Sundance Insider Sessions provide behind-the-scenes information and guidance on our Labs, grants and festivals. Sundance Institute staff will be on-hand to answer frequently asked questions and help guide you through discovering and applying to the many programs and funds that the Institute offers.


For this Insider Session, join Sundance Institute team members Shira Rockowitz, Kristin Feeley, Maria Clement, and Andrea Alarcon to learn more about applying to the Feature Film Producers Track and Documentary Producers Track.


The Producers Track is an open application that supports emerging independent producers with a work-in-progress feature-length film to be considered for the Producers Lab & Fellowship (a yearlong program commencing July 2025). There are two different Producer Tracks: Feature Film (fiction) and Documentary Film (nonfiction). For more information on the Producers Track, visit the Sundance Institute Producers Program homepage.


APPLICATION DATES

  • Feature Film Producers Track: opens November 19, 2024, closes February 12, 2025
  • Documentary Film Producers Track: opens November 19, 2024, closes February 12, 2025

To apply, visit:


ABOUT THE FEATURE FILM PRODUCERS TRACK

Applicants to the Feature Film Producers Track will be considered for the Producers Lab & Fellowship. This yearlong program, commencing July 2025, nurtures emerging producers with project-specific support through the Producers Lab, year-round mentorship from a dedicated producer mentor, film industry networking opportunities, professional development and project advancement strategy workshops, and ongoing support from Sundance Institute staff. The program is designed to hone emerging producers’ creative instincts and evolve their communication and problem-solving skills at all stages of the filmmaking process. 


  • For more information about the Producers Program, click here.
  • For more information about the Feature Film Program, click here.

ABOUT THE DOCUMENTARY FILM PRODUCERS TRACK

Applicants to the Documentary Film Producers Track will be considered for the Producers Lab & Fellowship. This yearlong program, commencing July 2025, is designed to nurture emerging nonfiction producers with project-specific support through the Producers Lab, year-round mentorship from a dedicated industry mentor, film industry networking opportunities, professional development, and project advancement strategy workshops, and ongoing support from Sundance Institute staff. The program is designed to hone emerging producers’ creative instincts and evolve their communication and problem-solving skills at all stages of their next feature film. 


  • For more information about the Producers Program, click here.
  • For more information about the Documentary Film Program, click here.


Live event registration for Sundance Collab Insider Sessions is free of charge. A recording of this event will be posted to our Video Library the next business day following the event. All registered attendees can watch the recording through February 12th, 2025. After that, on-demand access to the recording can be purchased for $10.


If you would benefit from an accommodation to fully participate in this event, please complete this form, contact us at (435) 776-7790, or email us at accessibility@sundance.org to discuss your specific requests. Every effort will be made to accommodate advance requests; requests made within 5 days of the event may not be guaranteed.

Shira Rockowitz
Director of Producing and Artist Support, Feature Film Program
As the Director of Producing and Artist Support in the Feature Film Program, Shira Rockowitz devises programs that support filmmakers through creative and professional development, mentorship, and industry engagement, with a dual focus on project advancement and building sustainable careers. This includes launching Elevate, an innovative professional development track supporting 250+ artists annually, overseeing the Feature Film Producers Lab & Fellowship, and co-leading select activities at the Sundance Film Festival. Shira is also a key curator and contributor to the Screenwriters Lab, Directors Lab, and Catalyst financing program. Prior to her role at Sundance, Shira was the director of development and production at Exclusive Media and a co-producer on John Carney’s Begin Again. She began her career with positions at New Regency, Paramount Vantage, and Fine Line Features/New Line Cinema. Shira is a graduate of Northwestern University and holds an MFA from the Peter Stark Producing Program at the University of Southern California, where she serves as an adjunct professor. more...
Maria Clement
Senior Manager, Documentary Film and Producer Program
Maria Clement supports independent nonfiction storytellers year round as Senior Manager of Documentary Film and Producer Program. She oversees the Documentary Film Producers Lab and Fellowship, Documentary FIlm Producers Intensive, Producers Summit and provides creative advice to DFP supported artists. Maria holds a staff advisory role with the Sundance Documentary Fund. Prior to joining Sundance, she started her career working in documentary production at Interloper Films and Academy Award® nominated Black Valley Films. Of Cuban heritage, she is proficient in Spanish and a Los Angeles native. She holds a degree in Cultural Anthropology from the University of California, Irvine. more...
Andrea Alarcon
Manager, Producing & Artist Support, Documentary Film Program
Andrea Alarcón is a nonprofit arts administrator and curator who joined the DFP team in 2019 and actively manages the submission review processes for the program's Documentary Producers Lab and Fellowship and provides year-round creative and strategic support to DFP supported artists. Andrea also contributes to the submission review process for the Documentary Fund. She has a passion for amplifying emerging, historically marginalized and international filmmakers, applying an equity based lens to her work to ensure that a spectrum of perspectives is represented in the documentary realm. She is a graduate of the University of California, Santa Cruz with a BA in Film and Digital Media, and a concentration in documentary production. Prior to Sundance, she worked with the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History to engage and empower underrepresented communities in the arts before moving to Los Angeles. Andrea is a passionate community builder, lover of films and coffee enthusiast. more...
Kristin Feeley
Director, Documentary Film and Artist Programs
Kristin Feeley is the Director of the Sundance Documentary Film and Artist Programs where her programs support a broad slate of independent, domestic and international nonfiction storytellers focused on human rights, social justice and innovative approaches. She has worked in artist development at the Sundance Institute for over fifteen years, supporting the careers of hundreds of nonfiction directors, editors, producers. During her time at Sundance she launched the Documentary Producers Lab and Fellowship and created the Art of Editing Fellowship as well as the Nonfiction Critics Fellowship. Kristin is committed to supporting artists who contribute to a collaborative, inclusive artistic process in independent nonfiction. Prior to Sundance, Kristin worked in social policy research and arts nonprofits before pursuing a Masters in Film at the University of Glasgow. more...
Katherine Street
Moderator | Digital Course & Event Producer
Katherine "Kat" Street is an LA-based award-winning filmmaker and Philadelphia native. A cinephile at heart, she writes female-driven stories with complex (oftentimes damaged) main characters, centered around self-discovery, self-love, and belonging. She has written numerous short-form projects, including original shorts, pilots, and features. She wrote and directed the dramatic short film “Cycles,” which received festival recognition in both acting and best romantic short. She also created her award-winning flagship web series "The New Adult,” which is currently streaming on Kweli TV. Kat is a Stowe Story Lab SAGIndie Fellow and a participant in the BlackMagic Collective Emerging Filmmakers Initiative. In 2021, she founded the Black Film Challenge, a project that showcases filmmakers of African descent and the movies they create. She earned her BFA from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts with a concentration in Cinematography and has literary representation with Culture Creative Entertainment. more...

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