2008. The development track has one open application that allows your fiction feature work-in-progress screenplay to be considered for the following programs, fellowships, and grants: Sundance Institute Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship and Commissioning Grant. When his father, Big Ant, realizes his son sees these airplane people too, their family history emerges and reveals deeper meaning and connection between them. Recipient of the Sundance Institute Horror Fellowship, supported by K Period Media Fund Foundation. The Fellows were selected from 3,200 submissions to further develop their scripts with the guidance of accomplished advisors, some of whom are alumni of the Screenwriters Lab themselves. The nonprofit Sundance Institute announced the fellows for the 2023 Directors, Screenwriters and Native Labs. Abinash Bikram Shah is an award-winning writer/director based in Nepal. Her films explore gender,sexuality, and cultural bereavement. ho confronted rampant discrimination to become one of the first women in physics and an essential contributor to the theory of relativity. Eliza McNitt is a writer and director. Hasan Hadi (Writer/Director) with The Presidents Cake (Iraq, U.S.A): While everyday people struggle daily to survive under sanctions in Saddams Iraq, nine-year-old Saeed must use his wits to gather the ingredients for the required cake to celebrate President Saddam Husseins birthday or face the consequences alongside his family. We feel privileged to provide vital creative guidance and meaningful community at a crucial moment in the development of these projects., For 40 years, the Feature Film Program (FFP) Labs have supported and championed an exciting and groundbreaking array of independent filmmakers including Charlotte Wells (. Othersupporters include Tribeca, Nia Tero, Princess Grace Foundation, NACF, PIC, ITVS,MacArthur, and Firelight. Omar Mullick directed the feature non-fiction film These Birds Walk, which was theatrically distributed by Oscilloscope. Hadis recognitions include the Tisch Deans Fellowship, The Gotham-Marcie Bloom Fellowship, the Black Family Production Prize, the Sloan Foundation Award and the BAFTA Newcomers Program. Keisha Rae Witherspoon is a Miami-based filmmaker. She is co-founder of Third Horizon Film Festival, and a, is a filmmaker from Barbados who has produced award-winning, Sundance Film Festival, TIFF, BlackStar, and Berlinale. Jesahel Newton-Bernal is a writer/director born and raised in Ecuador with an MFAfrom Columbia University. Marja Bl Nango (Co-writer/Director) and Ingir Bl Nango (Co-writer) with I Love My Guooheaddji / I Love My Reindeerherder (Norway, Sweden): A closeted gay Smi boy navigates a secret boyfriend, a local criminal plot, and family drama as he tries to achieve his dream of living as a reindeer herder with his own herding license. 2008. The Screenwriters Intensive allows us to extend the breadth of our support to a wider group of emerging independent artists, and were thrilled to include such an extensive range of stories, genres, and essential voices in the cohort, added McKimmie. Hadas Ayalon (Writer/Director) with In a Minute Youll Be Gone (Israel): A middle-aged lesbian couple are struggling with the death of their son when an unexpected letter from a sperm bank puts their relationship to the test, forcing them to confront their loss and their identity as mothers. He is also co-founder of Third. Gabriela Ortega (Writer/Director) with Huella (Dominican Republic / U.S.A.): Following the death of her familys matriarch in the Dominican Republic, a disenchanted flamenco dancer living in New York City must rid herself from her ancestors curses to pave her own future. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. Rockwell (A Thousand and One) in conversation with Chinonye Chukwu, our annual spotlight on location shooting and more by Filmmaker Staff in Festivals & Events Urvashi Pathania (Writer/Director) with Skin (U.S.A.): A body-positivity influencer enters a desperate bid to save her self-loathing sister when the latter becomes a test subject for their aunts plastic surgery and skin-lightening racket. The Lab will be dedicated to the memory of Sundances generous Creative Advisor Douglas McGrath who passed away several months ago. Other supporters include Tribeca, Nia Tero, Princess Grace Foundation, NACF, PIC, ITVS, MacArthur, and Firelight. Lab fellows will develop their projects in-person at the Sundance Mountain Resort from January 14-18 with the support of Artistic Director Jessie Nelson. Her, intersections inspire her to create space through film technologies. As music unlocks memories, Amina discovers who she is. Television and film credits include Search Party, Law & Order, and Crabs in a Barrel (HBO Latinx Short Film Competition winner). He. Walter Thompson-Hernndez is a Los Angeles-born and raised filmmaker. ed the 12 projects invited to the 2023 Screenwriters Lab and the 10 projects selected for the Screenwriters Intensive, including filmmakers from the U.S.A. and internationally from the Dominican Republic, Egypt, Israel, Lebanon and Nepal. His filmshave won many awards, including a Special Jury Mention at Cannes in 2022 for hisshort film Lori. One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festival is having a front-row seat for the bright future of independent filmmaking. Walter Thompson-Hernndez (Writer/Director) with If I Go Will They Miss Me (U.S.A.): Twelve-year-old Lil Ant begins to see mysterious figureseerie men with their arms spread like wingsaround his home. They find forgotten memories, love, and connection through this seemingly obsolete object. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Given how we, remember is pivotal to healing, her films use memory as a central gaze to de-internalize. (U.S.A.): When their federal funding is cut, a disabled man and his roommate/caregiver become small-time con artists to survive, extorting small businesses for minor ADA violations. Founded in 1981 by Robert Redford, the Institutes signature Labs, granting, and mentorship programs, dedicated to developing new work, take place throughout the year in the U.S. and internationally. Hasan Hadi is an Iraqi writer/director based in New York. 2024 Sundance Developement Track. is a writer/director born and raised in Ecuador with an MFA, from Columbia University. Shes the director/producer of Battleground (STARZ) and Netizens (HBO) and is the producer/writer of Bully (Netflix/PBS). Recipient of the Sundance Institute Horror Fellowship, supported by K Period Media Fund Foundation. (U.S.A.): Haunted by a supernatural force, a Kurdish American man struggles to start a new life with his American fiancee while dealing with the reappearance of his estranged father. Spencer Cook (Co-writer/Director) and Parker Smith (Co-riter/Director) with Lame (U.S.A.): When their federal funding is cut, a disabled man and his roommate/caregiver become small-time con artists to survive, extorting small businesses for minor ADA violations. 2008. Join Sundance Institute on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. What materials will be requested from me if I advance to the second round? Daniele Anastasion (Writer/Director) with The Scout (U.S.A): A recently widowed biologist is tasked with eradicating thousands of birds accused of spreading disease from a landfill. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. An Emmy Awards Finalist and recipient of the VR Grand Prize at The Venice Film Festival, her work has appeared at Sundance, SXSW, AFI Fest, Cannes NEXT, Tribeca, Telluride, and Venice. Nwosu's work is informed by the intersectional nature of her life across multiple continents and . Through intimate portraits, animated films, immersive installations, and multi-year community based projects, she explores the potential inherent within the creative process to act as a catalyst for social change and interpersonal healing. She is anAssistant Professor of Filmmaking at the University of Oregon. Ciara Leina`ala Lacy is a filmmaker whose Native Hawaiian identity drives her works intimacy and authenticity. Given how weremember is pivotal to healing, her films use memory as a central gaze to de-internalizesurveillance, uncensor the imagination and mirror our infinite reflections. Sean Wang is a filmmaker from Fremont, CA. el): A middle-aged lesbian couple are struggling with the death of their son when an unexpected letter from a sperm bank puts their relationship to the test, forcing them to confront their loss and their identity as mothers. In 2020, his play The Cubans had its world premiere at Miami New Drama. Zandash Brown is a Louisiana born-and-based storyteller whose work funnels spirituality, catharsis, and a rural Black experience through the lens of southern gothic horror. Joshua Penn Soskin is an award-winning director, writer and photographer. LOS ANGELES Fifteen screenwriters will convene to advance their independent projects at Sundance Institute's January Screenwriters Lab, taking place at the Sundance Mountain Resort in Utah from January 17-22, 2020. He embarks on a relentless quest across Nigeria that forces him to confront the choices hes made in his own life. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Her first short, (2014) won the Student Academy Award and the Israeli. Almas love for her close-knit family forces her to maintain the facade that nothing has changed, resulting in the absolute loneliness that comes with pretending. Douglas was an Advisor to over 200 writers in his twenty years participating in the Lab. She was a Merata Mita Fellow at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival with her project I love my Guooheaddji. This years projects were chosen from over 2,000 submissions, and the selected fellows will work to develop their scripts with Michelle Satter, Founding Senior Director of Sundance Institutes Artist Programs, and Ilyse McKimmie, Deputy Director of the Feature Film Program. Masami Kawai is a Los Angeles-born filmmaker of Ryukyuan descent. The Sundance Institute Feature Film Program is supported by explore.org, a direct charitable activity of the Annenberg Foundation; Alfred P. Sloan Foundation; The Asian American Foundation (TAAF); Directors Guild of America (DGA), Will & Jada Smith Family Foundation; Hartbeat; Maja Kristin; NBCUniversal; United Airlines; Amazon Studios; Hollywood Foreign Press Association; Karen Lauder; Ray and Dagmar Dolby Fund; National Endowment for the Arts; NHK/NHK Enterprises, Inc.; Kimberly StewardK Period Media; SAGindie; Rosalie Swedlin and Robert Cort; Deborah Reinisch and Michael Theodore Fund; Octavia Spencer; Scott and Jennifer Frank. While we, By Stephanie Ornelas Raw, truthful, collaborative. These were the three words writer-director Vuk Lungulov-Klotz uses to describe the labs at Sundance Institute. Award at Outfest and is available to stream on Fandor. Hadas Ayalon is a director, screenwriter and film editor living in Tel Aviv. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Shireen Alihaji is a First Gen, Ecuadorian-Iranian, Muslim, and disabled filmmaker. The Sundance Institute's artist programs provide dynamic support at every step of the creative journey for individuals with distinct voices in film, theatre, film composing, episodic storytelling, and emerging media. His first film, the documentary feature Ramblin Freak, premiered at SXSW in 2017. Click here to read our spring 2023 issue, featuring A.V. His short Crabs in a Barrel is an HBO Latinx Short Film Competition winner. We feel privileged to provide vital creative guidance and meaningful community at a crucial moment in the development of these projects.. Alvarez has performed at the Williamstown Theater Festival, Womens Project, INTAR, and Miami New Drama. In a Minute Youll Be Gone is her first featurefilm. All of their work has the power to impact audiences through their unique voices, personal perspectives and exciting and unheard stories, said. This relationship was the basis for their2022 SXSW Audience Award-winning short, Act of God. Dania Bdeir (Co-writer/Director) & Bane Fakih (Co-writer) with Pigeon Wars (Lebanon/Canada/France): Rana, a feisty & competitive woman avoiding a secret from her past, becomes obsessed with the male-dominated pigeon wars of Beirut. Sundance Institute announced the 12 projects invited to the 2023 Screenwriters Lab and the 10 projects selected for the Screenwriters Intensive, including filmmakers from the U.S.A. and internationally from the Dominican Republic, Egypt, Israel, Lebanon and Nepal. Ev is a paranoid young hustler who believes his mother was abducted by aliens when he was a boy. It does not store any personal identifiable information. But he encounters unexpectedand very humancomplications when he falls in love with the man who knocks him up. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo. The Sundance Institute on Thursday announced the fellows set for the 2023 edition of their Directors, Screenwriters and Native Labs. is a filmmaker whose Native Hawaiian identity drives her works, intimacy and authenticity. Her latest shortWarsha (Criterion Channel) won the Jury Prize for Best International Fiction Short at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival along with 90 awards since its premiere. Newly Expanded Advisor Roster Spans Filmmaking Disciplines Los Angeles, CA -- 11 independent filmmakers developing 10 projects have been selected for the 2020 Sundance Institute Directors and Screenwriters Labs, reimagined and expressed digitally this year on Sundance Co//ab. Lab and Intensive participants were selected from over 2000 submissio . Urvashi Pathania (Writer/Director) with Skin (U.S.A.): A body-positivity influencer enters a desperate bid to save her self-loathing sister when the latter becomes a test subject for their aunts plastic surgery and skin-lightening racket. While we, By Stephanie Ornelas Raw, truthful, collaborative. These were the three words writer-director Vuk Lungulov-Klotz uses to describe the labs at Sundance Institute. Cynthia Lowen is an Emmy-nominated filmmaker and writer. Daniele Anastasion is a writer and director whose films have screened at Sundance and Tribeca and have been nominated for an Emmy. London, England, United Kingdom . This year's Directors and Screenwriters Labs will support 12 Fellows, with five selected for the Native Lab. Nwosus work is informed by the intersectional nature of her life across multiple continents and identities. His short. The Lab will be dedicated to the memory of Sundances generous Creative Advisor Douglas McGrath who passed away several months ago. The nonprofit Sundance Institute has announced the 12 projects selected for the Screenwriters Lab and the 10 projects selected for the Screenwriters Intensive for 2023. Dania Bdeir is a Lebanese director with an MFA in film from NYU Tisch. After failing to recruit her friends to join her crusade, she catches a lucky break when she learns her rival isnt exactly who she says she is. Bernardo Cubra (Co-writer), John Hibey (Co-writer), & Joshua Penn Soskin (Co-writer, not attending) with Kill Yr Idols (U.S.A.): In the Rio Grande Valley, just north of the Mexico/US border, the friendship of two teenage boys is tested as they embark on a whirlwind punk rock odyssey to escape their realities and seize their dreams. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Lin Que Ayoung is an award-winning writer/director/producer and graduate of NYU Grad Film. was shortlisted for the 2019 Tribeca All Access program. Abinash Bikram Shah (Writer/Director) with Elephants in the Fog (Nepal/France): In Nepal, a group of trans women have banded together at the margins of their community, patrolling the village to keep wild elephants at bay. When Lungulov-Klotz applied to the Sundance Institute's Screenwriters Intensive as part of the Feature Film Development Track in 2017, he had one project on his mind and one project only: Mutt. At the Lab, the screenwriters will immerse themselves in a rigorous and holistic creative process, working to further develop their scripts with the mentorship of . Parker Smith is a filmmaker based in Austin, Texas, originally from Louisville, Kentucky. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapib. His shortfilm If I Go Will They Miss Me won the 2022 Sundance U.S. Fiction Short Film award,and hes currently in post-production on his first feature. They find forgotten memories, love, and connection through this seemingly obsolete object. (U.S.A.): A body-positivity influencer enters a desperate bid to save her self-loathing sister when the latter becomes a test subject for their aunts plastic surgery and skin-lightening racket. As barriers to her career overwhelm her, Mileva battles mental illness and her own exclusion from history. As music unlocks memories, Amina discovers who she is. Jesahel Newton-Bernal is a writer/director born and raised in Ecuador with an MFA from Columbia University. Rockwell (. The fellows come from both the U.S. and abroad, with participants hailing from the Dominican Republic, Egypt, Israel, Lebanon and . EXCLUSIVE: Film Independent on Wednesday named the eight screenwriters set for the 25th edition of their Screenwriting Lab. This year at the Sundance Film Festival, FFP Lab-supported projects include Nanny, premiering in U.S. Herintersections inspire her to create space through film technologies. Cubria is the co-writer of Kill Yr Idols, with Carlos Lpez Estrada attached to direct, and the writer of Like It Used To Be, with Gina Rodriguez to direct and star. (U.S.A.): Fremont, CA. (Dominican Republic / U.S.A.): Following the death of her familys matriarch in the Dominican Republic, a disenchanted flamenco dancer living in New York City must rid herself from her ancestors curses to pave her own future. He has written films that have premiered in Berlinale and Venice and. As barriers to her career overwhelm her, Mileva battles mental illness and her own exclusion from history. Rebin Zangana (Writer) with Qareen (U.S.A.): Haunted by a supernatural force, a Kurdish American man struggles to start a new life with his American fiancee while dealing with the reappearance of his estranged father. He most recently penned three episodes of Taiwan Crime Stories for Imagine Entertainment (Disney+). His films, have won many awards, including a Special Jury Mention at Cannes in 2022 for his, . He is a 2020 Sundance Ignite Fellow,2021 SFFILM Rainin Grantee, and 2022 Sundance Institute & Asian AmericanFoundation Fellow. on Jan 13, 2023, Sundance 2023, Sundance Screenwriters Intensive, Sundance Screenwriters Lab. Give Me the Backstory: Get to Know Kayla Abuda Galang, the Writer-Director of When You Left Me On That Boulevard, Get an Inside Look at Vuk Lungulov-Klotzs Journey Through Sundance Institutes Feature Film Development Track, Meet the Sundance Institute2023 Directors, Screenwriters, and Native Lab Fellows. (written and directed by Vuk Lungulov-Klotz), (written and directed by A.V. Her intersections inspire her to create space through film technologies. Her feature screenplay. Born in Lagos, Nigeria, Olive Nwosu is a BAFTA-Pigott Scholar, Alex Sichel Fellow at Columbia University, and an African Promises director selected by the Institut Franais. He most recently penned three episodes of Taiwan Crime Stories for Imagine Entertainment (Disney+). He has written films that have premiered in Berlinale and Venice andwere Nepals official entry for the Academy Awards. A Publication of The Gotham. Who are these men beneath their uniforms, and how many degrees of separation really exist between them? She was a recipient of Sundances 2021 Uprise Grant, one of FilmmakerMagazines 2021 New Faces and had her recent short film The Lights are on, No onesHome distributed by DEDZA Films. She wrote and co-directed Hilbes biig, which screened at nearly 30 film festivals, and The Tongues, winning four awards, three of them at Oscar Qualifying Film Festivals. However, in return for participation in a Screenwriters Lab, fellows are obligated to sign an agreement stipulating that (a) they will make a contribution to Sundance Institute of 0.25% of their film's final budget in excess of $1,000,000 (the "Budget Participation"), (b) Sundance Institute will receive 1% of 100% of the film's net receipts . This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Estrada) and is in pre-production on his feature directorial debut. Hes a recipient of a DGA Student Film Award, a Spike Lee Production Grant, the Cary Fukunaga Production Grant, and Ryan Murphys HALF Initiative. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo. Rockwell) and The Pod Generation (written and directed by Sophie Barthes), which is the 2023 recipient of the Institutes Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize. Rosenberg has written for television while developing Wild Animals in several residencies. Masami Kawai is a Los Angeles-born filmmaker of Ryukyuan descent. The Sundance Institute on Thursday announced the fellows set for the 2023 edition of their Directors, Screenwriters and Native Labs. Her short film, Beast, premiered at the Tribeca FilmFestival and screened in select theaters nationally before Jordan Peeles Nope. Recipient of the Sundance Institute Comedy Fellowship. He is the co-creator of the immersive virtual play Carlas Quince (Drama League Nomination), and is currently working on a new Broadway musical. Recipient of the Sloan Development Fellowship. Hes a recipient of a DGA Student Film Award, a Spike Lee Production Grant, the Cary Fukunaga Production Grant, and Ryan Murphys HALF Initiative. Walter Thompson-Hernndez is a Los Angeles-born and raised filmmaker. Lab and Intensive participants were selected from over 2000 submissions to further develop their scripts with the guidance of accomplished advisors under the leadership of Michelle Satter (Founding Senior Director, Sundance Institutes Artist Programs) and Ilyse McKimmie (Deputy Director, Feature Film Program). sexuality, and cultural bereavement. Park City, UT The Sundance Institute announced today 16 writers invited to develop 12 original projects at the 2022 Screenwriters Lab, which will be hosted online from January 15-18. For many years he was caretaker for Spencer Cook. Her latest short, The Tongues, won best international short film at the 2020 Palm Springs Shortfest. Farida Zahran (Writer/Director) with The Leftover Ladies (Egypt/U.S.A. Abinash Bikram Shah is an award-winning writer/director based in Nepal. This cohort of artists from traditionally underrepresented communities will have . is a Los Angeles-born and raised filmmaker. Over five days, our Advisors and Fellows will be immersed in story meetings, craft workshops, and conversations that will form a foundation of year-round support and the beginning of a creative community that will last throughout the full journey of bringing these films to worldwide audiences. Dania Bdeir (Co-writer/Director) & Bane Fakih (Co-writer) with Pigeon Wars (Lebanon/Canada/France): Rana, a feisty & competitive woman avoiding a secret from her past, becomes obsessed with the male-dominated pigeon wars of Beirut. Lab and Intensive participants were selected from over 2000 submissions to . When her young son develops an unexpected bond with the flocks scout bird, both mother and son must contend with the complex emotional fallout of their shared loss. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. When a mysterious woman descends on his city sermonizing about extraterrestrial salvation, he thinks reunion awaits him, unaware that this seemingly joyful deliverance will soon be threatened by a looming hurricane. The Sundance Film Festival and other public programs connect audiences and artists to ignite new ideas, discover original voices, and build a community dedicated to independent storytelling. His latest short film, H.A.G.S (Have A Good Summer), was acquired by the New York Times Op-Docs. He has written films that have premiered in Berlinale and Venice and were Nepals official entry for the Academy Awards. Set in sprawling 1970s Hawaii, this is the story of how the Aikau name became synonymous with groundbreaking big wave surfing, the Hokulea, and the reclamation of the most revered sport in Hawaiian history. (Israel): A middle-aged lesbian couple are struggling with the death of their son when an unexpected letter from a sperm bank puts their relationship to the test, forcing them to confront their loss and their identity as mothers. Her film Cracked won The Spike Lee Production Grant and a King Wasserman Award for Best Graduate Film at NYUs First Run Festival. Shireen Alihaji is a First Gen, Ecuadorian-Iranian, Muslim, and disabled filmmaker. Zahran is agraduate of the NYU Grad Film Program. But he encounters unexpectedand very humancomplications when he falls in love with the man who knocks him up. Rashad Frett (Co-writer/Director) & Lin Que Ayoung (Co-writer) with Ricky (U.S.A.): Newly released after being locked up in his teens, 30-year-old Ricky navigates the challenging realities of life post-incarceration, and the complexity of gaining independence for the first time as an adult. Currently, Hadi is an adjunct professor at NYUs Graduate Film Program. The Fellows were selected from 3,200 submissions to further develop their scripts with the guidance of accomplished advisors, some of whom are alumni of the John Hibey co-wrote and produced the two-time Sundance award-winning film Fishing Without Nets (short and feature versions.) Other. The 2023 Screenwriters Lab and Screenwriters Intensive fellows. . These Labs are at the heart of the nonprofit Institute's long-standing support for artists, and will connect curated . His short film THE CHICKEN premiered at the 2020 Locarno International Film Festival. Cracked world premiered at Tribeca and is streaming on HBO Max & Hulu. Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy 2022 Sundance.org. In this queer sci-fi rom-com, an alien arrives on Earth with one mission: to introduce his DNA into the human gene pool and propagate his species. Native Lab participants will include Eva Grant (Degrees of . Parker Smith is a filmmaker based in Austin, Texas, originally from Louisville, Kentucky. They write genre work, predominantly gothic, folk, psychological, and body horror with queer and female, received a Special Jury Mention at Outfest, (2019). A USC film school alumnus and native of the San Gabriel Valley of Los Angeles. Farida Zahran is an Egyptian writer/director based in Brooklyn. Strange, interconnected events transform three generations of lives in the Southern California foothills an aging heiress haunted by visions of her dead mother, an aspiring young female novelist running a video game arcade, and a trio of teenage musicians caught in an increasingly tense dispute between local gangs. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Cynthia Lowen is an Emmy-nominated filmmaker and writer. Faye Ruiz (Writer/Director) with Wishes Sink in Man-Made Lakes (U.S.A.): Two trans teens secretly living in the attic of a cheap-seat movie theater spend an endless summer trying anything and everything to start hormone replacement therapy.