Category: Donor Spotlight

Discovering and supporting independent artists is what Sundance Institute is all about. We believe that providing an inclusive space for artists to create and thrive encourages diverse stories and greater understanding. In 2013, the John S.

Ted Dintersmith’s 25-year career in the venture capital world has enabled him to focus his passion for storytelling to effect change and promote good through an intersection of innovation and education. He believes in the role of film to inspire social change and has connected with the Sundance Institute to see his vision through. Ted is a founding partner and generous supporter of our Catalyst Initiative, Sundance Institute’s initiative that connects forward thinking financiers with the world of independent film.

As a longtime Presenting Sponsor of the Sundance Film Festival and Sundance London, HP was striving for the opportunity to have deeper connection with a filmmaker team as a vehicle to strengthen their support of independent storytelling.
HP recently initiated a Fellowship to further support emerging talent who have exhibited strength and innovation relating to technology. The 2014 Fellows are Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, working on their film Swiss Army Man.

Sitting around the campfire on a cool evening after a long day of rehearsals at the Sundance Labs, you’ll often hear the story of how Sundance first came to be. It was around 1981, when Founder Robert Redford conceived of a place for American artists to share ideas and take creative risks with their work. That year, the newly-established Sundance Institute made an appeal to the nation’s leading funder of artistic endeavor — the National Endowment for the Arts — to support its nascent program for independent storytellers.