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John August on Encouraging Exploration at the Sundance Institute Labs
John August with fellow Kibwe Tavares at Sundance Institute’s 2016 June Screenwriters Lab. Photo by Brandon Cruz for Sundance Institute By Lucy Spicer When screenwriter

“Enigma” Wants to Unravel a Mystery in Trans Sisterhood History
Zackary Drucker attends the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of “Enigma” at the Egyptian Theatre on January 28, 2025, in Park City. (Photo by Andrew

2025 Sundance Institute Ignite x Adobe Fellows Selected
Ignite Lab Will Kick Off a Year of Opportunities for Emerging Filmmakers Ages 18 to 25 Marking the Program’s 10th Year PARK CITY, UTAH, June

“Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore” Shows How the Deaf Icon Changed Hollywood and Beyond
(L—R) Marlee Matlin, Troy Kotsur, and Shoshannah Stern attend the 2025 Sundance Film Festival “Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore” premiere at Eccles Theatre. (Photo by George

Channing Godfrey Peoples on a Bittersweet ‘Miss Juneteenth’ Release and the Urgency of Portraying Black Humanity on Screen
After premiering at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, Channing Godfrey Peoples’s debut feature is hitting digital platforms this Juneteenth—the day for which the film is named and which is very close to the director’s heart. “I feel like I’ve been living Miss Juneteenth my whole life,” she says.
The June 19 holiday—which commemorates the day slavery was finally abolished in Texas (more than two years after the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation was issued)—is celebrated in her hometown of Fort Worth with a deep sense of reverence and community, with barbecues, a parade, and a scholarship pageant for young Black women.

The Fight for Trans Rights Is Highlighted in “Heightened Scrutiny”
Sam Feder at “Heightened Scrutiny” premiere (photo by Robin Marshall / Shutterstock for Sundance Film Festival) By Bailey Pennick Editor’s note: Since the publishing of
The Latest

John August on Encouraging Exploration at the Sundance Institute Labs
John August with fellow Kibwe Tavares at Sundance Institute’s 2016 June Screenwriters Lab. Photo by Brandon Cruz for Sundance Institute By Lucy Spicer When screenwriter

“Enigma” Wants to Unravel a Mystery in Trans Sisterhood History
Zackary Drucker attends the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of “Enigma” at the Egyptian Theatre on January 28, 2025, in Park City. (Photo by Andrew

2025 Sundance Institute Ignite x Adobe Fellows Selected
Ignite Lab Will Kick Off a Year of Opportunities for Emerging Filmmakers Ages 18 to 25 Marking the Program’s 10th Year PARK CITY, UTAH, June
Festival

“Enigma” Wants to Unravel a Mystery in Trans Sisterhood History
Zackary Drucker attends the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of “Enigma” at the Egyptian Theatre on January 28, 2025, in Park City. (Photo by Andrew

“Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore” Shows How the Deaf Icon Changed Hollywood and Beyond
(L—R) Marlee Matlin, Troy Kotsur, and Shoshannah Stern attend the 2025 Sundance Film Festival “Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore” premiere at Eccles Theatre. (Photo by George

Channing Godfrey Peoples on a Bittersweet ‘Miss Juneteenth’ Release and the Urgency of Portraying Black Humanity on Screen
After premiering at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, Channing Godfrey Peoples’s debut feature is hitting digital platforms this Juneteenth—the day for which the film is named and which is very close to the director’s heart. “I feel like I’ve been living Miss Juneteenth my whole life,” she says.
The June 19 holiday—which commemorates the day slavery was finally abolished in Texas (more than two years after the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation was issued)—is celebrated in her hometown of Fort Worth with a deep sense of reverence and community, with barbecues, a parade, and a scholarship pageant for young Black women.
Festival Highlights
News

John August on Encouraging Exploration at the Sundance Institute Labs
John August with fellow Kibwe Tavares at Sundance Institute’s 2016 June Screenwriters Lab. Photo by Brandon Cruz for Sundance Institute By Lucy Spicer When screenwriter

“Enigma” Wants to Unravel a Mystery in Trans Sisterhood History
Zackary Drucker attends the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of “Enigma” at the Egyptian Theatre on January 28, 2025, in Park City. (Photo by Andrew

2025 Sundance Institute Ignite x Adobe Fellows Selected
Ignite Lab Will Kick Off a Year of Opportunities for Emerging Filmmakers Ages 18 to 25 Marking the Program’s 10th Year PARK CITY, UTAH, June
Artist Spotlight

Give Me the Backstory: Get to Know Mathias Broe, the Director Behind “Sauna”
By Jessica Herndon One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festival is having a front-row seat for the bright future of independent

Give Me the Backstory: Get to Know Shoshannah Stern, the Director of “Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore”
By Jessica Herndon One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festival is having a front-row seat for the bright future of independent

Give Me the Backstory: Get to Know Astrid Rondero and Fernanda Valadez, the Co-Directors of “Sujo”
By Jessica Herndon One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festival is having a front-row seat for the bright future of independent
From the Labs

John August on Encouraging Exploration at the Sundance Institute Labs
John August with fellow Kibwe Tavares at Sundance Institute’s 2016 June Screenwriters Lab. Photo by Brandon Cruz for Sundance Institute By Lucy Spicer When screenwriter

Kasi Lemmons on the Enduring Originality of the Sundance Institute Labs
Kasi Lemmons with fellow Daniel Kaluuya at Sundance Institute’s 2016 January Screenwriters Lab. Photo by Brandon Cruz for Sundance Institute By Lucy Spicer Writer-director, actor,

From Fellow to Advisor: Erica Tremblay at Sundance Institute’s Native Lab
Director Erica Tremblay on the set of “Little Chief’” during the 2018 Native Filmmakers Lab. Photo by Tytianna Harris for Sundance Institute By Lucy Spicer
Now Playing

Channing Godfrey Peoples on a Bittersweet ‘Miss Juneteenth’ Release and the Urgency of Portraying Black Humanity on Screen
After premiering at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, Channing Godfrey Peoples’s debut feature is hitting digital platforms this Juneteenth—the day for which the film is named and which is very close to the director’s heart. “I feel like I’ve been living Miss Juneteenth my whole life,” she says.
The June 19 holiday—which commemorates the day slavery was finally abolished in Texas (more than two years after the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation was issued)—is celebrated in her hometown of Fort Worth with a deep sense of reverence and community, with barbecues, a parade, and a scholarship pageant for young Black women.

Release Rundown: What to Watch in June, From “SALLY” to “Sorry, Baby”
Sally Ride appears in “SALLY” by Cristina Costantini, an official selection of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by NASA.

Release Rundown: What to Watch in May, From “The Moogai” to “Pee-wee as Himself”
Paul Reubens appears in “Pee-wee as Himself,” an official selection of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Michael Ochs
Collab

Writer Veronica Reyes-How on Her Journey from the Sundance Institute to Premiering Her Series “Mother, May I Have a Kidney?” at Tribeca
By Jessica Herndon Veronica Reyes-How’s journey from stage to screen is a testament to the power of pivoting. A seasoned actor with Broadway credits, including

How “Hacks” Writers Jen Statsky and Lucia Aniello Shape the Show’s Iconic Characters
By Jessica Herndon Hacks is more than just a show — it’s a masterclass in creative collaboration, both in front of and behind the camera.

“Boxcutter” Director Reza Dahya on His Path From the Sundance Institute to SXSW
By Jessica Herndon In 2022, Reza Dahya took a pivotal step in shaping his debut feature, Boxcutter, by enrolling in the Sundance Institute Collab’s “Directing:
Creative Distribution

From the Archives: The 3 Things It Takes to Be an Independent Producer
As the spiritual closing of Sundance Institute’s Creative Producing Summit, Sundance Film Festival director John Cooper wrapped up the weekend with the “One Word Challenge.”Cooper’s challenge to his three keynote guests was simple: “It is 2011, and the most important thing a producer needs to survive is …” Panelists were given this one-word task by email before arriving in Utah and told to bring their best thinking to the audience of creative fellows and advisors. The experiment is both simple and profound, and audience members were invited to play along with cards of their own.

‘I Knew People Wanted to See It’: The ‘In Reality’ Team on Why and How They Self-Distributed
In part one of this interview, In Reality writer/director/star Ann Lupo and producer Holly Meehl shared how they got their anti-romantic comedy feature off the ground. In this second and final part, we explore how they navigated self-distribution.
Were you building an audience along the way? How did you keep people engaged?
AL: During post-production I took on a side project editing a short for Casey Neistat called “Filmmaking is a Sport,” and it completely changed my perspective on YouTube.

From Short Film to Unexpected Feature: How ‘In Reality’ Came to Life
Liz Manashil is a filmmaker and former manager of Sundance Institute’s Creative Distribution Initiative.
A few months ago, before I had a baby, I encountered the anti-romantic comedy feature film In Reality, which I immediately fell for. As I told the filmmakers later, it was the movie I needed when I was in my early 20s.
From the Archives

John August on Encouraging Exploration at the Sundance Institute Labs
John August with fellow Kibwe Tavares at Sundance Institute’s 2016 June Screenwriters Lab. Photo by Brandon Cruz for Sundance Institute By Lucy Spicer When screenwriter

“Enigma” Wants to Unravel a Mystery in Trans Sisterhood History
Zackary Drucker attends the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of “Enigma” at the Egyptian Theatre on January 28, 2025, in Park City. (Photo by Andrew

2025 Sundance Institute Ignite x Adobe Fellows Selected
Ignite Lab Will Kick Off a Year of Opportunities for Emerging Filmmakers Ages 18 to 25 Marking the Program’s 10th Year PARK CITY, UTAH, June

Summer of Love Watchlist: 9 Magnetic “Friends to Lovers” Sundance Institute–Supported Must-Sees
By Jessica Herndon This summer, we’re turning up the heat with a watchlist series dedicated to exploring some of the most irresistible dynamics in love