Matthew Heineman is an Academy Award®-nominated, nine-time Emmy Award-winning, and two-time DGA Award winning-filmmaker. In 2019, he received a nomination for Outstanding Directorial Achievement of a First Time Feature Film Director from the Directors Guild of America for his narrative debut, A PRIVATE WAR—making Heineman and Martin Scorsese the only filmmakers ever nominated for both narrative and documentary DGA Awards. Heineman most recently directed AMERICAN SYMPHONY, which earned an Academy Award, BAFTA, and PGA nomination and also won 2 Critics' Choice Awards. Heineman previously directed and produced RETROGRADE which was shortlisted for an Academy Award®, and was nominated for six Emmy® awards as well as a DGA and PGA Award. It also received a Producing Award from DOC NYC, and was honored with the Edward R. Murrow Award for Feature Documentary. His previous film, THE FIRST WAVE was also shortlisted for an Academy Award and won three Emmy Awards, including Best Documentary. Heineman previously directed CARTEL LAND, which was nominated for an Academy Award and won three Emmy Awards and a DGA Award; CITY OF GHOSTS, for which he won a DGA Award; and two seasons of the Emmy-winning docuseries THE TRADE. He also directed HBO’s Emmy Award-winning TIGER and THE BOY FROM MEDELLIN. more...

Patty West is a producer and educator based in California. She led the Directing Workshop for Women and the Thesis Program at the American Film Institute prior to joining the Sundance Institute. She came to Sundance Collab in December of 2019 and now serves as the Director of Courses & Events. West is a Chicago native and holds a B.S. from Northwestern University, an M.F.A. from the AFI Conservatory and an Executive M.B.A. from Quantic School of Business & Technology. She is a member of the Producer's Council of the Producers Guild of America. more...