Spotlight Events feature conversations with high-profile film and television industry professionals who share helpful advice and insights on their career experiences and creative processes.


Known for his gripping documentaries that include Cartel Land and City of Ghosts, Matthew Heineman is one of today's most prolific documentary filmmakers. He has been nominated for an Academy Award® and is a nine-time Emmy Award-winner and two-time DGA Award winner.


Heineman has had films at the Sundance Film Festival five times since 2012 and this year, he has been in the spotlight for his latest award-winning film, American Symphony, capturing a year in the life of Academy Award and Grammy Award-winning artist, Jon Batiste, and his wife, writer Suleika Jaouad, while she battles leukemia. The film has earned an Academy Award® nomination for Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, as well as a BAFTA and PGA nomination, and has won two Critics' Choice Awards. 


From navigating challenging environments to capturing raw human emotions, Heineman's work delves into complex societal issues with depth and authenticity. In this Spotlight Event, you will have the opportunity to gain invaluable insights about the craft of filmmaking. Whether you're an aspiring filmmaker, a seasoned professional, or simply passionate about impactful storytelling, this conversation promises to be both enlightening and inspiring. 


If you have a disability and require accommodation in order 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 needs. Every effort will be made to accommodate advance requests; requests made within 5 days of the event may not be guaranteed.


Live event registration for Sundance Collab Spotlight Events is free of charge. A recording of this event will be posted to our Video Library the business day after the event and all members who registered can watch the recording for two business days after it is posted. After that, on-demand access to the recording can be purchased for $5.

Matthew Heineman
Panelist
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
Moderator | Director, Collab Courses & Events
Los Angeles, CA, USA
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...

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