Category: News

Andrew Ahn | Shaz Bennett | Bernardo Britto | Steven Caple Jr. | Jonas Carpignano | Marta Cunningham | Alistair Banks Griffin | Siân Heder | Marielle Heller | Anna Rose Holmer | Crystal Moselle | Felix Thompson | Yared ZelekeLos Angeles, CA — Sundance Institute today announced a significant expansion of its signature artist development programs to include targeted support for second-time feature filmmakers, addressing a growing need in the field of independent storytelling, especially for women and filmmakers of color. The new FilmTwo Initiative, led by the Institute’s renowned Feature Film Program, with generous support from Founding Partner NBCUniversal, will offer selected directors specialized creative and tactical guidance in navigating the unique challenges of making their second feature films.

Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, Video Games and Installations
Take Center Stage as New Frontier Turns 10

Peter Burr | Porpentine Charity Heartscape | Shawn Peters | Barry Cole | Josephine Decker | Jess Engel | Nicole McDonald |
Rob Auten | yako (Jean-Christophe Yacono) | Ziad Touma | Nicolas Peufaillit | Mark Farid | John Ingle | Nimrod Vardi

Los Angeles, CA – Sundance Institute announced today the six projects selected for the New Frontier Story Lab, the groundbreaking cinematic new media program that empowers creatives at the forefront of innovation in entertainment and storytelling, May 19-24 at the Sundance Resort in Utah. Past participants include Roger Ross Williams, Yung Jake, Chris Milk, Cory McAbee, Navid and Vassiliki Khonsari, Karim Ben Khelifa, Tracy Fullerton and Lucas Peterson.

The Sundance Institute New Frontier program, celebrating its 10th Anniversary this year, supports and fosters independent artists working at the convergence of film, art, media, live performance, music and technology.

Sundance Institute Invites Students, Artists and Film Lovers to Events at British Film Institute, Ravensbourne University, London Film School, and Regent Street Cinemas

Program Follows Sundance Film Festival: London, June 2-5 at Picturehouse Central

(L-R) Chuck Norris vs. Communism, Credit: Kevin Williams; Amy, Credit: Sundance Institute; Tig, Credit: Sundance Institute.

Los Angeles, CA — Immediately following the Sundance Film Festival: London, Sundance Institute will present Sundance Film Forward, a series of free film screenings and filmmaker discussions June 6-9.

A mother’s love is of the most ineffable variety. In the
spirit of abiding by that rule, we won’t attempt to belabor the point here.
Instead, a range of films has expressed that truth for us.

Frances Bodomo | Annie Silverstein | César Cervantes | Kibwe Tavares | Eva Vives | Sandhya Suri | Pippa Bianco | Boots Riley

Los Angeles, CA — Sundance Institute has selected eight first-time filmmakers for its signature Directors Lab, which helped launch the careers of award-winning filmmakers Cary Fukunaga, Dee Rees, Marielle Heller, Benh Zeitlin and Quentin Tarantino. Taking place May 30-June 23 in the mountains of Sundance Resort in Utah, the annual Lab supports the next wave of independent filmmakers exploring new ideas and shaping the future of storytelling.

At the Directors Lab, under the leadership of Sundance Institute Feature Film Program Founding Director Michelle Satter, Labs Director Ilyse McKimmie and the artistic direction of Gyula Gazdag, the Fellows will work with an accomplished group of creative advisors, professional actors and production crews to shoot and edit key scenes from their screenplays.

There is a quote that routinely makes the rounds online through inspo posts and Instagrams. It’s attributed to Lily Tomlin on any number of quote-aggregator sites, meaning it almost definitely was never uttered by Lily Tomlin. Reflecting on some unknown injustice, the pithy little line says, “Somebody should definitely do something about that.

Los Angeles, CA — Sundance Institute announced today a new initiative for films and emerging media projects exploring stories related to the urgent need for action with regard to the environment, conservation and climate change. Building on more than three decades of the Institute’s championing of independent stories focused on the environment, these grants to support new projects are led by founding support from the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation and include additional support from the Rockefeller Foundation, the Kendeda Fund, Discovery Channel, Code Blue Foundation and the Joy Family Foundation.

Robert Redford, President & Founder of Sundance Institute, said, “We want this financial and creative support to stimulate the next wave of independent film and visual storytelling that inspires action on one of the most urgent issues of our time: the long-term, sustainable health of our planet.

“I had friends who had bruises on their faces because [they were] fighting to escape child marriage.”
That’s how writer, rapper, and activist Sonita Alizadeh initiated a candid conversation with Tabitha Jackson (Director, Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program) at the 2016 Skoll World Forum Closing Ceremony. Sonita, whose story is the subject of the Sundance Grand Jury Prize-winning documentary of the same name, preceded the conversation with a performance of her song “Brides for Sale.

Picturehouse Central, 20 April 2016 — Sundance Institute and Picturehouse announced today the programme of feature films, short films and panel discussions for the Sundance Film Festival: London, taking place 2-5 June at new host venue, Picturehouse Central, in the heart of the West End. Festival passes will be available at sundance.org/london on Thursday 5 May and individual tickets will be on sale from 9:00 a.

Walking into Youtube Space LA was a return to kindergarten. Brightly colored buildings in the “Silicon Beach” office park welcomed us as we checked in using tablets. “Shouldn’t Google already know where I am, I just used Maps to get here,” I joke to the check-in table, a cover for the intimidation I felt as a filmmaker entering FREAKING GOOGLE, the heart of the tech world.

(L-R) Greta Gerwig and Miranda July, Credit: Frazer Harrison; Sundance NEXT FEST Marquee, Credit: Alberto E. Rodriguez; Toro y Moi and Neon Indian, Credit: Frazer Harrison.
LOS ANGELES — The Sundance Film Festival sheds its bulky sweaters and mountain parkas to reveal Sundance NEXT FEST, August 12-14 at The Theatre at Ace Hotel Downtown Los Angeles.

New York, NY — Sundance Institute today announced the acting company, dramaturgs and creative advisors participating in its pilot Theatre Lab in the MENA region, including Sandra Oh, Hoon Lee, Deanna Dunagan, Hala Omran and Raeda Taha. The Lab, held in Morocco next month, is part of the Institute’s international cultural exchange programs for independent artists and will kick off a new, multi-year commitment to support artists from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). For the Lab, the Institute will provide promising, fresh voices from the U.