Top L-R: Beth de Ara jo, Gine Prince-Bythewood
Bottom L-R: Dawn Porter, Jesse Eisenberg
Annual Fundraising Gala Emceed by Stanley Tucci Taking Place January 22, 2027
BOULDER, COLORADO, NOVEMBER 13, 2026 - The nonprofit Sundance Institute today announced details for the 2027 Sundance Film Festival's annual fundraiser, Celebrating Sundance Institute: The Boulder Debut, taking place on Friday, January 22, 2027, at the Limelight Boulder hotel in Boulder, Colorado. The evening will be emceed by Stanley Tucci and will honor Jesse Eisenberg with the annual Trailblazer Award, Gina Prince-Bythewood with the second annual Robert Redford Luminary Award, Beth de Ara jo with the annual Vanguard Award Presented by Acura for Fiction, and Dawn Porter with the annual Vanguard Award Presented by Acura for Nonfiction.
The annual gala enables the nonprofit Institute to raise funds to support independent artists year-round through labs, grants, and public programs that nurture artists from all over the world. The 2027 Festival will be held from January 21-31, 2027, in person in Boulder, Colorado, with the at-home program available online from January 28-31, 2027, for audiences across the country.
As we open this exciting new chapter for the Sundance Film Festival in Boulder, Colorado, we are proud to gather for our annual fundraising gala, said Ebs Burnough, Sundance Institute Board Chair. This special evening directly supports the Institute's core mission to nurture and uplift independent storytellers around the world through our labs, grants, and public programs. We look forward to welcoming our community to celebrate our extraordinary honorees and champion the values that continue to guide us.
We are deeply honored to recognize the incredible and groundbreaking honorees at Celebrating Sundance Institute: The Boulder Debut, said David Linde, CEO of Sundance Institute. This year's event will be a memorable kickoff to mark a historic first Festival in our new home, while continuing Sundance Institute's legacy of supporting and honoring bold voices in independent cinema.
This is an incredibly meaningful year for Sundance Institute as we celebrate the 25th anniversary of our Documentary Film Program (DFP), said Michelle Satter, Founding Senior Director of Artist Programs at Sundance Institute. For over two decades, the DFP has championed independent filmmakers of cinematic documentaries, from development through audience engagement, on a wide range of contemporary topics and themes. The films supported by the DFP through our international granting fund, labs, and educational and international partnership opportunities have sparked essential conversations, helped shape social and cultural movements, and expanded audiences for nonfiction storytelling globally, inspiring generations of artists, many of whom have gone on to bring their work to the Sundance Film Festival. We are thrilled to come together for the first time in Boulder for our annual gathering, which plays a vital role in sustaining our year-round commitment to nurturing bold, independent voices and advancing the work of the Documentary Film Program and all artist programs.
Stanley Tucci is an Academy Award-nominated, Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning actor, writer, director, and producer and a New York Times bestselling author. His celebrated career spans more than 100 films, television, and theater, alongside acclaimed work exploring food and culture, and he's participated in the Feature Film Program labs as a creative advisor.
I am very honored to host the 2027 Sundance Film Festival's Celebrating Sundance Institute: The Boulder Debut fundraising event, said Stanley Tucci. Sundance Film Festival has played a significant role in my career for close to 40 years, and I am very happy it has found a new home in Boulder so that it might continue to champion independent film.
Recognizing an artist's unwavering dedication and notable contributions to the field of independent film, the Sundance Institute Trailblazer Award will be presented to filmmaker and actor Jesse Eisenberg. Previous honorees include Chlo Zhao, James Mangold, and Christopher Nolan.
Jesse Eisenberg has been to the Sundance Film Festival as an actor with such films as The Squid and the Whale (2005), Holy Rollers (2010), and The Double (2014), and as a filmmaker with When You Finish Saving the World (2022) and A Real Pain (2024), for which he won the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award: U.S. Dramatic. His new film, The Debut, stars Julianne Moore and Paul Giamatti.
Every time I've been invited to the Sundance Film Festival, I've jumped for joy, said Jesse Eisenberg. This time, I'm jumping with joy and gratitude. I'm so honored - and surprised - to receive the Trailblazer Award.
The Robert Redford Luminary Award recognizes and celebrates individuals who have, in a visionary way, used their resources, insights, and reach to create possibility where there wasn't, thus doing their part to make the world a better place. Gina Prince-Bythewood will be honored for her dedication to Robert Redford's vision of elevating new voices and championing independent storytelling. Prior to her iconic debut feature, Love & Basketball, premiering at the 2000 Sundance Film Festival, Prince-Bythewood developed the project at Sundance Institute labs, including the 1998 January Screenwriters Lab, 1998 Directors Lab, 1998 Screenplay Reading Series, and the 1998 June Screenwriters Lab. Prince-Bythewood returned to the Sundance Film Festival in 2017 with her episodic series Shots Fired alongside co-creator and partner Reggie Rock Bythewood. She served as a creative advisor for the 2023 Directors Lab, graciously giving her time and expertise to mentor and support the fellows that came after her. The Robert Redford Luminary Award debuted in
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Top L-R: Beth de Ara jo, Gine Prince-Bythewood
