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 its Director. 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.
Courses and Content
Advisor Studio
Advisor Studio: Creative Producing - From Pitch to Picture with Carol Baum
With: Carol Baum and Patty West
Advisor Studio: Creative Producing - From Pitch to Picture with Carol Baum
With: Carol Baum and Patty West
Advisor Studio
Advisor Studio: How to Create a Pitch Deck with Jess Devaney (PRAY AWAY) and Mallory Schwartz (THE MORNING SHOW)
With: Jessica Devaney and 2 more
Advisor Studio: How to Create a Pitch Deck with Jess Devaney (PRAY AWAY) and Mallory Schwartz (THE MORNING SHOW)
With: Jessica Devaney, Mallory Schwartz and Patty West
Advisor Studio
Advisor Studio: Negotiating Strategies for Creators with Victoria Cook
With: Victoria Cook and Patty West
Advisor Studio: Negotiating Strategies for Creators with Victoria Cook
With: Victoria Cook and Patty West
Event Recording
Making Your First Feature Film - A Conversation at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival
With: Julian Brave NoiseCat and 4 more
Making Your First Feature Film - A Conversation at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival
With: Julian Brave NoiseCat, Emily Kassie, Josh Margolin, Sean Wang and Patty West
For this in-person meetup during the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, Sundance Collab brings together Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie (SUGARCANE), Josh Margolin (THELMA), and Sean Wang (DÌDI (弟弟)), for a candid conversation about the process of making their first feature film.
Master Class
Master Class: Creating Branded Content with Stacy Fuller of Refinery 29
With: Stacy Fuller and 5 more
Master Class: Creating Branded Content with Stacy Fuller of Refinery 29
With: Stacy Fuller, Greg James, Aiden Darné, Megan Doyle, Pamela Romanowsky and Patty West
Master Class
Master Class: Film Music - Creating the Soundscape for Your Film with Peter Golub (THE GREAT DEBATERS), Adam Smalley (THE LION KING) and Carter Burwell (THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN)
With: Peter Golub and 3 more
Master Class: Film Music - Creating the Soundscape for Your Film with Peter Golub (THE GREAT DEBATERS), Adam Smalley (THE LION KING) and Carter Burwell (THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN)
With: Peter Golub, Adam Smalley, Carter Burwell and Patty West
Master Class
Master Class: Filmmaker's Legal Toolkit: From Protecting IP Through Negotiating Distribution with Janis Nelson, Cory Field, Victoria Cook, Michael Donaldson, Chris Perez, and Raymond Tambe
With: Janis Nelson and 6 more
Master Class: Filmmaker's Legal Toolkit: From Protecting IP Through Negotiating Distribution with Janis Nelson, Cory Field, Victoria Cook, Michael Donaldson, Chris Perez, and Raymond Tambe
With: Janis Nelson, Corey Field, Victoria Cook, Michael Donaldson, Chris Perez, Raymond Tambe and Patty West
Master Class
Master Class: Launching and Managing Your Creative Business with Financial Expert Amy Smith
With: Amy Smith and Patty West
Master Class: Launching and Managing Your Creative Business with Financial Expert Amy Smith
With: Amy Smith and Patty West
Master Class
Master Class: Lessons from a Life Behind the Camera with Ken Kwapis (THE OFFICE)
With: Ken Kwapis and Patty West
Master Class: Lessons from a Life Behind the Camera with Ken Kwapis (THE OFFICE)
With: Ken Kwapis and Patty West
Master Class
Master Class: Marketing & Distributing Your Feature Film with Russell Schwartz
With: Russell Schwartz and Patty West
Master Class: Marketing & Distributing Your Feature Film with Russell Schwartz
With: Russell Schwartz and Patty West
Master Class
Master Class: The Sound & Music of the Daniels’ EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE | Presented by the Dolby Institute
With: The Daniels and 6 more
Master Class: The Sound & Music of the Daniels’ EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE | Presented by the Dolby Institute
With: The Daniels, Son Lux, Andrew Twite, Brent Kiser, Peter Golub, Glenn Kiser and Patty West
Spotlight
Spotlight: Adapting a Podcast into a TV Series with Kim Rosenstock (DYING FOR SEX)
With: Kim Rosenstock and Patty West
Spotlight: Adapting a Podcast into a TV Series with Kim Rosenstock (DYING FOR SEX)
With: Kim Rosenstock and Patty West
Spotlight
Spotlight: Crafting Authentic Narratives in Documentary with Matthew Heineman
With: Matthew Heineman and Patty West
Spotlight: Crafting Authentic Narratives in Documentary with Matthew Heineman
With: Matthew Heineman and Patty West
Spotlight: Directing THE PITT with Amanda Marsalis
With: Amanda Marsalis and Patty West
Video
The Poetry of the Prompt: AI Storytelling and the Making of ANCESTRA
With: Eliza McNitt and 2 more
The Poetry of the Prompt: AI Storytelling and the Making of ANCESTRA
With: Eliza McNitt, Ben Wiley and Patty West
Emmy-nominated filmmaker Eliza McNitt unpacks the creation of ANCESTRA, her 2025 short film made in collaboration with Google’s DeepMind team. McNitt and collaborator Ben Wiley, Creative Director at the Google Creative Lab, discuss how the pair blended live action performances with generative AI visuals to tell a deeply personal story. The film, executive produced by Darren Aronofsky, premiered at the 2025 Tribeca Film Festival. A Sundance Film Festival alum, McNitt has described the project as the story of how “a mother’s love becomes a cosmic force in order to save her daughter’s life.”
Event Recording
The Sundance Institute Founder Series: Honoring Robert Redford with David Lowery
With: Patty West and David Lowery
The Sundance Institute Founder Series: Honoring Robert Redford with David Lowery
With: Patty West and David Lowery