Sundance Collab is our digital platform for creators around the globe to learn, share, and connect. It advances Sundance Institute’s mission to discover, support, and inspire independent artists, by creating a digital community that amplifies independent voices, wherever they are in the world, at whatever stage they are in their career.

No. At this time, being a part of the Sundance Collab community is separate from your Sundance Institute Membership. If you are looking for information on becoming a Sundance Institute Member, please visit Sundance.org/membership.

Check out these personalized resources based on your profile.

As a community for learning, sharing work, and connecting to a community, there are multiple ways Sundance Collab can help a creator starting their career. Our robust and growing video library and Filmmaker Toolkit are useful for learning the art, craft, and business of making films and creating in other forms. Online events and Master Classes featuring industry leaders can also help you develop your craft and work.

If you’re looking for more direct, hands-on experience and an opportunity to further your project, we offer live, self-paced, and on-demand courses with industry experts in screenwriting, directing, producing, documentary and career and business strategies. An application may be required for some courses and course fees apply. We offer a limited amount of need-based scholarships to our courses. Check the course description to see if that course currently has scholarships available.

By participating in some or all of these offerings, you have the opportunity to gain valuable insight and make meaningful connections with other creators.

Yes, every live event is recorded. Event recordings are posted to our Video Library the following business day. You can purchase any Master Class recording for $27 and any live event recording for $5. If you purchased an event recording or Master Class, you can also find it under your Purchases.

Yes, Sundance Collab provides accommodations and support services to participants with disabilities.

For live online events, if you have a disability and require accommodation in order to fully participate, please complete this form, contact us at (435) 776-7790, or email us at accessibility@sundance.org to discuss your specific needs. Every effort will be made to accommodate advance requests; requests made within 5 days of the event may not be guaranteed.

For Sundance Collab courses, please contact us at (435) 776-7790 or email us at accessibility@sundance.org to discuss your specific needs after you have been accepted into the course. 

No. Work submitted to the Sundance Collab site or in courses will not be submitted to the Festival. You are welcome to submit any work you would like to be considered by the Festival by going to festival.sundance.org. It’s important to note that being a Sundance Collab member does not afford any advantages to selection, as there is a separate team that programs films for the Festival.

Volunteers are the lifeblood of the Sundance Institute. We rely on dedicated volunteers from around the world to generously devote their time and commitment to the Sundance Film Festival, our Summer Labs, and our year-round programs that support independent storytelling. Applications to volunteer for the Sundance Film Festival open in August. More details can be found at https://www.sundance.org/festivals/sundance-film-festival/volunteer/. Please reach out to volunteers@sundance.org with any questions regarding volunteering with the Sundance Institute.

No, you do not have to pay to join the Sundance Collab community, which allows you to:

• Sign up for free live online events
• Attend Writers Café every week
• Join the Sundance Collab Community Forum
• Explore the wealth of topics in our Video Library
• Access our Filmmaker Toolkit and directory of curated Grants & Opportunities
• Purchase a Master Class or live event recording
• Register or apply for a course

Members must be 13 years of age or older to sign up for an account, and at least 16 years old to enroll in a course per our Terms of Use.

We do not offer paid memberships. To take advantage of our offerings, join our Community by creating a free account.

Being a member of the community will hold unique meaning for everyone, but at its heart, we encourage each person to give as generously as they receive. This means committing to giving thoughtful feedback on works in progress and in discussions, while also remaining open to new ideas. Together, we are building a global community for all participants to grow personally and professionally. Please read our Community Agreement for more information.

If you believe that someone is not upholding their commitment to these values in any shared work, videos, or discussions, we encourage you to email collabsupport@sundance.org.

Sundance Collab Community Leaders are a group of trusted members who have shown genuine enthusiasm for and steady participation in Sundance Collab courses and events, and who further their engagement by dedicating time to support the platform and its members. Community Leaders moderate the Community Forum, meet with our Community team to brainstorm features and offerings for members, as well as other projects.

All members of the Sundance Collab community are welcome to register or apply for Sundance Collab courses. Please review the course description and any eligibility requirements to ensure the course is a good fit. If you have any questions about a course, please email collab_courses@sundance.org. Participants must be 16 years of age or older to enroll in a course.

Visit the online Courses section to view available classes and eligibility requirements. Some courses may require an application. Each course has a deadline, so please check the date and time to ensure you don’t miss the cut-off. If the application window is open, you will see a "Register" or “Apply” button on the course page.

For our application-based courses, we send acceptance notifications on a rolling basis, starting after the application deadline. You will be notified of your acceptance status no later than three days before the first day of the course. 

We do not allow creative partners to do our live online, self-paced courses or Intensives as a team. However, all creators can individually register for these courses.

When reviewing applications, the Sundance Collab team evaluates the needs and expectations of each applicant, the status of their project, and the work sample or thoughtful description of the idea they want to develop. We are also looking to convene a diverse group of participants who will work well together and support each other throughout the online course. Finally, we will confirm that the applicant can meet the time commitment necessary and has a strong interest and readiness to complete the course and meaningfully contribute to the group process.

We often offer a limited number of need-based, full or partial scholarships. Check the course description to see if that course currently has scholarships available. Scholarships are prioritized for one per person per year (from the date of issue). Once the registration form is opened, participants will see a prompt on the left side with instructions to apply for a scholarship. Applicants will be notified about their scholarship decision prior to the first day of the course. Due to the volume of applicants, we are not always able to provide a scholarship, but we may still offer a spot in the course. In this case, payment plans are usually available, depending on the course.

Yes, you are welcome to take a live, online course even if you can’t make the live sessions. Recordings of each class session are available online by the following day so you can keep up with the course lectures. There is also a private class discussion board where you can communicate with fellow participants outside of class hours. 

We also offer self-paced and on-demand courses for individuals seeking greater flexibility in scheduling. Sundance Collab’s self-paced courses are unique in that they provide flexibility to complete the work on your own time, but also within a structured timeline that helps you to advance your project. You will travel through the course with a cohort of creatives like yourself and are given assignments with due dates during key weeks of the course. On-demand courses are available on your schedule. You can take them at any time and do them at your own pace. 

The course materials and recordings are available to participants for one year from the last scheduled class.

Sundance Collab provides accommodations and support services to participants with disabilities.

For Sundance Collab courses, please contact us at (435) 776-7790 or email us at collab_accessibility@sundance.org to discuss your specific needs after you have been accepted into the course.

Yes, we do offer payment plans for our self-paced, live online and workshop courses. These consist of 3 equal payments spaced 2 weeks apart, with the first payment being due at the time of course registration. We currently do not offer payment plans for intensives.

The site supports the following desktop, mobile operating systems, and web browser combinations:

Desktop/laptops:

• Microsoft Windows
• Chrome
• Edge
• Firefox
• IE 11
• Apple Macintosh
• Chrome
• Firefox
• Safari

Mobile Operating Systems and Browsers:

• Apple iOS - Safari
• Google Android - Chrome

In all cases, Javascript and cookies must be enabled, and a suitable internet connection must be available.

All of our live, online courses, Master Classes, and online events are conducted via Zoom. Please follow the instructions below to set up Zoom on your device:

1. Join a test meeting from your computer or device you will be using during class by visiting: https://zoom.us/test 
2. Click the “Join” button
3. Download and install Zoom
4. If Zoom doesn’t automatically start downloading, click the “download & run Zoom” link
5. Once Zoom opens it will automatically take you into a test call, where you can test your audio and video

Please update your Zoom software regularly.

To participate in a course, Master Class, or online event you can either join via Link:

1. Click the Zoom link from the website or email, which will prompt to open the desktop Zoom client or mobile app
2. Zoom will open and the meeting will begin

If you have any further questions, please email collabsupport@sundance.org.