I am still processing what it means to be part of the Sally Menke Fellowship and the Sundance Directors Labs, says Troy Lewis from a condo-turned-edit-bay at the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado. The writer-editor is taking a pause from prepping for his upcoming turn as the editor for two Directors Lab fellows (Keisha Rae Witherspoon and Diana Peralta) when we get a chance to connect. Right out the window is the Rocky Mountains, an iconic reminder of compounding history and endless evolution for Lewis, who's the latest entry in the growing legacy of the Sally Menke Memorial Editing Fellowship.
One of the first things that happened after they informed me that I was selected is I got emails from the dozens of [alumni] of the Sally Menke Memorial Editing Fellowship, Lewis recalls. Just seeing so many names of editors in the past who have shaped my view of film, and what it can be, were just so friendly and welcoming. That's continued on to my arrival at the lab, and my work with the director so far.
For 14 years, Sundance Institute has been celebrating the remarkable career and legacy of editor Sally Menke through the Sally Menke Memorial Editing Fellowship. With past fellows including Joseph Krings (Winner, Captain Fantastic), Daysha Broadway (Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody, Your Monster), Monica Salazar (Bardo: False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths, Honey Boy), and Debbie Berman (co-editor Black Panther and Spider-Man: Homecoming), Lewis is joining a tight-knit group of storytellers and craftspeople who continue to shape the future of cinema through the art of editing.
Set up by Sundance Institute with support from Menke's family, the fellowship supports emerging editors who have edited up to four fiction or nonfiction feature films and are committed to continuing a career in editing, passionate about collaboration and the creative process, and open to exploration and experimentation in the editing room. The fellow receives a yearlong mentorship from two veteran editors and kicks off the fellowship at the Sundance Directors Lab editing scenes for two fellows.
While Lewis' fellowship just started a couple weeks ago, his 2024 has already been shaped by the global community of the Sundance Institute. The Chicago-based artist started his year in Park City, Utah, at the Sundance Film Festival celebrating the premiere of Daughters, which he was the editor and co-writer of. That documentary went on to win the Audience Documentary Award and the Festival Favorite Award, and will be debuting on Netflix in August.
I'm really excited to connect with the alum after the lab because they all referred to it as a life changing experience, Lewis continues. That's been true so far with the creative advisors at the Directors Lab and I've already deeply connected with the two directors I'm working with
Below learn more about how Lewis became an editor, how he stays inspired, his experience on Daughters, and more.
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I am still processing what it means to be part of the Sally Menke Fellowship and the Sundance Directors Labs, says Troy Lewis from a condo-turned-edit-bay at the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado. The writer-editor is taking a pause from prepping for his upcoming turn as the editor for two Directors Lab fellows (Keisha Rae Witherspoon and Diana Peralta) when we get a chance to connect. Right out the window is the Rocky Mountains, an iconic reminder of compounding history and endless evolution for Lewis, who's the latest entry in the growing legacy of the Sally Menke Memorial Editing Fellowship. 
