Feature Film Program

Feature

Film

The Sundance Institute Feature Film Program (FFP) has championed leading independent filmmakers of the past 40 years whose distinctive films have engaged audiences worldwide. Embracing each artist’s unique vision, the program encourages a rigorous, in-depth creative process while focusing on original and deeply resonant storytelling. The Institute’s guiding values of risk-taking, community, and freedom of expression have broadened the FFP to include American and international artists in a more meaningful and vibrant dialogue across cultural, political, and geographic boundaries. For years, the program has provided year-round support to the next generation of filmmakers from development through distribution, becoming a global model for supporting artists everywhere.

“

Going through the labs gave me the confidence to recognize how important it is to tell a story from a very individual perspective, instead of trying to please everybody while you tell your story. I’ve moved through the world with confidence because of the Lab — knowing there’s a place that accepts, loves, and champions these types of movies has made it so I know I have a place in the world.”

Marielle Heller

2012 January Screenwriters Lab & 2012 Directors Lab Fellow, Writer/Director of THE DIARY OF A TEENAGE GIRL

Feature Film Program Calendar

Development Track: Labs, Intensives, and Fellowships

The Screenwriters Lab, Directors Lab, and Screenwriters Intensive embrace each filmmaker’s unique vision, encouraging a rigorous creative process in an atmosphere where experimentation and risk-taking is encouraged. Our Development Track application is open to emerging artists with a work-in-progress fiction feature screenplay to be considered for our Screenwriters Lab or Intensive, as well as program fellowships and grants. The Directors Lab gives eight first-time fiction feature directors the chance to workshop scenes under the guidance of experienced creative advisors, and is followed by a Screenwriters Lab that allows them to further advance their screenplays. The Development Track application typically launches in mid-April and closes mid-May every year. Read our FAQ’s for more information.

Upcoming Opportunities

Location Details

Dates

January Screenwriters Lab

Sundance, UT

January 17 – 21, 2026

Screenwriters Intensive

Online

March 5 – 6, 2026

Sundance Institute Comedy Fellowship

dependent on program placement

2026

Sundance Institute Horror Fellowship

dependent on program placement

2025

Alfred P. Sloan Commissioning Grant and Fellowship

Dependent on program placement

June Directors and Screenwriters Lab

*By invitation only

Directors Lab: Estes Park, CO

Screenwriters Lab: Online

June 9 – 24, 2026

June 29 – July 2, 2026

Featured Projects

Dìdi (弟弟)

2024 Sundance Film Festival – U.S. Dramatic Audience Award and Special Jury Award for Best Ensemble Cast, 2023 June Directors and Screenwriters Lab, 2023 January Screenwriters Lab

Find Online

The President's Cake

2022 June Directors and Screenwriters Lab, 2022 January Screenwriters Lab, 2022 Producers Lab & Fellowship

Coming Soon

A Thousand and One

2023 Sundance Film Festival – Grand Jury Prize, 2019 June Directors and Screenwriters Lab, 2019 January Screenwriters Lab

Find Online

Fancy Dance

2023 Sundance Film Festival – U.S. Dramatic Competition, 2021 June Directors and Screenwriters Lab, 2021 January Screenwriters Lab, 2021 Creative Producing Lab

Find Online

International Work

World cinema has long embodied the artistry and vitality of cinematic storytelling, pushed the form, and introduced audiences to new and urgent stories from around the world.

Support for international filmmakers has long been core to the work of the Feature Film Program. In addition to including international filmmakers at the signature Screenwriters and Directors Labs in Utah, the Feature Film Program has partnered with international organizations to create programs dedicated to regions with burgeoning independent film communities.

In partnership with our Collab learning platform, the Feature FIlm Program is also working with partner organizations to provide year-round access to the Sundance community with online experiences that are tailored to the specific needs and challenges for international film communities. Cultural and artistic exchange across geographic boundaries is essential to our mission.

This past year, two lab-supported films will represent their country’s entry for the Academy Awards, The President’s Cake by Hasan Hadi (Iraq) and The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo by Diego Cespedes (Chile). Supported by FFP’s core Screenwriters and Directors Labs, both films premiered at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. The President’s Cake received the Camera D’Or, and The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo was awarded the top prize in Un Certain Regard.

Countries and regions where we’ve worked with emerging filmmakers include:

Mexico (regional: Latin America)

Brazil

Central Europe

Cuba

India

Turkey

Jordan (regional: MENA)

Greece (regional: Mediterranean)

Indonesia

Taiwan

Japan

Mongolia

The Feature Film Program has supported artists from over 70 countries including:

Walter Salles (Brazil)

Lynne Ramsay (UK)

Guillermo del Toro (Mexico)

Lucrecia Martel (Argentina)

Alfonso Cuarón (Mexico)

Charlotte Wells (UK)

Ritesh Batra (India)

Jonas Carpignano (Italy)

Chaitanya Tamhane (India)

Alejandro Landes (Colombia)

Tatiana Huezo (Mexico)

Andrea Arnold (UK)

Sandhya Suri (India)

Andrey Zvyagintsev (Russia)

Ongoing Alumni Support

Project Support Continuum

After participation in one of the Labs, FFP Fellows will continue to receive a robust suite of customized creative and tactical assistance as they move forward from development through distribution. In many cases, the Institute has helped Fellows attach producers, identify potential financiers, and assemble significant resources to advance their projects. Specific ways the program supports developing filmmakers include: ongoing creative and strategic support, designated mentors, key crew and producer recommendations, and the Works-In-Progress Screening Initiative.

Works-In-Progress Screening Initiative More >

CatalystMore >

ELEVATEMore >

Producing SummitMore >

FFP Fund

Sundance Institute provides over $300,000 annually to support FFP alumni through a robust program of fellowships and direct artist granting. This is designed to give lab-supported projects momentum at critical junctures in their development, pre-production, post-production, and distribution/marketing stages. Fellowships and grants are funded through partnerships with generous foundations, film industry companies, and individuals committed to the work of sustaining artists and advancing their projects as they journey to connect with audiences. The FFP staff work together with these partners to award funds, as they consider impact, timing, urgency, and quality of work as key criteria.

Dolby Family Sound FellowshipMore >

Sundance Institute/NHK AwardMore >

Maryland Film FellowshipMore >

Adrienne Shelly Foundation Women Filmmakers GrantMore >

Sally Menke Memorial Editing FellowshipMore >

Lynn Auerbach Screenwriting FellowshipMore >

Walter Bernstein Screenwriting Fellowship More >

Sundance Institute | Maja Kristin Directing FellowshipMore >

Support for the Feature Film Program

explore.org, a direct charitable activity of the Annenberg Foundation

Alfred P. Sloan Foundation

Amazon Studios

The Asian American Foundation (TAAF)

United Airlines

Hartbeat

Maja Kristin

The Walt Disney Company

NBCUniversal

Hollywood Foreign Press Association

Karen Lauder

Ray and Dagmar Dolby Fund

National Endowment for the Arts

NHK/NHK Enterprises, Inc.

Kimberly Steward–K Period Media

SAGindie

Directors Guild of America

Rosalie Swedlin and Robert Cort

Deborah Reinisch and Michael Theodore Fund

Octavia Spencer

Scott and Jennifer Frank

Photo Gallery

A look inside our Feature Film Program Labs and Intensives

Application	By invitation only.
Dates	Directors Lab: June 9-24, 2026 Screenwriters Lab: June 29 – July 2, 2026
Size of Lab	Eight projects are selected for the Directors and Screenwriters Lab.
Location	Directors Lab: Stanley Hotel \| Estes Park, CO Screenwriters Lab: Online
Eligibility	There is no open application available for these Labs, which are typically populated by projects that have already been supported via a prior Institute program such as the Screenwriters Lab, Intensive, or grant. The lab supports first-time fiction feature directors; application to the development track is the best way to put your project into the pipeline of eventual consideration for the Directors and Screenwriters Lab.
Cost	Beyond the application fee, we do not charge for participation in our programs. When the June Directors and Screenwriters Lab is held in Utah or elsewhere, we cover the cost of travel, accommodations, and food for up to two participants per project. In return for participation in the June Directors and Screenwriters Lab, you will be asked to continue the spirit of giving back. We request that lab alumni whose projects are produced contribute to the Institute’s work to support new generations of emerging filmmakers. For all projects supported at the Directors Lab or both the Screenwriters Lab and the Directors Lab, the following financial contribution provisions apply: If the project is produced for a gross budget equal to or less than one million five hundred thousand dollars ($1,500,000), no contribution is due to the Institute. If the project is produced for a gross budget between one Million five Hundred thousand one dollars ($1,500,001) and three million dollars ($3,000,000), the owner will make a contribution to the Institute in an amount of four thousand five hundred dollars ($4,500), which will be paid to the Institute no later than ten (10) business days following the commencement of principal photography of the project. If the project is produced for a gross budget is between three million one dollars ($3,000,001) and five million dollars ($5,000,000), the owner will make a contribution to the Institute in an amount of seven thousand dollars ($7,000), which will be paid to the Institute no later than ten (10) business days following the commencement of principal photography of the project. If the project is produced for a gross budget that is equal to or exceeds five million one dollars ($5,000,001), the owner will make a contribution to the Institute in an amount of nine thousand five hundred dollars ($9,500), which will be paid to the Institute no later than ten (10) business days following the commencement of principal photography of the project. All payments are due within 10 business days of the start of principal photography. Any revenue that is designated to Sundance Institute is allocated to the Feature Film Program and is used on an annual basis to provide critical support for the labs. Your ability to give back really makes a difference. Additionally, Sundance Institute will receive a credit line and logo placement in the film’s end titles, “This film was supported by the Sundance Institute Feature Film Film Program.”
Description	Over two weeks, eight fellows work with a group of accomplished advisors and professional production crews, rehearsing, shooting, and editing key scenes from their scripts. This intense, hands-on process, will allow fellows to workshop scenes, collaborate with actors, and find a visual language for their film — all in an atmosphere where experimentation and risk-taking is encouraged. The Screenwriters Lab immediately follows the Directors Lab, providing fellows with a rigorous schedule of one-on-one story sessions with advisors to help further advance their scripts.

Eligibility	Writers or writer/directors developing their first or second fiction feature film that have applied to the 2025 Development Track are eligible. If you have questions regarding the Sundance Institute Comedy Fellowship, please read the development track FAQ below or email us at featurefilmprogram@sundance.org.
Description	The Sundance Institute Comedy Fellowship provides targeted support to the next generation of diverse, culturally relevant comedic voices. Supporting one artist/project that will participate in either the January Screenwriters Lab or March Screenwriters Intensive, the program also includes an unrestricted grant and customized mentorship from FFP staff.

Dates	March 5-6, 2026
Size of Lab	10 projects are selected for the Screenwriters Intensive.
Location	Online
Eligibility	The Screenwriters Intensive supports writers and writer/directors who are developing a first fiction feature screenplay, with a focus on artists from traditionally underrepresented communities. Typically, the majority of artists selected for the Screenwriters Intensive are U.S.-based, but international artists may be considered.
Cost	Beyond the application fee, we do not charge for participation in our programs. In return for participation in the Screenwriters Intensive, you will be asked to continue the spirit of giving back. We request that alumni whose projects are produced contribute to the Institute’s work to support new generations of emerging filmmakers. If the project is produced for a gross budget that is equal to or less than one million five hundred thousand dollars ($1,500,000), no contribution is due to the Institute. If the project is produced for a gross budget between one million five hundred thousand one dollars ($1,500,001) and three million dollars ($3,000,000), the owner will make a contribution to the Institute in the amount of two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500), which will be paid to the Institute no later than ten (10) business days following the commencement of principal photography of the project. If the project is produced for a gross budget between three million one dollars ($3,000,001) and five million dollars ($5,000,000), the owner will make a contribution to the Institute in the amount of five thousand dollars ($5,000), which will be paid to the Institute no later than ten (10) business days following the commencement of principal photography of the project. If the project is produced for a gross budget that is equal to or exceeds five million one dollars ($5,000,001), the owner will make a contribution to the Institute in the amount of seven thousand five hundred dollars ($7,500), which will be paid to the Institute no later than ten (10) business days following the commencement of principal photography of the project. Additionally, Sundance Institute will receive a credit line and logo placement in the film’s end titles, “This film was supported by the Sundance Institute Feature Film Film Program.”
Description	A two-day online workshop for emerging writers and writer/directors developing a first fiction feature. The program includes a hands-on writing workshop, group conversations about the art and craft of screenwriting, and two one-on-one script feedback sessions with creative advisors.

Dates	January 17-21, 2026
Size of Lab	Ten projects are selected for the Screenwriters Lab.
Location	Sundance Resort \| Sundance, Utah
Eligibility	The Screenwriters Lab supports writers, writer/directors, and writer/director teams developing their first or second fiction feature film. If you previously had more than one fiction feature produced, you are not eligible to apply. International projects must have a director attached.
Cost	Beyond the application fee, we do not charge for participation in our programs. When the Screenwriters Lab is held in Utah, we cover the cost of travel, accommodations, and food for up to two participants per project. In return for participation in the January Screenwriters Lab, you will be asked to continue the spirit of giving back. We request that lab alumni whose projects are produced contribute to the Institute’s work to support new generations of emerging filmmakers. If the Project is produced for a gross budget equal to or less than $1,500,000, no contribution is due to the Institute. If the Project is produced for a gross budget between $1,500,01 and $3,000,000, the Owner will make a contribution to Sundance Institute in an amount of $2,500. If the project is produced for a gross budget between $3,000,001 and $5,000,000, the Owner will make a contribution to Sundance Institute in an amount of $5,000, which will be paid to the Institute no later than ten (10) business days following the commencement of principal photography of the project. If the project is produced for a gross budget that is equal to or exceeds $5,000,001, the Owner will make a contribution to Sundance Institute in an amount of $7,500, which will be paid to the Institute no later than ten (10) business days following the commencement of principal photography of the project. All payments are due within 10 business days of the start of principal photography. Any revenue that is designated to Sundance Institute is allocated to the Feature Film Program and is used on an annual basis to provide critical support for the labs. Your ability to give back really makes a difference. Additionally, Sundance Institute will receive a credit line and logo placement in the film’s end titles, “This film was supported by the Sundance Institute Feature Film Film Program.”
Description	A five-day workshop for emerging screenwriters and writer-directors developing their first or second fiction feature. Fellows have the opportunity to meet one-on-one with experienced creative advisors to advance their screenplays and refine their voice.

Application	Applications for the 2024 Development Track will be open April 14–May 15, 2023. Applicants will be notified on a rolling basis as to whether their application has progressed to the next stage of the selection process by August 31, 2023.
Eligibility	Our application includes questions to determine your eligibility for each program and fellowship, and you will automatically be considered for all programs for which you are eligible. (There is no open application for the Directors Lab, which is typically populated by projects supported through a previous development program.)
Cost	$40.00
Description	For fiction feature writers, directors, writer/directors, or writer/director teams, apply for support from the FFP through the development track (for projects in the screenplay development stage). There is one application for both U.S. and international applicants; regardless of where you are based, you can submit your work using this application.

Feature Film Program

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Feature Film Program Calendar

Development Track: Labs, Intensives, and Fellowships

Featured Projects

Dìdi (弟弟)

The President's Cake

A Thousand and One

Fancy Dance

birth/rebirth

Mutt

Cassandro

Aftersun

International Work

Countries and regions where we’ve worked with emerging filmmakers include:

The Feature Film Program has supported artists from over 70 countries including:

Ongoing Alumni Support

Project Support Continuum

FFP Fund

Support for the Feature Film Program

Photo Gallery

Apply

Attend

Explore

Support

About Sundance Institute

Contact Us

Elevate

Sundance Institute Horror Fellowship

Catalyst

Works-In-Progress Screening Initiative​

Sally Menke Memorial Editing Fellowship

Sundance Institute | Maja Kristin Directing Fellowship

Walter Bernstein Screenwriting Fellowship

Lynn Auerbach Screenwriting Fellowship

Adrienne Shelly Foundation Women Filmmakers Grant

Maryland Film Fellowship

Sundance Institute/NHK Award

Dolby Family Sound Fellowship

Producing Summit

Development Track FAQ

Directors and Screenwriters Lab (by invitation only)

Alfred P. Sloan Commissioning Grant and Fellowship

Sundance Institute Comedy Fellowship

Screenwriters Intensive

Screenwriters Lab

Development Track​

Endowment Support

Works-In-Progress Screening Initiative

Development Track