Directing: From Short Film Prep to Festival Submission
Session: June 2026
About this Live Online Course
Transform your creative vision into a festival-ready short film with expert guidance from an experienced director. This comprehensive 8-week live online course takes you through every stage of the filmmaking process, from initial concept development to festival strategy.
You'll master the art of pre-production planning while developing your unique directorial voice. Through hands-on case studies of successful short films and interactive exercises, you'll build the practical skills and creative confidence needed to lead a successful production..
By the end of the course, you will:
- understand the short film format, including different lengths and genres.
- define your creative vision and hone your style as a director.
- develop visual references and a cinematic language for your film.
- learn how to break down your script as a director.
- understand shooting styles and formats.
- develop an approach to assemble your crew, manage a budget, and prepare for production.
- develop an approach to casting and working with actors.
- learn how to collaborate with an editor.
- develop an approach to post-production
- learn about film festivals, programmers, and possibilities for distribution.
This course is ideal for:
- directors looking to make their first short fiction film.
- directors who have made a fiction short previously, but looking for more formal guidance for their next project.
- non-fiction directors looking to pivot into fiction.
For an additional fee of $150, you may elect to meet with your Instructor for a 60-minute 1-on-1 session at the end of the course. You would submit a draft of your short film screenplay (no more than 20 pages) in advance and then receive feedback during the 1-on-1 session from your Instructor.
A limited number of need-based scholarships are available and are considered on a rolling basis as they are received. Those who apply earlier will have a greater chance of getting support. To apply for a scholarship, please complete the course registration form.
Sundance Collab provides accommodations and support services to participants with disabilities. Accommodations and services are designed to meet the needs of each participant. Please email us at accessibility@sundance.org to arrange for services.
Live Online CourseScholarships
Sundance Collab offers a limited number of full and partial need-based scholarships for individuals who need assistance.
Due to limited scholarship funds available, we prioritize one course scholarship per participant in a 12-month period. Scholarship applications are available up to one week before the registration deadline and do not stack with discounts or promotions, including early registration.
Outline
Topics covered include:
- Opening Circle: Introductions to Directors and projects
- Defining your creative vision
- Researching visual references for your film
- Establishing tableau and tone
- Choosing your format and lenses
- Overview of Filmic Time and Space
Topics covered include:
- Sourcing the right collaborators
- Assembling your crew
- Negotiating rates
- Looking out for red flags
- Creating materials to communicate your vision
- Breaking down a scene
- Creating your shooting script
Topics covered include:
- Working with SAG-AFTRA
- Collaborating with a casting director
- What makes a great breakdown
- How to run an audition
- Preparing for rehearsals
Topics covered include:
- Film Grammar 101
- Creating a shotlist
- How to do storyboards and photoboards
- How to work with department heads
- Strategies for making production manageable and cost-effective
- Managing a schedule and budget
- How to approach location scouting
- Running production meetings
- The importance of tech scouts
- Hosting a table reading
Topics covered include:
- The director’s role on set
- The importance of communication and leadership
- Blocking scenes and creating overheads
- Shooting for the edit
- Real-time troubleshooting
- Legal considerations
- The role of dailies
Topics covered include:
- Editing workflow, storage, and schedule
- Working with an editor
- How to make tough decisions in the edit
- Understanding the basics of color grading
- What a director needs to know about music rights
- The elements of sound design
- Preparing credits
- Understanding and preparing deliverables
Topics covered include:
- Creating a film festival strategy
- Could your short be expanded into a feature?
- What to prepare for exhibition
- Making industry connections
- Understanding distribution possibilities
Topics covered include:
- Navigating crowdfunding platforms
- Applying to shorts competitions
- Programs to produce short films
- Strategies for raising private equity
- Using shorts as a proof-of-concept for a feature
Team
Sushma Khadepaun
Instructor
Sushma Khadepaun is an Indian-born writer and director based in New York City. Her stories often explore themes of immigration, home, and identity. Sushma is an NYFA/NYSCA Screenwriting Fellow, was a Screenwriting Resident at Yaddo in 2024, a Fellow at the Film at Lincoln Center’s Artist Academy in 2023, and was listed as one of Filmmaker Magazine‘s 25 New Faces of Independent Film in 2021. Her films have screened at major film festivals including Venice, Stockholm, Atlanta, Dublin, POFF Tallinn Shorts, Palm Springs, and others. Her work has been featured on NPR, BOMB Magazine, Focus Features Digital, and Canal Plus, among others. Sushma is an alumna of the Film MFA program at Columbia University.
Along with her filmmaking practice, Sushma is an Assistant Professor in Film at Temple university. She has previously taught at Columbia. Barnard, VCU and the Sundance Collab.
FAQ
In Sundance Collab’s Live Online courses, participants attend live, virtual class sessions on the same day and time for a specified period. These sessions are led by an instructor and in some cases, supported by a team of advisors. In some courses, you are given assignments with submission deadlines to help you take the next step with your work.
- Each week you will be able to attend live lectures via Zoom video and ask questions of your instructor.
- In some courses, you will receive individualized feedback from your course advisor on elements of your work.
- In some courses, you will have the opportunity to have a 1-on-1 session with your advisor. Depending on the course, this session may be included or may be purchased separately for an additional cost. Check the course description for specifics.
All members of the Sundance Collab community are welcome to register 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.
Note that space is limited. If the registration window is open, you will see a “Register” button on the course page. If there is an application, applications are considered as they are received and applicants are accepted on a rolling basis until the course is full or the deadline has passed, whichever comes first.
We do not allow creative partners to do our live online courses as a team. However, both creators can individually register for the course.
Part of Sundance Collab's unique educational approach is to create a teaching team for every course. Each class is led by an instructor who may be accompanied by additional course advisors. This allows us to keep an intimate ratio of participants to advisors and to provide a diversity of voices and approaches to the course content.
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). Scholarship applications are available up to one week before the registration deadline. To apply for a scholarship,complete the registration form by clicking the REGISTER button and selecting the option to apply for a scholarship, if available.
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, depending on the course, payment plans may be available and can be selected at checkout.
Yes, we offer two or three-part payment plans for Live Online courses, depending on the length of the course. In all cases, the first payment is due at the point of registration. The remaining payment(s) are spread out throughout the course term. For specific payment plan dates for a course, please reach out to our team at: collab_courses@sundance.org.
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. For courses that include a 1-on-1 session with an advisor or instructor, the meeting is scheduled according to your (and their) availability.
All sessions are recorded and usually made available within one business day. The videos will also contain the chat and transcript from the class session, viewable in the video playbar.
Participants will have access to the recordings for one year following the last class session.
All participants will receive a Certificate of Completion. The certificate will include the name associated with your Sundance Collab account.
You can find any courses that you are enrolled in or have already completed in the profile section of your Sundance Collab account under “Courses.”
You can join a course via a computer or mobile device. All of our live, online courses are conducted via Zoom.
Download and set up the Zoom software (https://zoom.us/download) and make sure you have the latest update. Here are some great resources from Zoom’s Knowledge Base to take a deeper dive into using Zoom:
- Watch Zoom's Video Tutorials or review training materials on the Getting Started page
- Join a Live Training from Zoom
If you have any further questions, please email collab_courses@sundance.org.
Sundance Collab provides accommodations and support services to participants with disabilities. Please contact us at (435) 776-7790 or email us at accessibility@sundance.org to ask any questions or to discuss your specific needs after you have been accepted into the course.