PARK CITY, UTAH - The nonprofit Sundance Institute today announced the participants for its Producers Lab, taking place July 25 - 28, and the participants in the Producers Summit, July 29 - 31, both part of the Producers Program and being held in person at Utah's Sundance Mountain Resort. Selected for the Producers Lab are six fiction film and five nonfiction film producers and their projects, and more than 40 industry leaders and 26 independent filmmakers will participate in the Producers Summit. The Producers Program champions and supports the current and rising generation of producers working across fiction and nonfiction film and features year-round mentorship, granting, educational resources, strategic introductions, and networking opportunities with the industry. The Producers Labs support emerging independent producers through intimate group sessions and one-on-one meetings with veteran producer advisors to hone their creative instincts, communication, and problem-solving skills and to develop strategies for pitching, financing, production, and navigating the marketplace. Fellows selected for the Labs Feature Film Program include Apoorva Guru Charan with The Rotting Of Casey Culpepper, Leah Chen Baker with The President's Cake, Eli Raskin with Starfuckers, Chloe Sabin with Sales Per Hour, Helena Sardinha and Dom nica Castro with Huella and in the Documentary Film Program: Lindsey Dryden with Untitled Dwarfism Project, Yoni Golijov with Untitled Sura Mallouh Project, Dawne Langford with Untitled Baltimore Project, Neyda Martinez with Bartolo, Igor Myakotin with Queendom. Advisors for the Feature Film Program include David Hinojosa (Zola, Bodies Bodies Bodies), Amy Lo (Nancy, Sugar), Riva Marker (The Guilty, Relic), Josh Penn (Beasts of the Southern Wild, Philly D.A.), Jason Michael Berman (Nine Days, Uncorked) and for the Documentary Film Program Daffodil Altan (PBS Frontline series producer), Violet Feng (Hidden Letters, Tigre Gente), Andrea Meditch (Ernie & Joe, Fathom), Bob Moore (Midwives, Softie), and Amanda Spain (MSNBC Films).
The Summit convenes emerging and mid-career fiction and nonfiction producers with wide-ranging industry experts to gain critical knowledge and make meaningful connections to advance their projects. Distributors, financiers, sales reps, talent agents, and seasoned independent producers delve into learnings from the past year and discuss the future of the field. This year's program will include panels, roundtables, one-on-one meetings, and a keynote address by renowned interdisciplinary artist and activist Glenn Kaino, whose visionary and collaborative approach is rooted in the belief that cultural production can affect meaningful change.
Industry participants in this year's Summit include Maria Altamirano (Son of Monarchs), Maggie Bowman (Indie Media Arts Group), Josh Braun (Submarine Entertainment), Gabby Canton (Orion Pictures), Liz Cardenas (7 Days), Deniese Davis (Reform Media Group), Scott Foundas (Amazon Studios), Jannat Gargi (Westbrook Inc), Emilie Georges (Paradise City Films), Anna Godas (Dogwoof), Wyck Godfrey (Temple Hill Entertainment), Elizabeth Grave (Sony Stage 6 Films), Eliza Hajek (SAGindie), Poppy Hanks (MACRO), Alex Hannibal (CNN Films), Jessica Harrop (Sandbox Films), Kevin Iwashina (Endeavor Content), Sarah Kim (I Was a Simple Man), Jessica Lacy (Sales Agent), Dylan Leiner (Sony Pictures Classics), Anjanette Levert (The Only Doctor), Amira Lewally (A&E Indie Films), Maida Lynn (Genuine Article Pictures), David Magdael (David Magdael & Associates), Michelle Momplaisir (Focus Features), Lisa Nishimura (Netflix), Brianna Oh (Amazon Studios), Tommy Oliver (Confluential Films), Beth Osisek (Hulu), Chan Phung (Searchlight Pictures), Jason Ropell (MUBI), Mikey Schwartz-Wright (UTA), John Sloss (Cinetic Media), Avril Speaks (Distribution Advocates), Scott Shooman (IFC Films), Rory Thost (Participant Media), Lois Vossen (ITVS), Jason Wald (NEON), and Alex Walton (WME Entertainment).
It has been three years since we have been able to gather in person, and over this time, the landscape for independent storytelling has shifted dramatically. It's never been more critical to work to create a sustainable future for independent producers, a key priority for the Lab and Summit, said Producing and Artist Support Director Shira Rockowitz and Documentary Film Program Deputy Director Kristin Feeley. The Producers Summit is a unique space that brings together producers and industry to advance bold, independent projects and address timely questions and issues in the field. We are excited to convene and build community through these vital conversations.
Fellows and project details for those selected for the 2022 Producers Lab:
Feature Film Program
The Rotting Of Casey Culpepper (U.S.A.)
Producing Fellow: Apoorva Guru Charan
A young girl battling leukemia and her single father fall into a well of paranoia when she experiences visions of a tumor-covered creature.
Apoorva Charan is an LA-based producer whose film Joyland premiered at the 75th Cannes Film Festival in Un Certain Regard and won the Jury Prize and Queer Palm. With an MFA in Film from Columbia University, Charan has participated in Project Involve, Film Independent's Producing Lab, and Women in Film's Emerging Producers program.
The President's Cake (Iraq, U.S.A.)
Producing Fellow and Mark Silverman Honoree: Leah Chen Baker
While people struggle daily to survive under sanctions in Saddam's Iraq, nine-year-old Saeed must use his wits to gather ingredients for the mandatory cake to celebrate President Saddam Hussein's birthday or face the consequences prison or death.
Leah Chen Baker is an independent producer and filmmaker. She produced Jamie Dack's debut feature, Palm Trees And Power Lines, which premiered at Sundance 2022 and won
