Celebrate Sundance Institute: A Festival Gala
Event Details
It’s time to honor our long artistic legacy and celebrate Sundance Institute’s bright future — and you’re invited!
Celebrating Sundance Institute Presented by Google TV, co-chaired by Ebs Burnough and Pat Mitchell, will celebrate Michelle Satter, Sundance Institute’s Founding Senior Director of Artist Programs, for her unparalleled commitment to nurturing and supporting artists through the Sundance Labs for the past four decades. The annual Vanguard Awards Presented by Acura will be awarded to Sean Wang, writer-director of Dìdi (弟弟), and Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie, co-directors of Sugarcane, who premiered their films at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.
Your support, this evening and beyond, directly contributes to Sundance Institute’s year-round work enabling artists to bring their stories to life. Through these ongoing grants, mentorships, and other critical resources, the work that Michelle has built and championed will continue for decades to come.
Since 1981, the nonprofit Sundance Institute, founded by Robert Redford, has been dedicated to the discovery and development of independent artists and audiences. Through our programs, we seek to uplift, support, and inspire independent film and media artists from around the world, and to introduce audiences to their new work. Be a part of the night’s magic all while helping support the Institute’s mission to cultivate the next generation of filmmakers.
We hope to see you at our gala, Celebrating Sundance Institute Presented by Google TV, at the Grand Hyatt Deer Valley, in Park City, Utah, starting at 6:30 p.m. MT with a cocktail reception. The dinner and program will begin at 8 p.m. MT.
Join us! Reserve your table or seat today.
If you are unable to attend the event, please consider making a general contribution below to Sundance Institute which directly supports independent artists through resources such as labs, grants, and fellowships. Please reach out to benefitevent@sundance.org with any questions.
Honorees
A Tribute to Michelle Satter
Michelle Satter
Photo Credit: The Academy / Robert Trachtenberg
Founding Senior Director, Artist Programs
Michelle Satter is the Founding Senior Director of Artist Programs at the Sundance Institute. As a key executive of the Leadership Team, Satter has been one of the chief architects of the Institute’s programs since 1981 and has created and leads the programs supporting scripted storytelling. Through the Sundance signature Labs, granting and in-depth support, the programs have launched many of the groundbreaking and award-winning filmmakers of the past 40 years. Additionally, Satter expanded the Institute’s international initiatives and she founded Sundance Collab, a global digital storytelling community and learning platform. In recent years, Satter has been recognized with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Women in Film Business Leadership Award, and the ACLU Bill of Rights Award.
Sundance Institute Vanguard Awards
presented by Acura
The annual Sundance Institute Vanguard Awards, presented by Acura, will be given during the evening to honor artists whose work highlights the art of storytelling and creative independence in both nonfiction and fiction. The Sundance Institute Vanguard Award for nonfiction will be presented to Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie, directors of Sugarcane (2024 Sundance Film Festival), and the Sundance Institute Vanguard Award for fiction will go to Sean Wang, director of Dìdi (弟弟) (2024 Sundance Film Festival). NoiseCat, Kassie, and Wang join the likes of past honorees such as Celine Song, Maite Alberdi, W. Kamau Bell, Nikyatu Jusu, Ryan Coogler, Siân Heder, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, Radha Blank, Lulu Wang, Dee Rees, Damien Chazelle, Marielle Heller, Benh Zeitlin, Boots Riley, and many more.
Tables and Tickets
Champion Table - $50,000
($47,000 is a charitable contribution)
DETAILS
- One table for 10 guests with placement toward the front of the room for the dinner and program
- Logo (or Line Listing if no logo available) Recognition in the following locations:
- Event promotional emails distributed to over 5,000 Sundance supporters
- Event webpage on Sundance.org
- On-screen recognition
- On-site digital program
Advocate Table - $25,000
($22,000 is a charitable contribution)
DETAILS
- One table for 10 guests for the dinner and program
- Line Listing Recognition in the following locations:
- Event promotional emails distributed to over 5,000 Sundance supporters
- Event webpage on Sundance.org
- On-screen recognition
- On-site digital program
Patron Pair Package - $4,000
($3,400 is a charitable contribution)
DETAILS
- Two tickets for the dinner and program
- Line Listing Recognition in the following locations:
- Event webpage on Sundance.org
- On-site digital program
Individual Ticket - $1,750
($1,450 is a charitable contribution)
DETAILS
- One ticket for the dinner and program
- Line Listing Recognition in the on-site digital program
Event Sponsorship Opportunities
For information on event sponsorships, please contact corporategiving@sundance.org
If you are unable to attend the event, please consider making a general contribution below to Sundance Institute which directly supports independent artists through resources such as labs, grants, and fellowships. Please reach out to benefitevent@sundance.org with any questions.
Presenting Sponsor
Lead Sponsor
Presenting Sponsor
Vanguard Award Sponsor
Supporting Sponsor
Event Chairs:
Ebs Burnough and Pat Mitchell
Champion tables
Pritzker Pucker Family Foundation
Advocate Tables
IMDbPro
Patron Pair Packages
Hidden Empire
Official Providers
The Dufour Collaborative
Grand Hyatt Deer Valley
About Your Contribution
The Sundance Film Festival is one of the many programs offered by the nonprofit Sundance Institute. Your ticket purchase to the Sundance Film Festival’s Celebrating Sundance Institute presented by Google TV includes a contribution to Sundance Institute and directly supports independent artists through resources such as labs, grants, and fellowships. Working to advance the impact of artists and their work in society while introducing audiences to their new work, the Institute seeks to discover, support, and inspire independent film and media artists from the United States and around the world. Through all of its activities, the Institute fosters originality, authenticity, and diversity in storytelling.
Gifts to Sundance Institute are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.
Contact Information
To reserve your tickets or request additional information, please contact us at (424) 302-5160 or benefitevent@sundance.org
Accessibility and Community Agreement
The Sundance Institute is committed to ensuring our events are as accessible as possible for everyone who attends. If any accommodation would support your full participation in this event, please contact accessibility@sundance.org to describe your specific request. Every effort will be made to accommodate advance requests; requests made within seven days of the event may not be guaranteed.
In alignment with our Community Agreement, we ask you to be intentional with your words (hateful speech or actions will not be tolerated) and be respectful of moderators, artists, and other attendees. See our full Community Agreement to read more or to learn how to report violations. We sincerely thank you for helping us create an inclusive, welcoming environment for all.