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, Lauren Lukow, Maria Clement, and Andrea Alarcon to learn more about applying to the Feature Film Producers Track, Documentary Producers Track and Documentary Edit and Story Lab!


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 (yearlong program commencing July 2023) and the Producers Intensive (two-day concentrated program in fall 2023). 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.


Live event registration for Sundance Collab Insider Sessions is open and free of charge. Sessions will be recorded and available in our video library until February 15, 2023, which is when the Sundance Institute’s Producers Track and Doc Edit Lab Program applications close. After that, on-demand access to the recording can be purchased for $5.


APPLICATION DATES

FFP Producers Track: closes February 15, 2023

DFP Producers Track: closes February 15, 2023



To apply visit:

FEATURE FILM PRODUCERS TRACK: LINK HERE

DOCUMENTARY FILM PRODUCERS TRACK: LINK HERE



Download the Presentation Deck here.



ABOUT THE FEATURE FILM PRODUCERS TRACK

Applicants to the Feature Film Producers Track will be considered for two opportunities: the Producers Lab & Fellowship (yearlong program, commencing July 2023) and the Producers Intensive (two-day program in fall 2023). The Feature Film Producers Fellowship is a yearlong program designed to nurture emerging producers with project-specific support through the Producers Lab and Producers Summit, a grant to support the producer and the project, year-round mentorship from a dedicated industry mentor, 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. The Feature Film Producers Intensive provides emerging producers with the opportunity to hone their craft in a two-day concentrated workshop. The program provides creative, strategic, and professional development support for producers from traditionally underrepresented communities who are poised to take the next step in their filmmaking career. Like the residency lab, the intensive features interactive group sessions and roundtable conversations with producer and industry advisors on topics including the producer/director collaboration, pitching, legal and business affairs, packaging and financing, budgeting, and sustainability, and fosters community among the participants.



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 two opportunities: the Producers Lab & Fellowship (yearlong program, commencing July 2023) and the Producers Intensive (two-day program in fall 2023). The Documentary Film Producers Fellowship is a yearlong program designed to nurture emerging producers with project-specific support through the Producers Lab and Producers Summit, a grant to support the producer and the project, year-round mentorship from a dedicated industry mentor, 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 documentary film. The Documentary Film Producers Intensive provides emerging producers with the opportunity to hone their craft in a two-day concentrated workshop. The program provides creative, strategic, and professional development support for producers from traditionally underrepresented communities who are poised to take the next step in their filmmaking career. Like the residency lab, the intensive features interactive group sessions and roundtable conversations with producer and industry advisors on topics including the producer/director collaboration, pitching, budgeting, financing and distribution and sustainability, and fosters community among the participants.



For more information about the Producers Program, click here.

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


ABOUT THE DOCUMENTARY EDIT & STORY LAB APPLICATION

The Documentary Edit and Story Lab is an invitation only application that supports four film teams (directors and editors) with documentary feature films in mid-/late post-production. Lab fellows advance their projects through rigorous creative exploration and discussion of story structure and character development with world-class advisors. If you are interested in applying to the Edit and Story Lab, email docedit@sundance.org for more information.


ABOUT THE DOCUMENTARY FILM PROGRAM

The Sundance Documentary Film Program supports nonfiction filmmakers worldwide in the production of cinematic documentaries on contemporary themes. Established in 2002 with founding support from Open Society Foundations, the Program is a vibrant global resource for independent non-fiction storytelling. Recent projects include Nicole Newnham, Jim LeBrecht’s Crip Camp; Maite Alberdi’s The Mole Agent; Jacqueline Olive’s Always in Season; Julia Reichert, Steven Bognar’s American Factory; Petra Costa’s The Edge of Democracy; Talal Derki’s Of Fathers and Sons; RaMell Ross’s Hale County This Morning, This Evening; and Bing Lui’s Minding the Gap. Year-round support of filmmakers—including granting, creative labs, and strategic advice from development to distribution—amounts to a commitment to documentary as an increasingly important global art form and a critical cultural practice in the 21st century.



Andrea Alarcon
Panelist
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
Panelist
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...
Lauren Lukow
Panelist
As the Manager of Producing and Artist Support for the Sundance Institute Feature Film Program, Lauren Lukow supports the work of emerging independent producers, screenwriters, and directors in fiction features. Previously, she served as Coordinator of the Screenwriters and Directors Labs, while also providing direct support to Founding Director, Michelle Satter. more...
Shira Rockowitz
Panelist
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
Panelist
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...

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