Dear Sundance Community,
Here at the Sundance Institute, this time of year is always a period of reflection. As we prepare for the Festival and January Screenwriters Lab, we want to take a moment to look back on some of our latest efforts to amplify and advocate for independent storytelling.
Over the last year, Sundance's founding mission - to support artists - has taken on new urgency. The impact of the pandemic continues to reverberate around the globe. Rising costs are affecting every facet of production. Cuts and consolidation are shaping our industry. In short: The world has changed, and so has the media landscape. In these tumultuous times, we look to artists to inspire and inform, to spark conversation and foster dialogue, to reflect the world around us and bring new perspectives to light.
Because of these extraordinary circumstances, earlier this year we made the difficult but crucial decision to focus our immediate work on film and episodic storytelling. This has allowed us to deepen our support for artists in those spaces, particularly those from underrepresented communities. We are proud of the fact that we have been able to respond to this trying moment for our artist community with new funding opportunities, increased intensive offerings, exciting pilot programs, a return to in-person collaboration, and opportunities for artists to connect directly with the industry.
All told, 1,089 artists received support this year through Sundance Labs, artist granting, fellowships, intensives, and the Festival, with thousands more emerging artists taking part in workshops, webinars and courses through Sundance Collab, our digital destination for learning and community. We are proud to let you know that, of Sundance-supported directors and producers who voluntarily shared their backgrounds, 66 percent are artists of color, 55 percent are women, 36 percent identify as LGBTQIA, and 8 percent have a disability. We also take seriously our responsibility to cultivate a diverse team of curators, programmers, screeners, and readers. Of the 277 people who make up our year-round staff curatorial team and the community of independent contractors who participate in the selection processes, 222 have shared their ethnic and racial background, and 185 (67 percent) identify as people of color. As we look ahead to the next year, we remain committed to transparency and equity, and will continue to share these metrics with our community and the industry.
In listening to artists about their needs and experiences, it has become abundantly clear that while the pandemic and economic downturn have been challenging for everyone, they have taken a particular toll on artists of color. This year saw the launch of several new initiatives, including many that mark the first time we have created programs for specific communities. For example, the Latine Fellowship and Collab Scholarship, designed in partnership with the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and Sundance Institute board members Lyn Lear and Cindy Horn, provides support and professional development opportunities to emerging Latinx artists. While Latinx talent has always been part of the Sundance Institute, bringing these cross-disciplinary storytellers together is a chance to invest in artists who are telling valuable stories, build community, and increase Latinx representation at Sundance and across our industry.
We were equally thrilled to partner with The Asian American Foundation (TAAF) and The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation to create a new fellowship and scholarship for Asian American and Pacific Islander artists. The experiences of Asian American and Pacific Islanders are part of the fabric of our country, and their stories - in all their diversity and multifacetedness - should be celebrated in film and television. We welcome this opportunity to cultivate AAPI talent and support these gifted storytellers in becoming leaders in their fields. In the coming months, we will be announcing similar programs for underrepresented artists, including a program for Muslim artists. Elevating and empowering storytellers from underrepresented communities is part of the DNA of the Sundance Institute and will continue to be a core priority across all of our programs.
The last year has sparked an important dialogue about the challenges facing nonfiction filmmakers in particular, who are increasingly finding it difficult (if not impossible) to make a living solely from their creative work. As a step toward addressing these issues of sustainability, we partnered with the National Endowment for the Humanities to create the Humanities Sustainability Fellowship. Together, we provided 20 stipends to non-fiction mediamakers and are providing these artists with mentorship and professional opportunities. We hope this will seed powerful, resonant projects that will elevate, explore, and protect democratic principles; contribute to the public discourse; and lead to new learnings about the potential of this type of funding.
In addition to funding, we've heard from artists that they are hungry for more opportunities to connect with the industry. Building these relationships is an important component of Sundance's commitment to investing in artists for the long-term. This year saw the launch of the Pitch Parlor, a new forum for creators to share Episodic Lab projects with industry professionals and audiences alike. We also launched ELEVATE, consolidating our work across programs to provide professional development, career strategies, and connections to industry for all current Sundance-selected artists.
Happily, this year also marked the return of many of our in-person initiatives. And, of course, we are overjoyed to bring the 2023 Festival back to Park City once again. There is nothing quite like the joy of coming together to disc
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/07/2026
Broadcast Management Group (BMG) has announced the appointment of Kathy Samuels ...
01/07/2026
Shade has announced Custom Objects and Automations, a platform expansion releasing June 29, 2026, that adds database and workflow automation capabilities direct...
01/07/2026
FOR-A America has announced the addition of Jaz Wray and Fernando Cruz to its U.S. sales team. Both report to Ernie Leon, Senior VP and Head of Sales and Strate...
01/07/2026
NBC Sports will air all 15 MLB games nationally on Sunday, July 5, across NBC, P...
01/07/2026
Clear-Com has announced a wireless communications upgrade for Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune, deploying FreeSpeak II and FreeSpeak Icon systems across both prod...
01/07/2026
England's performance team will use Sony's STATSports APEX GPS tracking system to monitor player physical data in real time during FIFA World Cup 2026 m...
01/07/2026
Adder Technology has announced the appointment of Neil Hillier as Chief Executive Officer, effective July 1, 2026. Hillier succeeds Adrian Dickens, who transiti...
01/07/2026
Bitcentral, Inc. has announced a strategic transaction creating two separate companies. The Production and Playout business will continue as Bitcentral, now own...
01/07/2026
DAZN has announced results from DAZN48, its creator initiative for the FIFA World Cup 2026. Launched in April 2026, the program received thousands of applicatio...
01/07/2026
Sarah Rose, VP, global services, Daktronics (NASDAQ: DAKT), will be inducted into the Information Display and Entertainment Association (IDEA) Hall of Fame at t...
01/07/2026
Gravity Media and the World Economic Forum's production team provided broadc...
01/07/2026
Insight Productions has announced the launch of Insight Storm, a 53-foot mobile broadcast unit built for esports production. The truck is built around a Ross Vi...
01/07/2026
ESPN has announced several content initiatives marking America's 250th anniversary, as part of The Walt Disney Company's Disney Celebrates America pro...
01/07/2026
Eleven production kits, REMI workflows, and cloud distribution bring 40 World Cu...
01/07/2026
The conference also discussed the opportunities offered an industry that is endu...
01/07/2026
The Mountain West Conference has announced the launch of MW , a direct-to-consumer streaming platform powered by Kiswe. The platform will carry live Mountain We...
01/07/2026
New AI Assistant, Multi-channel Audio, ARA2 improvements & more
Tracktion's DAW software has just received its latest major update, gaining a selection ...
01/07/2026
Stammering, stuttering, strangulated tones
The Crow Hill Company's latest creation promises to be the most original sound set they've produced to d...
01/07/2026
Exclusive run of limited-edition modelling pedals
Sweetwater and Andertons M...
01/07/2026
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) is pleased to announce that the ca...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Manfrotto Introduces UNCOVER, the new premium camera bag collection for modern h...
01/07/2026
Blackmagic Design Powers Houston Tamil Sangam Literacy Competition
Brie Clayton July 1, 2026
0 Comments
Volunteers use ATEM Mini Pro, Blackmagic Desig...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
PlayBox Technology has published State of Broadcast Infrastructure 2026, an in-depth industry research report examining the technologies, operational challenges...
01/07/2026
LONDON, UK, 1 JULY Jigsaw24 has appointed Alan Henry as Head of Sales for Media and Entertainment, reinforcing its continued investment in helping broadcaster...
01/07/2026
Content Vault, the patent-pending secure content distribution platform protecting high-value media from disclosures, theft and unauthorised access, today announ...
01/07/2026
Bitcentral, Inc. a leading provider of enterprise software and digital media solutions for news, sports and entertainment broadcasters, as well as streaming pla...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Groundbreaking First Nations Screen Business Accelerator launched through nation...
01/07/2026
Chyron Launches the All-New Chyron Academy: A Reimagined, Hands-On Learning Expe...
01/07/2026
Amplium Captures Kawasaki Brave Thunders Game with Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersiv...
01/07/2026
Boris FX Optics Expands Plugin Support to Apple Photos, Capture One, and Affinit...
01/07/2026
UKTV has today announced the appointment of Matt Berry to the newly created role of General Manager - Marketing, effective 1 July.
Matt will take on this senio...
01/07/2026
Sky Zero Footprint Fund-backed TV campaign featuring Deborah Meaden challenges consumers to rethink everyday bathroom wasteWednesday 1 July 2026
Fussy asks Bri...
01/07/2026
Constituency-level analysis reveals where girls miss out most on sport - and where targeted action could unlock more than £640 million in economic and health be...
01/07/2026
Wuppertal July 1, 2026
Riedel and SKAARHOJ Expand Collaboration With SimplyLive IntegrationRiedel Communications today announced an expanded collaboration wit...
01/07/2026
Apple today introduced power-packed updates to Apple Creator Studio, a groundbre...
Dear Sundance Community,
