Artist Opportunities
Artist
Opportunities
The Sundance Institute’s labs, granting, and mentorship programs operate year-round to support independent artists and bring exciting new work into the world. Several of our programs are now accepting submissions.
If you’re looking for more opportunities to fine-tune your craft, visit Sundance Collab — our year-round digital space for global artists to learn, create, build a community, and champion independence in filmmaking.
Open Applications
The Development Track has one open application that allows your fiction feature work-in-progress screenplay to be considered for the following programs, fellowships, and grants including the Screenwriters Lab (held annually in January), the Screenwriters Intensive (held annually online in March), and the Sundance Institute Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship (includes participation in either the Screenwriters Lab or Intensive) and Commissioning Grant.
Deadline: May 12, 2026
2027 Documentary Fund
The Sundance Institute Documentary Fund is a global granting opportunity that supports independent filmmakers of cinematic documentaries, from development through release, on a wide range of contemporary topics and themes. For over two decades, the fund has been a stable source of nonrecoupable funding, supporting work that expresses the world in creative, complex, beautiful, and provocative ways. We remain committed to nonfiction projects that elevate and advance cultural dialogue, expand the form through creativity and innovation, and have the potential to generate social impact around some of the most compelling issues of our time.
Deadline: June 15, 2026
The Sundance Institute | Graton Collab Artist Opportunity
The Sundance Institute | Graton Artist Opportunity serves to cultivate a stage for artists from federally and non-federally recognized California Indian tribes to tell their stories through film. Artists will receive access to curated courses from the Sundance Collab platform, which provides a virtual destination for emerging artists to learn craft and career strategies and to build community through courses, workshops, advisor sessions, extensive resources, and virtual community gatherings.
Deadline: July 31, 2026