Los Angeles, CA — Sundance Institute today announced the 29 feature-length documentary films that will receive more than $550,000 in grants from its Documentary Film Program and Fund (DFP).
Grantees were selected from 772 submissions from 88 countries and include filmmakers working in Chile, Libya, Cuba, Cambodia and Pakistan as well as a broad range of experience, from first-time feature documentary filmmakers to Academy Award nominee Arthur Dong and veteran filmmaker Ed Pincus working with Lucia Small. Submissions were reviewed by a jury of creative film professionals and human rights experts, based on their approach to storytelling, artistic treatment and innovation, subject relevance and potential for social engagement.

At the conclusion of last month’s Sundance Institute June Screenwriters Lab, participants attended a screening of “The Front,” written by Walter Bernstein, which offers a comedic look at the Hollywood Blacklist in the ‘50s starring Woody Allen as a “front” for blacklisted writers. Bernstein, himself a victim of the blacklist, was present for the screening and was joined by fellow screenwriter Dough McGrath for a Q&A following the film. Below is an excerpted portion of the discussion.

Tickets on Sale Now at Ticketfly
New Four-Day Summer Film Festival in Los Angeles, Aug. 8-11
LOS ANGELES, CA — Sundance Institute today announced that the first-ever NEXT WEEKEND film festival, Aug. 8-11, 2013 at venues throughout Los Angeles, will kick off with an outdoor screening of Chris Smith’s iconic cult documentary American Movie and Mark Borchardt’s horror film Coven Aug.

New York, NY — Sundance Institute today announced the acting company, artists-in-residence and creative advisors for the seven projects being developed at its 2013 Theatre Lab, July 8-28 at the Sundance Resort in Utah. Under the supervision of Artistic Director Philip Himberg and Producing Director Christopher Hibma, the Lab is the centerpiece of the Theatre Program’s year-round work and is designed to support both emerging and established artists and to create a place where their original work can be effectively mentored and challenged free from commercial pressure.
Himberg said, “The 2013 Theatre Lab Fellows have stories to tell, stories about African immigrants, and gay heroes, and Yiddish authors and Palestinian teachers: stories which throw new lenses on our diverse and complicated world.

It’s easy to get lost in the grand, occasionally ostentatious, festivities that accompany the Fourth of July. But at the heart of the nation’s revelry is a collective nod to the freedom we enjoy as American citizens. On the eve of Independence Day, we take a look at five Sundance-supported films that embody the true ethos of independent filmmaking.

The Fall 2013 granting round for the Sundance Institute Documentary Fund is in full swing. Applications are trickling in to our LA office, and we are eager to begin learning about the projects and stories that documentary filmmakers around the globe are working on. As projects arrive, so do the questions.

Writer-director-producer Jenni Olson has been programming, researching, collecting, creating, and writing about lesbian, gay, bi and transgender (LGBT) film since 1986 and is one of the world’s leading experts on LGBT cinema history. Her debut feature film, ‘The Joy of Life,’ premiered at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival and went on to play a pivotal role in renewing debate about the need for a suicide barrier on the Golden Gate Bridge. She is seeking funding through Kickstarter to complete her latest project, ‘The Royal Road.

Puerto Rico has fallen in love with Film Forward. On its first visit to Puerto Rico, in 2011, the program reached a wide audience, with a touch of fanfare and glitz. The first event alone attracted more than 700 people and featured a jazz player and a “red carpet”! That year, both in San Juan and Ponce, the public responded with great enthusiasm to the opportunity of viewing independent films and discussing them with each other and with our wonderful Sundance Institute guests.

New York, NY — Sundance Institute and the LUMA Foundation today announced that the two organizations will collaborate to host the Sundance Institute | LUMA Foundation Theatre Directors Retreat at Domaine de l’Armellière, July 29 – August 9, in Arles, France. Under the supervision of Philip Himberg, Artistic Director of the Sundance Institute Theatre Program, Producing Director Christopher Hibma and Program Associate Anne Kauffman, the Retreat will be the first theatre director-centered residency at the Institute.
The Retreat will complement other initiatives of the Theatre Program by providing specific resources to directors in the field, including meeting the identified needs for more opportunities to exchange ideas and practices with other mid-career, freelance directors.

Self-distributing filmmakers often face the challenge of procuring funding to support their film’s campaigns – particularly if their goal is to inspire social change. It’s a long-term game and money often isn’t seen until months or even a year after originally sought after.
However – when that money comes in, you’d better be ready!
Early this year, First Generation directors Adam and Jaye Fenderson were offered a grant to finance a 7-10 city screening tour across low-income high schools in New England.

Park City, UT — Sundance Institute today announced that the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, which took place in Park City, Salt Lake City and Ogden, Utah in January, generated an overall economic impact of close to $70 million for the State of Utah, according to the independent annual economic and demographic study conducted by the University of Utah’s Bureau of Economic and Business Research at the David Eccles School of Business (BEBR).
The Economic Report, posted in full on the Sundance Institute website, also found that the 2013 Festival: supported over 1,407 jobs; generated over $56.8 million in international media exposure; provided nearly $5.

Each year at our ShortsLab workshops connect attendees with a vibrant group of filmmakers, actors, and talent behind the camera in a day-long series of panel discussions and Q&A sessions. On July 14, join us for ShortsLab: NYC at BAM and learn new tools to advance your own filmmaking pursuits. Included in the “Short to Feature” panel are two filmmakers who were able to make successful short films that led to feature films soon after.

An exciting possibility in New Frontier storytelling is gaining a better understanding of our shared reality—aka “truth.” One person’s story is true, but it’s only a piece of the whole. Without their story, “truth” cannot be understood; and with only their story, “truth” cannot be understood.