By Archives team

While many know the Sundance Institute because of the Sundance Film Festival, they may be less aware of the Directors Lab, which traditionally takes place each summer at the Sundance Resort (and the last two years at the Stanley Hotel in Colorado). Started in 1981, the Directors Lab gives burgeoning filmmakers the chance to rehearse, shoot, and edit several scenes from their scripts under the guidance of seasoned creative advisors, closer to nature as Sundance Institute founder Robert Redford intended. The lab encourages fellows to take creative risks, giving them space to try something new without the pressures of the industry scene. It is an artistic community that prioritizes authenticity and bettering one’s craft without judgment. 

To provide a better sense of what happens at the Directors Lab each year, our team wanted to share this video series created in 2009 that unpacks many aspects of the lab experience. While the series is 16 years old, in watching it again, we are proud to see how Redford’s vision for the lab has remained the same over the decades. The first three videos are featured below: