Meet the Sundance Institute 2023 Directors, Screenwriters, and Native Lab Fellows
27/04/2023
The Native Lab has been a significant part of supporting Indigenous filmmakers for nearly two decades and this year will be held online from May 1-5 and in person in Santa Fe, New Mexico from May 8-13. Five fellows will be participating: three from the U.S.A., one from Canada selected with the Indigenous Screen Office, and one from New Zealand selected with the New Zealand Film Commission. Artist in residence Taylor Hensel (Cherokee Nation) will also be in attendance, auditing the lab while in script development. The lab concentrates on the distinct development of feature film and episodic work by storytellers from Native and Indigenous backgrounds. Through roundtable discussions and one-on-one feedback sessions with advisors, artists will enhance their storytelling and technical skills and explore indigenizing their creative practices
One of the core tenets for us in the Indigenous Program is that we support a broad spectrum of Indigenous storytelling - our cohort of Native Lab fellows and their projects offering different global and tribal perspectives demonstrate that commitment to supporting diverse narratives and approaches, said Adam Piron, Director of Indigenous Program.
The 2023 Directors Lab will take place May 30-June 13 in person at the Sundance Resort, where filmmakers will rehearse, shoot, and edit selected scenes from their work-in-progress screenplays in a workshop environment while being supported by experienced creative advisors. Directors focus on core elements of filmmaking, including directing actors, workshopping dialogue, and further defining their visual language. The 2023 Screenwriters Lab will be held June 20-23 online, where fellows will refine their scripts through individual story sessions with screenwriter advisors and group sessions on the art and craft of screenwriting.
Michelle Satter, Founding Senior Director of Artist Programs shared, We are thrilled to welcome this group of emerging talent with unique voices to advance their projects as they embark on their visionary journey. As a nonprofit, we are especially grateful to the creative advisors, actors, crew, and staff involved who are critical to the process and continuum of support and contribute to our longstanding mission of uplifting independent storytelling.
The participation of experienced advisors has always been an instrumental part of the labs, contributing their invaluable knowledge and abilities from various areas of the industry. Many have been a part of the labs over the years and continue to give back by providing guidance to a new generation of artists. The Directors Lab advisor cohort, led by Artistic Director Gyula Gazdag, includes Miguel Arteta, Joan Darling, Rick Famuyiwa, Stephen Goldblatt, Keith Gordon, Randa Haines, Ed Harris, Gina Prince-Bythewood, Polly Morgan, Ira Sachs, Michelle Tesoro, and Joan Tewkesbury. The Screenwriters Lab advisor cohort, led by Artistic Director Howard Rodman, includes Justin Chon, Sebastian Cordero, Cherien Dabis, D.V. Devincentis, Scott Frank, John Gatins, Nicole Kassell, Kasi Lemmons, Tarell Alvin McCraney, Elena Soarez, and Robin Swicord. The Native Lab creative advisors include Andrew Ahn, Alex Lazarowich (Cree), Dana Ledoux Miller (S moan), and Jennifer Reeder.
The Directors and Screenwriters Labs are overseen by Michelle Satter, Founding Senior Director of the Institute's Artist Programs, and Ilyse McKimmie, Deputy Director of the Feature Film Program. The Native Lab is overseen by Adam Piron, Director of the Institute's Indigenous Program, and Ianeta Le'i, the program's Senior Manager.
Previous Sundance Institute lab fellows include award-winning filmmakers Andrew Ahn, Paul Thomas Anderson, Gregg Araki, Darren Aronofsky, Lisa Cholodenko, Ryan Coogler, Nia DaCosta, the Daniels, Rick Famuyiwa, Sydney Freeland, David Gordon Green, Sterlin Harjo, Marielle Heller, Sky Hopinka, Miranda July, Nikyatu Jusu, James Mangold, John Cameron Mitchell, Kimberly Peirce, Gina Prince-Bythewood, Boots Riley, A.V. Rockwell, Ira Sachs, Quentin Tarantino, Shaandiin Tome, Erica Tremblay, Taika Waititi, Lulu Wang, Charlotte Wells, and Chloe Zhao.
HERE ARE THE PROJECTS & FELLOWS FOR THE 2023 SUNDANCE INSTITUTE NATIVE LAB
Eva Grant (writer-director) with Degrees of Separation (Canada): In this smart and stylish ensemble comedy, Indigenous PhD student Delphine plans a daring heist to return Ancestral remains to her tribe. But first she and her team must outsmart the White Saviours and Collectors who have arrived in the community like vultures, ready to pick the bones clean.
Eva Grant is a bilingual filmmaker of mixed St'at'imc Indigenous, Asian, and European heritage. She is currently a Vancouver Queer Film Festival Disruptor Fellow, and an Artist in Residence at the Art Gallery of Ontario. A former E20 screenwriter, she studied literature and philosophy at Stanford University.
Quinne Larsen (writer) with Trouble (U.S.A.): Five people living in an abandoned desert motel try to put their world (and their giant robot) together from scraps.
Quinne Larsen is a Chinook writer and cartoonist in Los Angeles (Tongva territory). They've worked on shows at Sony Pictures, Cartoon Network, Disney TVA, and Netflix. They're currently working on an original graphic novel for First Second.
Anpa'o Locke (writer) with Growing Pains (U.S.A.): Kaw , an urban Native teen, and her mother, Elizabeth,
LINK: | https://www.sundance.org/blogs/meet-the-sundance-institute2023-directo... |
See more stories from sundance |
More from Sundance Institute
25/04/2024
Inside the Archives: Highlighting the Importance of Preservation for the Festival's 40th Edition
Sundance Institute Founder Robert Redford during a press conference at the 1996 ...
23/04/2024
SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL: LONDON 2024 REVEALS FULL PROGRAMME LINE-UP BURSTING WITH BOLD CINEMATIC VOICES FOR 11TH EDITION
IN ADDITION TO FICTION AND DOCUMENTARY FEATURES, THE SELECTION INCLUDES: PRO...
19/04/2024
Stress Positions Mines Health Anxieties for Comedy
PARK CITY, UTAH - JANUARY 18: (L-R) John Early and Theda Hammel attend the 2024 Sundance Film Festival Stress Positions premiere at Library Center Theatre on ...
19/04/2024
Give Me the Backstory: Get to Know Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie, the Filmmakers Behind Sugarcane
By Lucy Spicer One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festival...
19/04/2024
Mexico City Watchlist: 7 Documentaries About Working in CDMX
Pictured: Midnight Family By Stephanie Ornelas A great way to get to know a city as culturally unique and rich as Mexico City is to listen to the stories tol...
17/04/2024
Sundance Institute Launches RFI and RFP Process to Explore Host Locations for the Sundance Film Festival in 2027 and Beyond
Opening today, the exploration is aimed at selecting a location that will preser...
16/04/2024
Give Me the Backstory: Get to Know Silje Evensmo Jacobsen, the Filmmaker Behind A New Kind of Wilderness
By Lucy Spicer One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festival...
15/04/2024
The Rise and Fall of The Synanon Fix: Like Frogs Boiling Slowly in Water
(Robin Marshall/Shutterstock for Sundance Film Festival)...
12/04/2024
Mexico City Watchlist: 7 Sundance Festival Films Written by Women
[Pictured: A still from Sujo] By Stephanie Ornelas There are so many stories and layers to be told within Ciudad de M xico, Paloma Riojas says over Zoom. T...
10/04/2024
Give Me the Backstory: Get to Know David and Nathan Zellner, the Filmmakers Behind Sasquatch Sunset
By Bailey Pennick One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festi...
09/04/2024
It's Only Life After All, but Indigo Girls Bring It to Life in New Documentary
By Peter Jones Amy Ray shuffles through a rack of clothing to find an unusual s...
08/04/2024
Choose Your Partners Wisely: Highlights From a Discussion With Mira Nair, Director of Mississippi Masala and Monsoon Wedding
By Stephanie Ornelas Mira Nair first aspired to be an actor, but working as a ...
05/04/2024
A Love of Movies Is the Real Star of Kim's Video
Kim's Video premiere at 2023 Sundance Film Festival. Photo by Becca Haydu By Peter Jones What goes around comes around, or at least rewinds back to the be...
04/04/2024
SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL: LONDON 2024 ANNOUNCES OPENING AND CLOSING NIGHT FILMS
KNEECAP WILL OPEN THE 11TH EDITION OF THE FESTIVAL, D DI ( ) SELECTED AS CLOSING NIGHT FILM...
04/04/2024
Go, Sugar, and More Celebrate Anniversaries in April
Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck were inspired to make Sugar after reading about the rising number of Dominican athletes who go to the U.S. to play baseball....
03/04/2024
From the Collection: SLAM Reunion Is a Celebration of Freedom
Richard Stratton, Marc Levin, and Henri Kessler attend the 2023 Sundance Film Festival SLAM Premiere at Egyptian Theatre on January 22, 2023, in Park City, Ut...
02/04/2024
Sundance Film Festival CDMX 2024 by Cinpolis announces the official program for its first edition
The Sundance Film Festival CDMX 2024 will take place from April 25th to 28th at ...
01/04/2024
Release Rundown: Docs on Indigo Girls, Synanon, and Girls State Among Sundance Titles Reaching Wider Audiences in April
2023 Sundance Film Festival documentary Indigo Girls: It's Only Life After ...
29/03/2024
Give Me the Backstory: Get to Know Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss, the Filmmakers Behind Girls State
By Lucy Spicer One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festival...
28/03/2024
Give Me the Backstory: Get to Know 8 Women Filmmakers With Shorts at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival
A still from Jasmin Baumgartner's Bye Bye, Bowser, which screened as part ...
27/03/2024
Inside the Archives: It's Lights, Curtains, Action When Sundance Films Become Stage Productions
By Jen Scott It's time to unwrap those noisy candies and put your phone on ...
26/03/2024
CHOOSE CHICAGO, CITY OF CHICAGO ANNOUNCE SUNDANCE INSTITUTE X CHICAGO 2024 COMING THIS SUMMER
New event championing creative independence will feature three days of screening...
25/03/2024
Give Me the Backstory: Get to Know Mel Eslyn, the Filmmaker Behind Penelope
By Bailey Pennick One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festival is having a front-row seat for the bright future of independent filmmaking. ...
21/03/2024
Give Me the Backstory: Get to Know Brett Story, the Co-Director of Union
By Lucy Spicer One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festival is having a front-row seat for the bright future of independent filmmaking. Whi...
19/03/2024
2025 Sundance Film Festival Taking Place January 23-February 2
PARK CITY, UTAH, March 19, 2024 - Save the date to be the first to see next year's independent films and projects that entertain, spark cultural conversatio...
13/03/2024
Give Me the Backstory: Get to Know Klaudia Reynicke, the Filmmaker Behind Reinas
By Bailey Pennick One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festival is having a front-row seat for the bright future of independent filmmaking. ...
11/03/2024
Give Me the Backstory: Get to Know India Donaldson, the Filmmaker Behind Good One
By Lucy Spicer One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festival...
08/03/2024
Back to the '80s: Women Documentary Filmmakers Remember the Festival's First Decade
Paula de Koenigsberg and Lucy Winer in front of a porn shop while filming Rate I...
07/03/2024
Film Festival Watch: 23 Sundance-Supported Films to See at SXSW
[Pictured: Doppelg ngers ] By Stephanie Ornelas The sun is shining, the brisket is smoking, and cinephiles are making their way to Austin, Texas, for the 202...
05/03/2024
Four Weddings and a Funeral and Sin Nombre Among Films With March Anniversaries
dgar Flores stars in Cary Joji Fukunaga's feature debut, Sin nombre, which won two awards at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival....
04/03/2024
Sundance Film Festival Asia returns to Taiwan in 2024
Submissions Now Open for the 2024 Short Film Competition supporting local artists...
01/03/2024
Inside the Archives: One Degree of Sundance Institute at the 2024 Oscars
Director Mira Nair and cinematographer Edward Lachman on the set of Mississippi Masala. Photo by Mitch Epstein...
01/03/2024
Release Rundown: What to Watch This March, From Love Lies Bleeding to Shayda
(L-R) Katy O'Brian and Kristen Stewart star in Rose Glass' thriller Love Lies Bleeding, which premiered in the Midnight section at the 2024 Sundance F...
29/02/2024
Cinpolis and Sundance Institute partner to launch the first edition of the Sundance Film Festival CDMX
Sundance Film Festival CDMX 2024 will take place from April 25th to 28th in Cin ...
29/02/2024
Film Festival Watch: Catch These 10 Sundance-Supported Docs at True/False Film Fest
By Stephanie Ornelas One of the rewards of being part of a filmmaker's jou...
29/02/2024
Give Me the Backstory: Get to Know Angela Patton and Natalie Rae, the Co-Directors of Daughters
By Lucy Spicer One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festival...
28/02/2024
Give Me the Backstory: Get to Know 6 Black Filmmakers With Shorts at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival
A still from Tajana Tokyo's Salone Love, which screened as part of Short F...
27/02/2024
Give Me the Backstory: Get to Know J.M. Harper, the Director of As We Speak
By Bailey Pennick One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festival is having a front-row seat for the bright future of independent filmmaking. ...
26/02/2024
Past Lives Wins Big as Sundance Institute Projects Are Honored at the 2024 Spirit Awards
The vibe inside the big white tent of the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards wa...
26/02/2024
More Life: An Appreciation of Steve Buscemi in Parting Glances
Parting Glances. 1986. USA. Written and Directed by Bill Sherwood. Courtesy First Run Features...
23/02/2024
5 Takeaways From a Sundance Collab Conversation With Alexander Payne, Director of The Holdovers
By Stephanie Ornelas Alexander Payne has deep roots with Sundance Institute, h...
22/02/2024
Sundance Institute Announces 2024 Momentum Fellows
PARK CITY, UTAH, February 22, 2024 - Today the nonprofit Sundance Institute announced eight storytellers selected for the 2024 Momentum Fellowship. Now in its s...
16/02/2024
Give Me the Backstory: Get to Know Nzingha Stewart and Keyonna Taylor, the Director and Co-Writer of Me/We
By Lucy Spicer One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festival...
15/02/2024
Film Festival Watch: 12 Sundance-Supported Films Screening at the 2024 Berlin Film Festival
By Stephanie Ornelas If your film is ready for Sundance, that means you'r...
14/02/2024
Give Me the Backstory: Get to Know Titus Kaphar, the Filmmaker Behind Exhibiting Forgiveness
By Bailey Pennick One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festi...
13/02/2024
Hard Eight, Velvet Buzzsaw, and More Celebrate Anniversaries in February
Rene Russo and Jake Gyllenhaal star in Dan Gilroy's darkly comic Velvet Buzzsaw....
12/02/2024
Give Me the Backstory: Get to Know Dawn Porter, the Filmmaker Behind Luther: Never Too Much
By Lucy Spicer One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festival...
09/02/2024
Release Rundown: What to Watch in February, From Drift to God Save Texas
Cynthia Erivo is mesmerizing as Jacqueline, the lead character in Anthony Chen's film Drift....
08/02/2024
You Have to Feel Safe to Fail: Quotes From a Conversation With Emerald Fennell, the Writer-Director of Saltburn
By Lucy Spicer From what she jokingly describes as a hostile hotel room in Lo...