Sundance Collab is our digital platform for creators around the globe to learn, share, and connect. It advances Sundance Institute’s mission to discover, support, and inspire independent artists, by creating a digital community that amplifies independent voices, wherever they are in the world, at whatever stage they are in their career.

No. At this time, being a part of the Sundance Collab community is separate from your Sundance Institute Membership. If you are looking for information on becoming a Sundance Institute Member, please visit Sundance.org/membership.

Check out this video for six easy steps to make the most of your membership and view personalized resources based on your profile.

As a community for learning, sharing work, and connecting to a community, there are multiple ways Sundance Collab can help a creator starting their career. Our robust and growing video library and curated resources are useful for learning the art, craft, and business of making films and creating in other forms. Monthly online events and Master Classes featuring industry leaders can also help you develop your craft and work.

If you’re looking for more direct, hands-on experience, we offer several interactive, online courses that will place you in a live, digital classroom with industry experts. (Recordings are made available for those who can’t make it to the live session or want to review sessions.) An application must be submitted to participate and course fees apply. We offer a limited amount of need-based scholarships to our live and workshop courses. You can apply within the course application by selecting "I want to apply for a course scholarship".

If you are an All Access member, you are eligible to join Office Hours moderated by our Artist-in-Residence to get your questions answered.

By participating in some or all of these offerings, you have the opportunity to gain valuable insight and make meaningful connections with other creators.

Yes, every live event is recorded. Event recordings are available the next day on the event page. All live event and Master Class recordings are available to Collaborator and All Access members. Pathfinder members can purchase any Master Class recording for $27 and any live event recording for $5.

No. Work submitted to the Sundance Collab site or in courses will not be submitted to the Festival. You are welcome to submit any work you would like to be considered by the Festival by going to festival.sundance.org. It’s important to note that being a Sundance Collab member does not afford any advantages to selection, as there is a separate team that programs films for the Festival.

Yes, Sundance Collab provides accommodations and support services to participants with disabilities.

For live online events, if you have a disability and require accommodation in order to fully participate, 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.

For Sundance Collab courses, please contact us at (435) 776-7790 or email us at accessibility@sundance.org to discuss your specific needs after you have been accepted into the course. 

No, you do not have to pay to become a Pathfinder member, which allows you to:

• Sign up for free live online events
• Attend Writers’ Cafe every week
• Join Collab Community Forum
• Watch our Learn Now videos
• Access three resources per month from our Resources Library
• Purchase a Master Class, live event recording or On Demand Learning

If you’d like a deeper engagement, Sundance Collab Collaborator and All Access memberships provide additional benefits!

Collaborator members get free registration to Master Classes, unlimited access to our entire library of Master Class and live event recordings, unlimited use of the Resource Library and curated Grants & Opportunities

All Access members get all the benefits included in the Collaborator membership in addition to waived fees for On Demand Learning, the chance to connect with our Advisor-in-Residence through one-on-one office hours and Share Your Work page, and much more.

Check our membership page for details.

Yes, you can choose to upgrade your membership plan at any time. When you are logged in, simply select the “PLANS” button next to the profile icon in the top right corner of your screen to view all of the options available to you. Your current plan will display a banner over the top which reads "Your current plan". Dues from your previous membership will be prorated and applied to your new membership.

Please note that if you wish to change your membership to a plan that is less costly, your membership will stay active for the duration that you have already paid for. We cannot provide partial refunds. 

To manage your subscription, log in on the Sundance Collab platform, click your initials or profile picture in the top right-hand corner and go to “Purchases”. Select the “Cancel Subscription” button next to your subscription. The “Cancel Subscription” button will disappear as confirmation of your selection.

Please note that we do not provide refunds on memberships and your membership will stay active until its expiration date (which may be at the end of the month or year depending on your billing cycle).

Some special offers for paid membership may include a free trial period. You will be required to enter a credit card to open your account, but it will not be charged for membership until your free trial period is over.

Cancel your membership at any time before the end of the free trial period and your credit card will not be charged.

During the free trial period, you will be able to experience the membership benefits on the site (some exclusions may apply). We will send you a reminder email three days before the end of your free trial period.

Only new memberships are eligible for a one-time 14-day trial at sign-up.

Sundance Collab Advisors-in-Residence are trusted members of the Sundance community who have experience in their creative or industry practice and have generously offered to support other creative voices who are developing their craft or new work. Many of our Sundance Collab Advisors-in-Residence are alumni of the Sundance Labs and Festival and bring their expertise and meaningful feedback to creators in the Sundance Collab community.

Being a member of the community will hold unique meaning for everyone, but at its heart, we encourage each person to give as generously as they receive. This means committing to giving thoughtful feedback on works in progress and in discussions, while also remaining open to new ideas. Together, we are building a global community for all participants to grow personally and professionally. Please read our Community Agreement for more information.

If you believe that someone is not upholding their commitment to these values in any shared work, videos, or discussions, we encourage you to email collabsupport@sundance.org.

Sundance Collab Community Leaders are a group of trusted members who have shown genuine enthusiasm for and steady participation in Sundance Collab courses and events, and who further their engagement by dedicating time to support the platform and its members. Community Leaders leave feedback on works in progress under the Share Your Work section, and meet with our Community team once per month to brainstorm features and offerings for members.

Absolutely! All Collaborator and All Access members are encouraged to submit their work in progress for feedback from the community in our Share Your Work section. We like to remind everyone that giving thoughtful feedback to others is just as important and valuable as receiving feedback. For professional feedback from our Advisor-in-Residence, upgrade to the All Access membership.

Yes. All members of the Sundance Collab community are welcome to apply 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

Visit the online Courses section to view available classes, eligibility requirements and to submit your application. (Each course has an application deadline, so please check the date and time to ensure you don’t miss the cut-off.) If the application window is open, you will see an “Apply” button on the course page.

We send our application acceptance notifications on a rolling basis, starting after the application deadline. You will be notified of your acceptance status no later than three days before the first day of the course. 

You are welcome to apply for workshop courses with your creative partner as long as you are working on the same project throughout the course. You must each submit separate applications and indicate in your individual applications that you are applying with your partner. Note that if accepted, you would submit a single assignment when applicable for feedback and have a single 1-1 session together at the end. If you are both accepted, you will each receive 25% off the regular course fee.

We do not allow creative partners to do our live online, self-paced courses or intensives as a team. However, all creators can individually register for these courses.

When reviewing applications, the Sundance Collab team evaluates the needs and expectations of each applicant, the status of their project, and the work sample or thoughtful description of the idea they want to develop. We are also looking to convene a diverse group of participants who will work well together and support each other throughout the online course. Finally, we will confirm that the applicant can meet the time commitment necessary and has a strong interest and readiness to complete the course and meaningfully contribute to the group process.

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). After completing the course application, participants will be asked whether they would like to apply for a scholarship and given the application at that point. 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, payment plans are available. Please note that Course Pass members are not eligible for individual course scholarships.

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. The final one-on-one meeting with your advisor is scheduled according to your (and their) availability. There is also a private class discussion board where you can communicate with fellow participants outside of class hours. 

We also offer self-paced courses for individuals seeking greater flexibility in scheduling. These courses cover the same material as the live, online courses. Sundance Collab’s self-paced courses are unique in that they provide flexibility to complete the work on your own time, but also within a structured timeline that helps you to advance your project. You will travel through the course with a cohort of creatives like yourself and are given assignments with due dates during key weeks of the course.

The course materials and recordings are available to participants for one year from the last scheduled class.

Sundance Collab provides accommodations and support services to participants with disabilities.

For Sundance Collab courses, please contact us at (435) 776-7790 or email us at accessibility@sundance.org to discuss your specific needs after you have been accepted into the course.

Yes, we do offer payment plans for our self-paced, live online and workshop courses. These consist of 3 equal payments spaced 2 weeks apart, with the first payment being due at the time of course registration. We currently do not offer payment plans for intensives.

The site supports the following desktop, mobile operating systems, and web browser combinations:

Desktop/laptops:

• Microsoft Windows
• Chrome
• Edge
• Firefox
• IE 11
• Apple Macintosh
• Chrome
• Firefox
• Safari

Mobile Operating Systems and Browsers:

• Apple iOS - Safari
• Google Android - Chrome

In all cases, Javascript and cookies must be enabled, and a suitable internet connection must be available.

All of our live, online courses, Master Classes, and online events are conducted via Zoom. Please follow the instructions below to set up Zoom on your device:

1. Join a test meeting from your computer or device you will be using during class by visiting: https://zoom.us/test 
2. Click the “Join” button
3. Download and install Zoom
4. If Zoom doesn’t automatically start downloading, click the “download & run Zoom” link
5. Once Zoom opens it will automatically take you into a test call, where you can test your audio and video

Please update your Zoom software regularly.

To participate in a course, Master Class, or online event you can either join via Link:

1. Click the Zoom link from the website or email, which will prompt to open the desktop Zoom client
2. Zoom will open and the meeting will begin

Or join via the Zoom App:

1. Open the Zoom app
2. Enter the Meeting ID (either the full URL or just the number)
3. Ensure both options are unchecked (we want to be able to see and hear you!)
4. If your name doesn’t appear automatically, enter it in the second field

If you have any further questions, please email collabsupport@sundance.org.