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Shorts Awards Announced at 2017 Sundance Film Festival

And so we put the goldfish in the pool.
Courtesy of Sundance Institute

Lucia, Before and After
Credit: Charlotte Hornsby

Alone
Credit: Zac Manuel

Park City, Utah — Winners of the 2017 Sundance Film Festival jury prizes in short filmmaking were announced today by Sundance Institute at a ceremony in Park City, Utah. The Short Film Grand Jury Prize, awarded to one film in the program of 68 shorts selected from 8,985 submissions, went to And so we put goldfish in the pool.

Sundance-Supported ‘Manchester by the Sea’ Earns 6 Oscar Noms

Nominations for the 89th Academy Awards were announced this morning and Kenneth Lonergan’s Manchester by the Sea, which premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival, led all Sundance-supported films with six nominees, including Best Picture and Best Director honors. Casey Affleck earned a Best Actor nomination for his masterful portrayal of Lee, a man whose life of solitude is somehow reignited by tragedy, while newcomer Lucas Hedges received a Best Supporting Actor for his role as Lee’s nephew, Patrick. On the documentary side, three premieres from the 2016 Festival round out the Best Documentary Feature category.

Sundance Institute Announces 2017 Recipient of Merata Mita Fellowship for Indigenous Artists

Park City, UT — Amie Batalibasi (Australian Solomon Islander, Feralimae/Kosi) from Melbourne, Australia, is the 2017 recipient of the Sundance Institute Merata Mita Fellowship—an annual fellowship named in honor of the late Māori filmmaker Merata Mita (1942-2010). The announcement was delivered today at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival.For the second consecutive year, Sundance Institute has identified a Native or Indigenous filmmaker from a global pool of nominees to award a cash grant and provide a year-long continuum of support with activities including a trip to the Sundance Film Festival, access to strategic and creative services offered by Sundance Institute artist programs, and mentorship opportunities.

Sundance Institute and The Will & Jada Smith Family Foundation Collaborate to Support Diverse Independent Filmmakers

Park City, UT — Sundance Institute and The Will & Jada Smith Family Foundation will collaborate to support diverse independent artists, they announced today at a reception at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. As part of a two-year commitment, the Foundation will support the Institute’s Screenwriters Intensive and year-round work with diverse independent filmmakers and artists.The Screenwriters Intensive, part of the Institute’s Feature Film Program, provides the opportunity for 10 emerging screenwriters from underrepresented communities to hone their craft in a two-day workshop focused deeply on the creative process.

Six Theatre Artists Converge for Sundance Institute Retreat at Ucross Foundation

New York, NY — Six theatre artists will be the focus of the 18th annual Sundance Institute Retreat at Ucross Foundation in Wyoming, taking place January 23 – February 10. Designed to support theatrical writing in its earliest stages, the residency is dedicated to uninhibited creativity, peer mentorship and professional growth.
This year’s group of artists includes experienced composers, playwrights, a performer, and multihyphenate combinations; the residency comprises focused writing and creative time punctuated with organic, sporadic, collaborative time to reflect on process and the world at large.

Here’s How to Follow the 2017 Festival From Home

We hope to see you in the flesh at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival, but if it’s not in the cards, Sundance.org is presenting tons of live video and editorial coverage of film premieres, panels, and music, as well as around-the-clock updates on Twitter, Instagram, and other social media. If you can’t be in Park City for the festivities this year, we’ve got your back.