Explore
News & Stories
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
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 is having a front-row seat for the bright future of independent
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 preserve and grow an artist centered, audience engaging, inclusive Festival PARK CITY, UTAH,
“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
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 is having a front-row seat for the bright future of independent
The Rise and Fall of “The Synanon Fix”: “Like Frogs Boiling Slowly in Water”
(Robin Marshall/Shutterstock for Sundance Film Festival) By Veronika Lee Claghorn Established in 1958 by Charles Diedrich, a former alcoholic, Synanon was designed to assist individuals
The Latest
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
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 is having a front-row seat for the bright future of independent
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 preserve and grow an artist centered, audience engaging, inclusive Festival PARK CITY, UTAH,
Festival
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
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 is having a front-row seat for the bright future of independent
“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
Festival Highlights
News
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
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 is having a front-row seat for the bright future of independent
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 preserve and grow an artist centered, audience engaging, inclusive Festival PARK CITY, UTAH,
Artist Spotlight
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 México,” Paloma Riojas says over
The Making of “Beirut” Is as Exciting as Its Espionage Plot
By Shahnaz Mahmud A screenwriter on the rise. A long forgotten script. A producer who unearthed it and held onto the dream of making it
“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 street performer in India made her realize she was destined
From the Labs
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 México,” Paloma Riojas says over
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 silent because it’s time for the show to begin! March
Film Festival Watch: 23 Sundance-Supported Films to See at SXSW
[Pictured: Doppelgängers³] By Stephanie Ornelas The sun is shining, the brisket is smoking, and cinephiles are making their way to Austin, Texas, for the 2024
Now Playing
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
“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 street performer in India made her realize she was destined
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 All” brings the beloved musical duo to the big screen this April. By Lucy
Creative Distribution
From the Archives: The 3 Things It Takes to Be an Independent Producer
As the spiritual closing of Sundance Institute’s Creative Producing Summit, Sundance Film Festival director John Cooper wrapped up the weekend with the “One Word Challenge.”Cooper’s challenge to his three keynote guests was simple: “It is 2011, and the most important thing a producer needs to survive is …” Panelists were given this one-word task by email before arriving in Utah and told to bring their best thinking to the audience of creative fellows and advisors. The experiment is both simple and profound, and audience members were invited to play along with cards of their own.
‘I Knew People Wanted to See It’: The ‘In Reality’ Team on Why and How They Self-Distributed
In part one of this interview, In Reality writer/director/star Ann Lupo and producer Holly Meehl shared how they got their anti-romantic comedy feature off the ground. In this second and final part, we explore how they navigated self-distribution.
Were you building an audience along the way? How did you keep people engaged?
AL: During post-production I took on a side project editing a short for Casey Neistat called “Filmmaking is a Sport,” and it completely changed my perspective on YouTube.
From Short Film to Unexpected Feature: How ‘In Reality’ Came to Life
Liz Manashil is a filmmaker and former manager of Sundance Institute’s Creative Distribution Initiative.
A few months ago, before I had a baby, I encountered the anti-romantic comedy feature film In Reality, which I immediately fell for. As I told the filmmakers later, it was the movie I needed when I was in my early 20s.
From the Archives
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
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 is having a front-row seat for the bright future of independent
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 preserve and grow an artist centered, audience engaging, inclusive Festival PARK CITY, UTAH,
“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