thousand and One, Top of the Lake, Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, and Zola. Through year-round artist programs, the Institute also nurtured the early careers of such artists as Paul Thomas Anderson, Gregg Araki, Darren Aronofsky, Lisa Cholodenko, Nia DaCosta, Ryan Coogler, The Daniels, Robert Eggers, Rick Famuyiwa, David Gordon Green, Sterlin Harjo, Marielle Heller, Miranda July, Nikyatu Jusu, James Mangold, John Cameron Mitchell, Kimberly Peirce, Gina Prince-Bythewood, Boots Riley, A.V. Rockwell, Ira Sachs, Walter Salles, Quentin Tarantino, Erica Tremblay, Taika Waititi, Lulu Wang, and Chloé Zhao. Support Sundance Institute in our commitment to uplifting bold artists and powerful storytelling globally by making a donation at sundance.org/donate. Join Sundance Institute on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, X, and Bluesky.

MEDIA CONTACTS

Sundance Institute: Sylvy Fernández | sylvy_fernandez@sundance.org

Hearthland Foundation: Carrie Davis | Carrie@cdconsultingco.com