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Retracing Ryan Coogler’s Sundance Institute Journey
Feature Film Program Founding Director Michelle Satter recalls Sundance Institute’s journey with and support of Ryan Coogler and his feature directorial debut Fruitvale Station.I met Ryan Coogler in the fall of 2011 when he came in to have a conversation about his script, Fruitvale Station. As I listened to Ryan speak about why he needed to tell this story, his deep, personal commitment to the project became evident.

2025 Sundance Institute Producers Lab Fellows Announced
PARK CITY, UTAH, July 11, 2025 — The nonprofit Sundance Institute announced today the 11 producers chosen for its annual Producers Labs, returning to Ucross

Through Their Lens: What Cinematographer Jomo Fray Saw at the 2025 Directors Lab
By Bailey Pennick There’s something arresting about the way Jomo Fray captures the world. The cinematographer, now best known for his unparalleled work on 2024’s

Give Me the Backstory: Get to Know Juan Mejía Botero, the Director of “Igualada: Refusing to Know Your Place”
One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festival is having a front-row seat for the bright future of independent filmmaking. While we

Give Me the Backstory: Get to Know Tadashi Nakamura, the Filmmaker Behind “Third Act”
By Lucy Spicer Editor’s note: We are deeply saddened by the passing of Robert A. Nakamura, a trailblazer in Asian American cinema and the subject

“IGUALADA” Beats the Odds in the Ultimate Underdog Tale
(Stephen Lovekin/Shutterstock for Sundance Film Festival) By Patty Consolazio This one’s for any person who’s ever felt put down, left out, marginalized, oppressed, alone, defeated,
The Latest

Retracing Ryan Coogler’s Sundance Institute Journey
Feature Film Program Founding Director Michelle Satter recalls Sundance Institute’s journey with and support of Ryan Coogler and his feature directorial debut Fruitvale Station.I met Ryan Coogler in the fall of 2011 when he came in to have a conversation about his script, Fruitvale Station. As I listened to Ryan speak about why he needed to tell this story, his deep, personal commitment to the project became evident.

2025 Sundance Institute Producers Lab Fellows Announced
PARK CITY, UTAH, July 11, 2025 — The nonprofit Sundance Institute announced today the 11 producers chosen for its annual Producers Labs, returning to Ucross

As “Tangerine” Hits 10, Relive Its Groundbreaking Sundance Film Festival Premiere in Photos
Tangerine director Sean Baker and cast member Mya Taylor attend the film’s premiere at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. By Jessica Herndon When Tangerine premiered
Festival

Give Me the Backstory: Get to Know Juan Mejía Botero, the Director of “Igualada: Refusing to Know Your Place”
One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festival is having a front-row seat for the bright future of independent filmmaking. While we

Give Me the Backstory: Get to Know Tadashi Nakamura, the Filmmaker Behind “Third Act”
By Lucy Spicer Editor’s note: We are deeply saddened by the passing of Robert A. Nakamura, a trailblazer in Asian American cinema and the subject

“IGUALADA” Beats the Odds in the Ultimate Underdog Tale
(Stephen Lovekin/Shutterstock for Sundance Film Festival) By Patty Consolazio This one’s for any person who’s ever felt put down, left out, marginalized, oppressed, alone, defeated,
Festival Highlights
News

Retracing Ryan Coogler’s Sundance Institute Journey
Feature Film Program Founding Director Michelle Satter recalls Sundance Institute’s journey with and support of Ryan Coogler and his feature directorial debut Fruitvale Station.I met Ryan Coogler in the fall of 2011 when he came in to have a conversation about his script, Fruitvale Station. As I listened to Ryan speak about why he needed to tell this story, his deep, personal commitment to the project became evident.

2025 Sundance Institute Producers Lab Fellows Announced
PARK CITY, UTAH, July 11, 2025 — The nonprofit Sundance Institute announced today the 11 producers chosen for its annual Producers Labs, returning to Ucross

Through Their Lens: What Cinematographer Jomo Fray Saw at the 2025 Directors Lab
By Bailey Pennick There’s something arresting about the way Jomo Fray captures the world. The cinematographer, now best known for his unparalleled work on 2024’s
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

Retracing Ryan Coogler’s Sundance Institute Journey
Feature Film Program Founding Director Michelle Satter recalls Sundance Institute’s journey with and support of Ryan Coogler and his feature directorial debut Fruitvale Station.I met Ryan Coogler in the fall of 2011 when he came in to have a conversation about his script, Fruitvale Station. As I listened to Ryan speak about why he needed to tell this story, his deep, personal commitment to the project became evident.

Through Their Lens: What Cinematographer Jomo Fray Saw at the 2025 Directors Lab
By Bailey Pennick There’s something arresting about the way Jomo Fray captures the world. The cinematographer, now best known for his unparalleled work on 2024’s

Directors Lab at 45: Sterlin Harjo Thinks Back to Gaining a Seat at the Table During the 2004 Lab
Director Sterlin Harjo and creative advisor Mike White at the 2004 Screenwriters Lab. By Jessica Herndon As the Sundance Institute Directors Lab turns 45, we’re
Now Playing

Release Rundown: What to Watch in July, From “FOLKTALES” to “Oh, Hi!”
Hege Wik and Odin appear in “FOLKTALES” by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady, an official selection of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance

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.
Collab

Take 5: Sundance Collab Instructor Patrick Shen on What He Learned From His Biggest Failure
By Jessica Herndon Welcome to the first edition of Take 5, where we invite you to get familiar with the talented instructors behind our Sundance

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.
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

Retracing Ryan Coogler’s Sundance Institute Journey
Feature Film Program Founding Director Michelle Satter recalls Sundance Institute’s journey with and support of Ryan Coogler and his feature directorial debut Fruitvale Station.I met Ryan Coogler in the fall of 2011 when he came in to have a conversation about his script, Fruitvale Station. As I listened to Ryan speak about why he needed to tell this story, his deep, personal commitment to the project became evident.

2025 Sundance Institute Producers Lab Fellows Announced
PARK CITY, UTAH, July 11, 2025 — The nonprofit Sundance Institute announced today the 11 producers chosen for its annual Producers Labs, returning to Ucross

As “Tangerine” Hits 10, Relive Its Groundbreaking Sundance Film Festival Premiere in Photos
Tangerine director Sean Baker and cast member Mya Taylor attend the film’s premiere at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. By Jessica Herndon When Tangerine premiered

Through Their Lens: What Cinematographer Jomo Fray Saw at the 2025 Directors Lab
By Bailey Pennick There’s something arresting about the way Jomo Fray captures the world. The cinematographer, now best known for his unparalleled work on 2024’s