After a week of intense work the Film Forward 2012 team returned home. This program, an initiative of Sundance Institute, is to stimulate cultural dialogue through the independent film. For seven days the director of the film On the Ice, Andrew McLean Okpeaha, and the producer of the documentary Buck, Sofia Santana, participated in discussions held with various segments of the population of Bogota, Cali, and Manizales.

Ciara Lacy is a Native Hawaiian filmmaker who attended the 2012 Sundance Institute NativeLab with her feature documentary project “Out of State.” Below she recalls her experience interacting with Lab Advisor and Sundance alum Adam Bhala Lough.I was sitting across from Adam Bhala Lough.

In this small world of variety, complexity, and contrast, the term “film forward” is a great alternative for understanding life, culture, and sharing. “Film” is this great learning window, and “forward”represents the sharing, reflecting, inspiring, and understanding among different cultures. The FILM FORWARD program in Bogotá, Colombia, generated an incredible atmosphere of exchange and knowledge.

Read Part 1 of Andrew’s journey here.
Thinking back on my trip to Colombia and my entire FILM FORWARD experience.  I love travelling.

Frank Pierson was just plain brilliant – as a screenwriter, educator and leader. He was never afraid to have an opinion and was always fiercely independent and ready for an honest debate. Frank began coming to the Sundance Screenwriters Lab in the early days of the 1980s and was one of the founding writers of the Program.

Monday July 9, 2012
First Day In Bogota
I arrived last night in Colombia to start the FILM FORWARD program.  It’s kind of funny being on a trip with a bit of a diplomatic feel to it in a country that I have never called home, but feels like my homeland.  My mother is Colombian and since the age of two I have been here often (in particular to her hometown of Cartagena) to spend time with family.

In 2010, the Sally Menke Memorial Editing Fellowship was created at the Sundance Institute by the late film editor’s husband, Dean Parisot, and children to honor her memory and passion for mentorship. Menke was an award-winning editor (Reservoir Dogs, Inglorious Basterds, Pulp Fiction) and long-time Creative Advisor who served as a consummate guide to countless Institute Lab Fellows. With the generous support of her large community of friends and colleagues, the Fellowship is now in its second year.

Michael Mohan is an independent filmmaker and the director of three Sundance Film Festival selections, including “One Too Many Mornings,” “Ex-Sex,” and the SFF ‘12 Competition film “Save the Date.” Below is an account of his experiences at last weekend’s Comic-Con event in San Diego.On Friday evening at 9:30 p.

Los Angeles, CA — Sundance Institute today announced that 10 additional titles have been added to a variety of online digital platforms and storefronts through its Artist Services access to distribution program, which launched in February 2012. The films that are immediately available to rent, download and stream include Brother to Brother (starring Anthony Mackie), Children Underground (nominated for an Academy Award), Enemies of the People (current News and Documentary Emmy Award nominee) and Dirty Work (executive produced by Edward Norton). Also, Indie Game: The Movie, which debuted at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival and was previously available only on iTunes, is now on additional platforms.

Arriving in Bogotá late on a Sunday night is perfect timing for easing into Colombia’s largest city, population size around 8 million. The metropolis enjoys a day of rest before Monday morning’s traffic onslaught. Space on roads is at a premium and drivers must alternate days when they drive as designated by license plate numbers.

Los Angeles, CA — Sundance Institute today announced the participants for its annual Creative Producing Labs and Creative Producing Summit, both held in the same week at the Sundance Resort in Sundance, Utah.
Eleven projects have been selected to participate in the Labs (July 30 – August 3) and receive ongoing creative and strategic support throughout the year, as well as direct granting for further development and production. The Fellows represent five projects from the Feature Film Program and six from the Documentary Film Program and Fund.

Sundance Institute is thrilled to congratulate its alumni on their recent nominations for the News & Documentary Emmy Awards. Twelve Sundance-supported films received a total of fifteen nominations for the 33rd Annual News & Doc Emmy Awards, which honor the best news reports and documentary films that have aired on television or streamed online each year. Award winners will be announced October 1, 2012, during a ceremony at the Lincoln Center in New York City.

Clay Jeter and Charles Spano recently attended the Sundance Institute Screenwriters Lab in the mountains near Park City, Utah, with their project IO, a screenplay about a teenage girl surviving as one of the last humans on an abandoned planet Earth. Below is Part 2 in a blog series chronicling their experiences. Click here for Part 1 of their blog.