Producers Program

Producers

Program

Recognizing the crucial role that independent producers play in finding, shaping, and championing original filmmaking voices, the Sundance Institute Producers Program supports both fiction and nonfiction producers at all stages of their feature-length projects and their careers.

Through a year-round continuum of support — including labs, fellowships, networking events, funding, and educational resource opportunities — producers are given the opportunity to build community with fellow producers and industry members, hone creative skills, gain additional knowledge of the field, and develop strategies for pitching, producing, financing, and releasing their films.

Producers Track

At the heart of the Producers Program is the Producers Track. This application supports emerging independent producers with a work-in-progress feature-length film to be considered for the Producers Lab & Fellowship (yearlong program commencing in June 2024). 

There are two different Producer Tracks: Feature Film (fiction) or Documentary Film (nonfiction).

Feature Film Producers Track Application & Guidelines More >

Feature Film Producers Track FAQ More >
Documentary Film Producers Track Application & Guidelines More >

Documentary Film Producers Track FAQMore >

Producers Lab & Fellowship

The Producers Lab & Fellowship is a yearlong program designed to nurture emerging fiction and documentary producers with project-specific support through the Producers Lab, year-round mentorship from a dedicated industry mentor, film industry networking opportunities, professional development and project advancement strategy workshops, and ongoing support from Sundance Institute staff. The program is designed to hone emerging producers’ creative instincts and evolve their communication and problem-solving skills at all stages of their next feature film.

Fellowship Year: June 2024 – June 2025

Documentary Producers Lab: June 10-15, 2024

Feature Film Producers Lab: June 17-22, 2024

Number of Fellows: 10 (5 fiction and 5 documentary)

Location: UCross Foundation in Clearmont, Wyoming

Producers Summit

As part of the Institute’s evolving commitment to independent producers, and in recognition of their importance in the creation and distribution of independent film, Sundance Institute created the Producers Summit, which takes place at the Sundance Mountain Resort in Utah.

Summit Dates: Cancelled for 2023

Location: Sundance Mountain Resort, Utah

Eligibility: Curated through the full array of Institute programs, including the Producers Fellowship, Lab, and Intensive.

Awards & Grants

Feature Film and Documentary Film Producing Fellows each receive a grant that may be applied to personal expenses and unsupported costs for project advancement.

The Sundance Institute / Amazon Studios Producers Awards recognize two producers (and/or producing teams) with films premiering at the Sundance Film Festival in the fiction and nonfiction categories with at $10,000 grant. The awards are presented annually during the Sundance Film Festival Producers Celebration.  

Created in honor of indie producer Mark Silverman, whose credits included the Coen Brothers’ Miller’s Crossing, Raising Arizona, and Blood Simple, the Mark Silverman Honor is awarded to an emerging producer or producing team selected for the Feature Film Producers Fellowship.

Sundance Institute/Amazon Studios Producers Award More >
Mark Silverman Honor More >

Advice for Applicants

The Producers Program is designed to give aspiring producers the skills and knowledge they need to pursue their craft. While the specific criteria for participation differs across our various programs,  we are seeking passionate, bold, risk-taking, and creatively rigorous artists for all of our initiatives. Some things to think about while applying to any of our programs include your personal connection to the material, why you are passionate about this particular story, how you intend to realize the project creatively and logistically, and the impact you hope to have on audiences.

Support for the Producers Program

The Sundance Institute Producers Program is supported by an endowment from the Sandra and Malcolm Berman Charitable Foundation, with generous additional support from SAGindie, Delta Air Lines, and The Asian American Foundation (TAAF).

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