Nate von Zumwalt

Art is intended to vanquish walls, not construct them. As is well documented in cinema, that struggle is an ongoing one. Among the lesser-publicized barriers in the film world is the factor of age, and today’s Sundance Ignite program announcement makes a go of mitigating that qualification.

The program is supported by Adobe and will host an online short film challenge for 18-to-24-year-old filmmakers. Five winners will be awarded special opportunities to connect with Institute staff and alumni as part of a Sundance Ignite Fellowship. But what precedent is there for not just young, but college-aged filmmakers to achieve success at the burgeoning stages of their careers?

After reflecting upon the 30+ years of Sundance Institute and the Sundance Film Festival, the odds aren’t entirely against the youth. In light of today’s announcement, we take a retrospective look at the history of some notably young filmmakers who have come through Sundance programs.

Roger Ingraham, Moonshine

Ingraham was 21 years old when he screened his film Moonshine in the Midnight section of the 2006 Sundance Film Festival. It makes him (unofficially, because the research would be tedious) the youngest director to screen a film at the Festival, and he did so by entering a competitive genre—vampire films.

Kevin Smith, Clerks

He’s the shoo-in for a list like this, right? Smith was 23 when he premiered his cult classic Clerks at the 1994 Sundance Film Festival. The film eventually achieved something closer to the sacred embodiment of independent filmmaking in its exploration of the torment of menial work. Smith feels like the grandfather of indie film despite being in his mid-40s, so who’s to say whether an early career success is a good thing.

Sterlin Harjo, Four Sheets to the Wind

Stelin Harjo was a fresh-faced 23-year-old when he came to the 2003 Screenwriters Lab with his Oklahoma-based “heartwarming valentine of humanity.” It would take Harjo another stint at the Screenwriters and Directors Labs in 2004 to get his project ready for production, but Four Sheets to the Wind came full circle with its premiere at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival.

Robert Rodriguez, El Mariachi

Rodriguez may have the most far-reaching success among the filmmakers on this list, which he achieved by cutting his teeth on El Mariachi as a fledgling filmmaker in his early-20s. Rodriguez was 24 when El Mariachi premiered at the 1993 Sundance Film Festival, a film that he wrote, directed, co-produced, and edited. Oh, and it was a two-week production that he helmed while on break from classes at the University of Texas.

Cutter Hodierne, Fishing Without Nets

Cutter lies just outside the 18-24 Sundance Ignite age group, but the spirit is preserved despite his entry to the Sundance Institute Directors Lab as a 25-year-old. His haunting Somali pirate drama, Fishing Without Nets, would go on to premiere at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival and earn him a Directing Award.