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
2025 Documentary Fund
The Sundance Institute Documentary Fund supports filmmakers worldwide in the development, production, and post-production of cinematic documentaries 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: July 14
2025 Sandbox Fund
The Sandbox Fund offers grants, engagement events, and other opportunities for independent artists seeking to explore the intrinsic link between science and culture through innovative storytelling. The program is administered by the Sundance Institute Documentary Fund in collaboration with Sandbox Films, a documentary production studio that illuminates the art and beauty of scientific inquiry. Grants are offered to independent artists who are working at the intersection of science and nonfiction storytelling. The partnership identifies and supports nonfiction projects that inspire a deeper interest in science, especially among those who don’t think of themselves as science enthusiasts.
Deadline: July 21
2025 Graton Artist Opportunity
The 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 Institute 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