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A NNUA L REPOR T FISCA L Y E A R 2015

OUR WORK

08

ARTIST SUPPORT

11

PUBLIC PROGRAMS

35

TRANSFORMATIVE SUPPORT

42

INSTITUTIONAL HEALTH

44

FOCUS ON THE ARTIST

45

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“ There will always be new terrain to explore as long as there are artists willing to take risks, who tell their stories without compromise. And Sundance will be here - to provide a range of support and a creative community in which a new idea or distinctive view is championed.” ROBERT REDFORD PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER

Nia DaCosta and Robert Redford, Little Woods, 2015 Directors Lab, Photo by Brandon Cruz

SUNDANCE INSTITUTE ANNUAL REPORT 2015

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WELCOME ROBERT REDFORD PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER

PAT MITCHELL CHAIR, BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Sundance Institute offers an environment and opportunities

The health, vitality, and diversity of the Institute’s year-round

for artists to take risks, experiment, and fail without fear.

programs are a testament to both the independent artists

We see failure not as an end but as an essential step in the

who are inspired to tell their unique stories as well as the

road. The original idea of taking storytellers away from the

many partners and supporters who make our work possible.

distractions of daily life and inviting them into a setting of

Because of your generosity, we are able to provide a safe

natural beauty and a place where they can develop their work

harbor for artists developing new and daring work, and to

continues to yield remarkable creativity.

share that work with audiences around the world.

We are grateful for the generosity of a community that has

KERI PUTNAM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

I also want to thank the nearly 750 independent artists who

As we close another year spent supporting extraordinary

shared their work with us last year. We supported them

artists and sharing their work with audiences around the

through our 25 residency Labs, provided direct grants

world, it is my pleasure to share with you the Sundance

of nearly $3 million, awarded fellowships and structured

Institute Annual Report — filled with insight into the nature

mentorship, and of course celebrated and launched their

and impact of our work, and standout projects and moments

new work through the platform of the Sundance Film Festival.

from the past 12 months.

Your support as a member of our community, whether as an artist alumni, member, donor, foundation, or partner, enabled

Sundance Institute is dedicated to supporting the creation

this work and allows it to continue. We are grateful to you for

As we look ahead, your creative and financial support is

of independent stories for screen and stage that speak to

supporting independent artists whose stories have the power

given their time and resources along the way. Their reward

as important as ever. It allows us to continue building our

our shared humanity. Our mission to discover, develop, and

to shift perspectives and transform culture. It is their drive to

is no more than knowing they have helped an artist find their

programs and seeking out new and diverse independent

support independent artists is seen not just in our programs

create, to observe, to inform, and to ask the tough questions,

voice who in turn may show us a new way of looking at the

voices that illuminate our culture and deepen our

but also in the quality and originality of the resulting work —

that in turn drives our work at Sundance Institute.

world.

understanding of the world we live in. This is an exhilarating

stories that delight and entertain, challenge preconceived

time for us, and working with Bob Redford, Keri Putnam and

views, elicit compassion, provide new perspectives, push

the rest of the Board and Institute leadership, we see a future

creative boundaries, and ignite passions.

We constantly challenge ourselves to remain open to change and surprise. When we started this we did not know how long it would last. At the 35-year mark, I am proud that Sundance Institute continues to explore new ideas and new ways of working. With all of the rapid changes over the past three decades, it turns out that a place, surrounded by nature, uninterrupted,

KERI PUTNAM

with exciting opportunities for independent storytellers and adventurous audiences. PAT MITCHELL

I want to recognize both our wonderful Board of Trustees and our talented staff for their rigor, passion, and creativity, which contribute immeasurably to making Sundance Institute the dynamic, responsive, and constantly evolving organization it is.

where artists can push themselves and their work, away from distractions and market pressures, is just as important now as it was when we started. ROBERT REDFORD


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TODAY

OUR STORY Robert Redford founded the Institute in 1981 to foster independence, risk-taking, and new voices in American film. That year, ten emerging filmmakers were invited to Sundance Resort in the mountains of Utah, where they worked with leading writers, directors, and actors to develop their original independent projects.

the Institute supports storytellers working in film, theatre, film music, new media, episodic storytelling, and more. Many of today’s most creative and daring artists are counted among the 10,627 Institute alumni. Each year the Sundance Film Festival introduces groundbreaking new work and emerging talent to a global audience. And a host of public programs connect artists with audiences to share fresh voices and inspire new ideas throughout the year. SUNDANCE INSTITUTE ANNUAL REPORT 2015

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OUR MISSION

Sundance Institute is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the discovery and development of independent artists and audiences. Through its programs, the Institute seeks to discover, support, and inspire independent film and theatre artists from the United States and around the world, and to introduce audiences to their new work. Ed Harris and Robert Redford, Eggplant, 2015 Directors Lab, Photo by Brandon Cruz

OUR VISION

As the leading champion and curator of independent stories, Sundance Institute provides and preserves the space for artists to create and thrive, inspiring audiences to join them in igniting new ideas that have the power to transform culture.


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OUR GOALS 1. Discover and support the most exciting independent storytelling artists throughout the world 2. Introduce and connect audiences to the best new independent work

2015 Sundance Institute Music And Sound Design Lab At Skywalker Sound: Documentary, Photo by Lauren Janney

3. Grow and inspire our community 4. Maintain financial discipline, organizational excellence, and a culture that reflects our values


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OUR WORK GRANTS, FELLOWSHIPS & AWARDS Artist Services Grants Creative Producing Fellowship Documentary Fund Feature Film Fund Knight Fellowship Native American and Indigenous Program Fellowship Time Warner Fellowship Women at Sundance Fellowship

LABS & RETREATS Creative Producing Directors Documentary Edit Episodic Film Music and Sound Design Native Filmmakers New Frontier Screenwriters Theatre Theatre Directors Retreat Theatre Playwrights Retreat

SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL The premier showcase for the best independent films

ADVOCACY & RESEARCH Field Diversity Research National Arts Policy Round Table Transparency Project

SUNDANCE NEXT FEST A four-day film and music festival in downtown L.A.

SHORTS TOUR Traveling films to 59 cities across the country

DEEPEN OUR UNDERSTANDING DELIGHT & ENTERTAIN

h it a u w d d i e e r nces awak a h s s i d n a ening n k r o w r e ew id h / s i h eas w SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL: s e t i n HONG KONG SELECTS i g t i h th t s i CREATE t A line up of films and conversations e r p a EMPATHY ow e DISTRIBUTION ON that takes a slice of the Sundance h t er t n DIGITAL PLATFORMS i Film Festival to Hong Kong. o tr th i an w PUSH CREATIVE EXTENDED SUPPORT y s r BOUNDARIES for o Artist Services t SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL: s m e Catalyst Forum LONDON h c ult T New Frontier Residency . A three-day music and e u r Screenwriting Intensive re u film festival at The O2 lt . Theatre Post-Lab Support Women at Sundance Finance Intensive

INTERNATIONAL LABS & FELLOWSHIPS !F-Sundance Screenwriters Lab: Turkey ChileDoc: Outreach and Engagement Workshop CNEX Documentary Workshop and Summit: China Drishyam Sundance Institute Screenwriters Lab: India Greenhouse Pitching Forum and Workshop Italy Screenwriters Workshop LUMA Theatre Directors Retreat: France NHK Sundance Screenwriters Workshop Rawi Middle East Screenwriters Lab:Jordan

PUBLIC WORKSHOPS Artist Services Workshops Documentary Editing Workshop Film Music Program Workshop Native Filmmakers Workshop New Frontier Workshop Native Filmmakers + New Frontier Workshops Shorts Labs

FILM FORWARD Taking independent films on the road, to eight locations around the world, in partnership with U.S. Federal Cultural Agencies

LEAD TO SOCIAL CHANGE Good Pitch Impact Initiative Skoll Foundation Stories of Change Sundance Institute Short Film Challenge

Th es t

CHALLENGE OUR BELIEFS


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PUBLIC PROGRAMS

IN 2015, THE INSTITUTE SUPPORTED HUNDREDS OF ARTISTS. AUDIENCES FOR OUR PUBLIC PROGRAMS EXCEEDED 100,000. AND MILLIONS OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCED THE 155 SUNDANCE-SUPPORTED FILMS AND PLAYS THAT MADE THEIR WAY TO SCREENS AND STAGES AROUND THE WORLD. HERE IS A SNAPSHOT OF THE YEAR - BY THE NUMBERS.

70 52

48,400 X

PUBLIC EVENTS INCLUDING FESTIVALS, SCREENINGS, AND WORKSHOPS 2015 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL AUDIENCE

101,247

ARTIST SUPPORT

PROGRAM STATS

747

ARTISTS SUPPORTED FROM 48 COUNTRIES

25 X

RESIDENCY LABS

X 206

DAYS OF RESIDENCY

168

GRANTS TOTALING $2,782,769 DIRECTLY TO ARTISTS

LIVE AUDIENCES FOR INSTITUTE PROGRAMS SUNDANCE INSTITUTE ANNUAL REPORT 2015

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GLOBAL REACH GLOBAL REACH

SWEDEN NORWAY UNITED KINGDOM

CANADA JAPAN MYANMAR (BURMA)

IRELAND

FRANCE

GERMANY

POLAND

CZECH REPUBLIC

HUNGARY

ITALY

MOROCCO

UKRAINE

ROMANIA

GEORGIA

SERBIA

TURKEY LEBANON PALESTINE IRAQ

GREECE

EGYPT

MEXICO

CAMBODIA

NETHERLANDS

BELGIUM

UNITED STATES

CHINA HONG KONG

DENMARK

RUSSIA

ISRAEL

JORDAN

SAUDI ARABIA

COLOMBIA

SIERRA LEONE RWANDA

INDIA

KENYA

BRAZIL

INDONESIA

CHILE

AUSTRALIA

SOUTH AFRICA

ARGENTINA NEW ZEALAND

ARTISTS SUPPORTED

ZIMBABWE URUGUAY

PROGRAMS HELD

ARTISTS SUPPORTED + PROGRAMS HELD SUNDANCE INSTITUTE ANNUAL REPORT 2015

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ARTIST SUPPORT “ It is Sundance Institute

that is the real vanguard movement. It is at the front, watching over, protecting, and preserving the ageless idea and tradition of telling stories.”

ALE JANDRO GONZ ÁLE Z IÑÁRRITU REVENANT, BIRDMAN, BABEL, BIUTIFUL, AMORES PERROS RECIPIENT, 2015 SUNDANCE INSTITUTE VANGUARD AWARD

Alejandro González Iñárritu, 2015 Sundance Institute Celebration Los Angeles, Photo by Kevin Winter / WireImage


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ARTIST SUPPORT

Active throughout the year and around the world, our programs in multiple disciplines offer five distinct types of support, providing artists with the resources to create and share their stories with the world. Labs

Grants

Workshops

Each year, Sundance Institute offers a series of highly selective, residential Labs focused on the art and craft of storytelling in film, theatre, and new media. From the U.S. to the Middle East to India and beyond, the Labs challenge each artist to sharpen elements of story and voice. These intensive programs provide a home for our Fellows to create independent work with mentorship from leading artists in these fields.

Sundance Institute provides a wide range of grants across all programs in support of the development and production of independent work. Our documentary, feature film, Native American and Indigenous film, new media, film music, and theatre programs provide up to $2.9 million in strategic financial support annually to independent storytellers across all stages of development: production, post-production, and strategic audience engagement, as well as targeted opportunities

To engage, inform, and inspire a wide range of storytellers, the Institute’s public workshops provide expert advice and critical insights into topics ranging from short filmmaking to crowd funding. Held throughout the year and around the country, our workshops are a trusted resource for artists working at any level, from novice to professional.

Extended Support Each of the Institute’s programs is designed to provide tailored, sustained resources to artists who receive support through Labs or grants. Activities such as Artist Services, the Catalyst Forum, and Women at Sundance provide vital support to artists in advancing their projects and careers, with specific expertise in areas including finance, distribution, and career sustainability.

Diversity and Outreach A range of programs seek to advance representation and deepen understanding of independent film and media among traditionally underrepresented communities and new generations of artists and audiences.

ARTIST SERVICES · CATALYST INITIATIVE · CREATIVE PRODUCING PROGRAM · DIVERSITY INITIATIVE · DOCUMENTARY FILM · EPISODIC STORYTELLING · FEATURE FILM · FILM MUSIC · IGNITE · NATIVE AMERICAN AND INDIGENOUS · NEW FRONTIER · SUNDANCE COLLECTION AT UCLA · THEATRE · WOMEN AT SUNDANCE SUNDANCE INSTITUTE ANNUAL REPORT 2015

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ARTIST SUPPORT

THE LAB JOURNEY

The Sundance Institute Lab model is designed to provide artists with COMMUNITY

an environment and a community in which to explore and develop unique,

EXPERIMENTATION

original work. While each is focused on a specific type of storytelling, the Labs all provide participating artists with an experience that facilitates

Fellows and Advisors share their work with each other in one-on-one sessions and presentations with the full Lab community.

PREPARATION Fellows prepare by identifying key challenges to explore during the Lab. Creative Advisors dive into Fellows' projects.

APPLICATION Nearly 5,000 artists apply to attend Institute Labs.

Intense sessions challenge Fellows to experiment with their projects in unexpected ways. By taking risks, Fellows discover new dimensions of their work.

ONE-ON-ONE

the experimentation and discovery essential to the creative process.

Connections with Fellows and Advisors continue long after the Lab ends, and fuel the further development of projects and careers.

FEEDBACK

LAB EFFECT Each artist leaves the Lab with clarity of voice, a deeper awareness of the project as a whole, and a community of alumni and advisors that will shape the artist's project and career.

Throughout the Lab, Creative Advisors observe Fellows at work and offer feedback.

CONVENE

INVITATION Through a rigorous selection process, a small group of artists are invited to develop specific projects at the Labs. Accomplished artists volunteer to serve as Creative Advisors.

Fellows, Advisors, and Staff convene at Lab site, often the Sundance Resort in Utah.

EXCHANGE Throughout the Lab, Fellows share work with the Lab community. Fellows and Advisors openly share lessons learned, contributing to the creative development of the community as a whole.


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ARTIST SUPPORT

FEATURE FILM PROGRAM THE FEATURE FILM PROGRAM (FFP) embraces the discovery and development of independent filmmakers, encouraging a rigorous creative process with a focus on original and deeply resonant storytelling. Founded and led by Michelle Satter, for 35 years the Program has championed many of the world’s most exciting and groundbreaking new voices.

MICHELLE SATTER

FOUNDING PROGRAM DIRECTOR

The January Screenwriters Lab is the point of entry to the Program, where 12 filmmakers are selected through an open application process. Following the January Lab, the FFP provides year-round support through a wide range of Labs, mentoring, customized creative and tactical support, and granting through the FFP Fund. In addition to the Screenwriters Lab, and the Directors Lab for invited projects, the FFP offers open applications to the Creative Producing Fellowship, Sundance Institute/Asian American Feature Film Fellowship, and Alfred P. Sloan Commissioning Grant and Fellowship. Over the years, the Feature Film Program has worked globally to engage American and international artists in meaningful and vibrant dialogue across cultural, political, and geographic boundaries. In 2015, the FFP introduced two new international Screenwriters Labs in Goa, India and Capalbio, Italy. These inaugural Labs expand the Institute’s support of emerging independent filmmakers in diverse regions of the world, which also include Jordan, Turkey, and Japan. Launched in the fall of 2014, the inaugural Episodic Story Lab provided a creative environment for independent and diverse voices working to develop their writing craft for episodic storytelling. Through an invitation-only application process, the Institute received more than 900 submissions for the first Lab, ultimately selecting 10 Fellows. During the Lab, the Fellows worked closely with accomplished showrunners, television executives, and producers in oneon-one creative story meetings, Writers’ Room sessions, pitching workshops, and numerous conversations about navigating the current episodic environment. After the Lab, year-round support includes creative feedback on new drafts, strategic advice on staffing and pitching, and introductions to key industry executives. We also expanded our reach in the episodic community by hosting biannual gatherings, a live reading of one of the Fellow’s Over the Eaves atmosphere, 2015 Directors Lab, Photo by Jonathan Hickerson

RESIDENCY LABS !F-Sundance Screenwriters Lab Directors Lab Drishyam Sundance Institute Screenwriters Lab Episodic Storytelling Lab January Screenwriters Lab June Screenwriters Lab Rawi Middle East Screenwriters Lab GRANTS, FELLOWSHIPS, AND AWARDS AJ+ Global Filmmaking Award Alfred P. Sloan Commissioning Grant Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship Dolby Family Sound Fellowship Feature Film Fund Grant Lynn Auerbach Screenwriting Fellowship NHK Award Sally Menke Memorial Editing Fellowship Sundance Industry Meetings at Sundance Film Festival (SIMS) WORKSHOPS Italy Screenwriters Workshop NHK Sundance Screenwriters Workshop: Japan Zygmunt and Audrey Wilf Foundation Award PUBLIC PROGRAMS Screenings Screenplay Readings

projects in Los Angeles, and a panel on episodic storytelling at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. SUNDANCE INSTITUTE ANNUAL REPORT 2015

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ARTIST SUPPORT

MEDITERRANEA FEATURE FILM PROJECT SPOTLIGHT

Writer/director Jonas Carpignano’s masterful debut feature Mediterranea follows a young Burkina Faso man as he takes a treacherous land and sea journey to Italy in search of a better life. Instead of finding a new world of promised opportunities, he discovers the intolerant society facing many immigrants today. Carpignano, whose mother is African-American and whose father is Italian, grew up in New York and Rome and has long been interested in the experience of the black population in Italy.

Jonas Carpignano on the set of Mediterranea in Morocco

Inspired by the 2010 Rosarno race riots that shook Italy, Carpignano made the award-winning short film, A Chjana. In 2012, he attended Sundance Institute’s Directors and Screenwriters Labs to expand A Chjana into the featurelength Mediterranea. After continued production support and mentorship from the Institute’s Feature Film Program, Mediterranea premiered at Cannes in 2015 to critical acclaim. As Europe faces one of its worst migrant crises in history, Michelle Satter spoke to Carpignano from his home in Italy about the film’s timely release in the fall of 2015. SUNDANCE INSTITUTE ANNUAL REPORT 2015

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ARTIST SUPPORT

JONAS CARPIGNANO PROJECT SPOTLIGHT

SATTER: We first discovered your work when we saw your

SATTER: Yes, I remember.

short film, A Chjana. How did you approach expanding your

CARPIGNANO: The second one was a little bit tighter.

vision into the feature Mediterranea?

But after speaking to you guys I remember Affonso [Gonclaves,

CARPIGNANO: When I started wanting to make films, I started

the film’s editor] and I cut twenty-five minutes out. And that’s

to think of stories that I had never seen or been told that I felt a

when the film really became the film. That attention to craft and

connection to. I realized that no one in Italy was really making

that ability that you guys have to take raw material and to help

anything from a black perspective. There were definitely no

us shape it into something—that is creatively to me one of the

African-Italian filmmakers.

best assets that I had while making this film.

When the riot happened in 2010—where an African population

SATTER: What are you hoping will resonate for audiences now

in a small town in Southern Italy revolted against the way they

seeing Mediterranea as it’s about to open in the U.S.?

were being treated—I thought ok, I’m going to go down, do

Carpignano: At this moment in time we’re saturated with

some research, and see what I can do—see if I can get people in Italy and the world to feel closer to this community that has almost no representation. When I went down there I met the person who ended up being the lead actor in the short film and also the lead actor in the feature film Mediterranea. And when I met him I knew that we could do something bigger.

information… but when people are spoken to in that newspaper format or in that televisual news format, people sort of turn off— there is no real emotional resonance to those stories. But what people respond to in this film is that at the end of this film you don’t feel like you necessarily understand immigration better. But you feel like you know this one specific immigrant very well.

SATTER: We all talk about it takes a village to get a movie

You understand his choices and you’re heartbroken… that’s all

made. In terms of the Sundance support, what had the most

we can ask for really is that you stop thinking of immigrants as

impact for you?

immigrants and realize that they are people who have emotions

CARPIGNANO: I came to the Labs with what I thought was a

that we can also relate to.

“If a movie as rich and understanding as Mediterranea suddenly appeared every time we read about a difficult issue in the paper, maybe all of the world’s problems could be solved.” JORDAN HOFFMAN, The Guardian

very, very deep knowledge of the place I was working in and the people that I wanted to make a film about. Had I not had that first Sundance Screenwriters Lab, I would have been left with like 3,000 scenes not knowing where they should go or what I should do with them. Each draft contained so many scenes, but one thing that just got tighter and tighter and tighter was that general arc from beginning to the end. And that’s something that happened even in the cuts. The first cut I showed you guys was like four hours long.

INSTITUTE SUPPORT 2012 January Screenwriters Lab 2012 June Directors and Screenwriters Lab 2012 Creative Producing Summit 2013 Sundance Institute/Mahindra Global Filmmaking Award 2014 Catalyst Forum Indian Paintbrush Fellowship Feature Film Fund Grant

FESTIVALS AND AWARDS INCLUDE AFI Fest Cannes Film Festival, International Critics Week World Premiere Gotham Award Nominee for Breakthrough Director Hamptons International Film Festival Munich Film Festival, Honorable Mention One Future Prize Stockholm Film Festival Zurich Film Festival, Winner Special Mention for actor Koudous Seihon

Mediterranea


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ARTIST SUPPORT

DOCUMENTARY FILM PROGRAM

TABITHA JACKSON PROGRAM DIRECTOR RESIDENCY LABS June Documentary Edit and Story Lab July Documentary Edit and Story Lab Stories of Change Lab

THE SUNDANCE DOCUMENTARY FILM PROGRAM (DFP) supports non-fiction filmmakers worldwide in the production of cinematic documentaries on contemporary themes. Established in 2002 with founding support from Open Society Foundations, the DFP is a vibrant global resource for independent non-fiction storytelling. Led by Tabitha Jackson, the Documentary Film Program believes that art changes the way we reach people. The year-round support of filmmakers—including the granting fund, the Labs, a Fellows program, 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. In an overall effort to provide more timely support to artists and to respond to the creative range of nonfiction filmmaking, the DFP Fund shifted from a fixed to a rolling open call for applications, resulting in 614 submissions from 85 countries in 2015. The Program also launched the Art of Nonfiction Initiative, a new project to establish a foundation of support for artistic and inventive practice in nonfiction film. In collaboration with Cinereach and a growing number of community partners, the initiative invests directly in both visionary artists and pioneering projects at the forefront of cinematic nonfiction. During this pilot year, the first Art of Nonfiction Orientation was held in Joshua Tree, California and four inaugural Fellows received unrestricted grants and a suite of tailored resources to support their creative process. With renewed support from the Skoll Foundation, the Documentary Film Program deepened its commitment to Stories of Change, an ongoing initiative to bring together the power of independent storytelling with the impact of social entrepreneurship. Expanded activities in 2015 included: the first residential Stories of Change Lab at Sundance Resort; increased support for filmmakers and social entrepreneurs; a new Stories of Change Content Fund supporting documentary, narrative, and virtual reality projects; and wider Sundance participation in the 2015 Skoll World Forum in Oxford, England to include the Feature Film and New Frontier programs.

Group hike, 2015 Documentary Edit Lab, Photo by Brandon Cruz

GRANTS, FELLOWSHIPS, AWARDS Art of Non-Fiction Fellowship Candescent Films Award CNEX Grant Discovery Documentary Film Program Fellowship Short Film Challenge Commissioning Grant Stories of Change Content Fund Grant Stories of Change Impact Grant Sundance Documentary Fund Grant Sundance Industry Meetings at Sundance Film Festival (SIMS) TED Prize Filmmaker Award WORKSHOPS Art of Editing Workshop ChileDoc: Outreach and Engagement Workshop Contemplating the Cut: Conversations with Documentary Film Editors NY; in collaboration with the Karen Schmeer Film Editing Fellowship CNEX Workshop and Summit Greenhouse Pitching Forum & Workshop Good Pitch Partnership to Co-Present Workshops in Europe, Argentina, Australia and Chicago. Stories of Change Workshop at Skoll World Forum PUBLIC PROGRAMS Stories of Change at the Skoll World Forum


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ARTIST SUPPORT

(T)ERROR PROJECT SPOTLIGHT

(T)ERROR film still, 2015 Sundance Film Festival, Photo by David Felix Sutcliffe

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Saeed “Shariff” Torres, a counterterrorism informant for more than 20 years, takes on one last high-stakes job for the FBI. He invites filmmakers Lyric R. Cabral and David Felix Sutcliffe to follow his covert efforts to befriend a suspected jihadist—without telling the FBI. As surprising revelations emerge about the increasingly murky ethical grounds between preventing crimes and inventing them, (T)ERROR explores America’s misguided war on terror. This gripping—and infuriating—feature debut is the first documentary ever to place filmmakers on the ground during an active FBI domestic counterterrorism sting operation. Cabral and Sutcliffe had been exploring underreported national security stories for more than a decade when Torres—Cabral’s former neighbor—volunteered to provide the filmmakers with unprecedented access to an FBI investigation. The pair hoped this story would expose the human consequences of our government’s anti-terror efforts. Production began in 2011, a DFP production grant provided by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation followed in 2013, and the team brought their project to the Sundance Institute Documentary Edit and Story Lab in 2014 to work on rough cuts in a rigorous creative environment. After extensive production support and ongoing mentorship, (T)ERROR premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, where it won a Special Jury Prize. After its Sundance launch, the film went on to receive numerous awards and garnered critical acclaim on the festival circuit. (T)ERROR was released in theatres this fall, and is coming to PBS in 2016. Recently, Tabitha Jackson spoke to the filmmakers about their genredefying documentary. SUNDANCE INSTITUTE ANNUAL REPORT 2015

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ARTIST SUPPORT

LYRIC R. CABRAL AND DAVID FELIX SUTCLIFFE PROJECT SPOTLIGHT

Jackson: There is such blurring of borders at the

I’ve found that when I’m reporting on communities of color

moment between journalism and storytelling and art and

there is often the burden of belief…the term journalism is

documentary. How do you two think of yourselves? What is

powerful because people necessarily equate that with truth.

your identity?

In terms of journalism I actually want to continue to push

Sutcliffe: We wanted to present this as a piece of

those boundaries as far as like what happens when the

journalism—as a piece of artful journalism. But we knew that

subject becomes a collaborator in the journalism? What

there was going to be criticism and skepticism about what

happens when elements of fiction lead to a narrative truth?

was occurring and taking place on the screen because the

So that’s why I say visual journalism because to me it

incompetency that you witness through the story is pretty

encompasses that sort of range.

unbelievable as well as just the circumstances under which we’re filming. A lot of people were asking: How can this be true? How can this be real? How can we be seeing this? Which is great, but then you don’t want them to dismiss it… and sweep aside whatever conclusion the film is making. I want to be able to move between the labels as artist, as filmmaker, as journalist, but…presenting those works under the banner of journalism is going to be the most effective way of reaching people and penetrating conversations and dialogue.

Jackson: That really chimes with what we’re seeing happening in the field—this breaking down of those old borders between fiction and nonfiction, between journalism and documentary filmmaking. I think it’s a really exciting time creatively. Can you talk a little about your Sundance experience and what effect it had on your creative process? Cabral: This was my first affirmation to the industry in being able to meet funders and people who would support the vision that we had for this film. What I have seen throughout my interactions with funders and people who have offered

Jackson: The film plays as a present tense thriller, which is

support for (T)ERROR is that Sundance is actually one

why as an audience member you can’t believe that you’re

of the most genuine—beyond the grants and the initial

here now as this is happening. Lyric, are you an artist, a

fiscal investment. I think what is invaluable is the sense of

filmmaker, a journalist, a storyteller?

community and the fact that I feel that this institution is

Cabral: I consider myself to be a visual journalist as that encompasses all the documentary work that I engage in

invested in my development as an artist beyond the one particular project.

on practical levels—from producing it to photojournalism and directing. But I agree with David in the implications of the word journalism particularly because I enjoy reporting on stories from my community. I think there is a historical precedent for truth or for veracity…there is a need for authenticity for these perspectives for a wide audience. Lyric R. Cabral and David Felix Sutcliffe, 2014 Documentary Creative Producing Lab, Photo by Jonathan Hickerson

SUNDANCE SUPPORT 2013 Sundance Documentary Fund Grant 2014 Documentary Edit and Story Lab 2014 Creative Producing Lab 2014 Creative Producing Summit 2015 Sundance Film Festival, U.S. Competition FESTIVALS AND AWARDS INCLUDE Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, Grand Jury Prize Hot Docs International Film Festival Human Rights Watch Film Festival Jihlava International Documentary Film Festival Philadelphia Film Festival, Jury Award Sundance Film Festival, U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Break Out First Feature Tribeca Film Festival


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ARTIST SUPPORT

THEATRE PROGRAM

PHILIP HIMBERG PROGRAM ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

THE SUNDANCE INSTITUTE THEATRE PROGRAM advances the work of risk-taking theatremakers by providing rare developmental opportunities for artists throughout their careers. We ultimately hope to contribute to a meaningful cultural dialogue between artists and their audiences. Led by Artistic Director Philip Himberg and Producing Director Christopher Hibma, the Program focuses on the support of new work for the stage. In response to the changing needs of the field, the Theatre Program hosts a range of creative Labs and Retreats throughout the year. Since 1997, the Theatre Program’s international activity has grown from a handful of international observers at the Theatre Lab in Utah to deep peer-to-peer intercultural engagement, Labs, and workshops in six East African countries over the past 14 years. Building upon this commitment in East Africa, the Theatre Program has established a new five-year initiative to create meaningful engagement between American, Middle Eastern, and North African theatre and to foster storytelling from these regions of the world. As part of the research and development for this new initiative, in 2015 the Theatre Program traveled to Lebanon, Egypt, and Tunis. During the stopover in Cairo, the Program facilitated the Egyptian premiere of Denis O’Hare and Lisa Peterson’s Sundance-supported project, An Iliad— two blocks off Tahrir Square. RESIDENCY LABS AND RETREATS LUMA Foundation Theatre Directors Retreat Playwrights & Composers Retreat at Ucross Theatre Alumni Writing Studio at Flying Point Theatre Lab Theatre Lab at MASS MoCA GRANTS, FELLOWSHIPS, AWARDS Theatre Post-Lab Support

PUBLIC PROGRAMMING Creative Tensions Collective Conversations, co-presented with IDEO Guggenheim “Fun Home” Panel Private Preview Screening Sundance Tickets Chicago Theatre Program presents Sundance Sings! Work-in-Progress Readings

Blanka Zizka, theatre director, 2015 Sundance Institute | LUMA Foundation Theatre Directors Retreat, Photo by Herve Hote


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ARTIST SUPPORT

SKELETON CREW PROJECT SPOTLIGHT

Giving a human face to the 2008 recession, Dominique Morisseau’s Skeleton Crew tells the story of a makeshift family of workers at the last exporting auto plant in Detroit. In this third and final installment of a threeplay Detroit cycle, which also includes Paradise Blue and Detroit ‘67, the city navigates shifting power dynamics and foreclosure, as it is inevitably pushed to the limits of survival. Dominique Morisseau, who grew up in Detroit and received her BFA in Acting from the University of Michigan, got her start as a performance poet in the Detroit community of Harmonie Park. The city of Detroit has honored Morisseau with a Spirit of Detroit award in recognition of her belief in the power and strength of community. She’s also been awarded the esteemed Edward M. Kennedy Prize for Drama inspired by American History.

Skeleton Crew atmosphere, 2014 Theatre Lab, Photo by Jonathan Hickerson

In 2014, Morisseau’s Skeleton Crew was selected as one of nine projects from 800 submissions to participate in the Sundance Institute Theatre Lab. After attending the Lab, where Morisseau developed her project with the support of mentors, dramaturgs, peers, and actors, Skeleton Crew received a BareBones production at the Lark Play Development Center. Before its world premiere at the Atlantic Theatre Company in New York City this winter, Morisseau spoke to Christopher Hibma about building cars, building plays, and connecting with audiences. SUNDANCE INSTITUTE ANNUAL REPORT 2015

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DOMINIQUE MORISSEAU PROJECT SPOTLIGHT

Hibma: It seems like you’re able to fuse your storytelling

Hibma: Well now that the family is growing to include

with your passion for activism in such a natural and organic

an audience in January, what questions are you

way. Talk about what responsibility you feel, or don’t

still exploring about your storytelling as you enter

feel, to be that truth-teller in your artistic expression.

the rehearsal process? What kind of audience are

Morisseau: I feel different responsibilities. One is to myself

you hoping can be introduced to this story?

as an artist to be uninhibited and unrestricted in what I

Morisseau: Well one, I really hope to continue to flesh out

want to write about and how I want to write. I felt like I had

my knowledge of the auto industry in a way that serves the

to give myself permission to be liberated and let the stories

play. I’ve had the play now read in Detroit for the first time in

come to me as they do, let the people come to me in their

front of a few automakers who have polarized expectations

imperfections, and not carry a burden of how that should

and experiences with the play based on their relationships

manifest. The other side of me, I feel like I have a responsibility

to activism and the union… I feel like my job is to accurately

as a storyteller to find the truth of everything that comes

represent the bigger issues while allowing my play to be fictional

to me. So, when an idea comes to me my responsibility is

and not become a documentary about the auto industry.

to explore it as fully as I can. My responsibility is to create full dimensions in the people that I’m writing about.

Institute Theatre Lab like for you? What was the

have been replaced in their industry by automation, or by

impact at that time on Skeleton Crew?

something else. This feels like everybody’s story. My hope

to] us creating a very family structural process that mirrored

“ Aum volorposam que aut re, sita quo iundit quia dolo omnimendis as ad quiatis conem fugit, coritatias repel et et, site” N AME , Publication

the whole world. So it feels like a massive undertaking, because everyone is a part of an industry on some level and

freedom that we were allowed to create our own process [led

Ben Brantley, The New York Times on Dominique Morisseau

It’s a small play about four people, but it feels like it’s about

Hibma: What was the experience at the Sundance

Morisseau: Oh, amazing… Beyond just the infrastructure, the

“Yes, she knows the code for getting under our skins.”

is that I truly get a diverse audience—that I truly get people from different walks of life sitting in that theatre together and feeling connected in this very specific world that I created.

the relationships of the characters in the play. And that was profound to discover. It was like we were living in our own cast and our crew on our show. Out of a common trade you do become instantly in defense of each other and instantly connected and instantly protective of the people that you’re building something with. And in Skeleton Crew they’re building cars, and they’re also trying to build a future and a way to outlast collapsing. I felt at Sundance we were building a play. Because we have a lot of relaxed creative time with each other, you’re really able to explore that relationship of family with each other in a way that served my play immeasurably.

SUNDANCE SUPPORT 2014 Theatre Lab AWARDS AND PRODUCTIONS INCLUDE Atlantic Theater Company World Premiere, forthcoming 2016 Lark BareBones production Sky Cooper New American Play Prize Steinberg Playwright Award Dominique Morisseau, Skeleton Crew, 2014 Theatre Lab, Photo by Jonathan Hickerson


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FILM MUSIC PROGRAM S U N D A NCE I NST I T UT E ’S F I LM MUSI C PRO G RA M, led by Peter Golub, connects composers and directors, giving them first-hand experience of the collaborative process, with the goal of nurturing the development of music in film. At the Sundance Film Festival, the Program raises the profile of music in film through a series of concerts, events, and panels. Each summer, Sundance Institute holds two Labs at Skywalker Sound for composers: one focusing on feature film, the other on documentaries. With leading film composers, directors, music editors, and music supervisors serving as Creative Advisors, Lab Fellows work closely with filmmakers in a supportive atmosphere designed to promote experimentation and collaboration. To expand its reach beyond the highly selective Music and Sound Design Labs, in 2015 the Film Music Program offered its fifth daylong conference open to all composers, filmmakers, students, and other industry professionals. This year, the Film Music team swapped coasts for this annual event presenting its first-ever film music workshop in

PETER GOLUB PROGRAM DIRECTOR

New York City. In a collaboration with New York University Steinhardt’s Department of Music and Performing Arts Professions, the Program brought together the top innovators in the world of music and sound for film and TV for a series of panels and discussions to empower and connect the next wave of emerging film music artists. RESIDENCY LABS Music and Sound Design Labs at Skywalker Sound (Feature Film and Documentary) PUBLIC PROGRAMMING Art of the Score: A Performance and Discussion with Harry Gregson-Williams AT THE SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL BMI Presents a Roundtable Discussion: Music and Film, The Creative Process Celebration of Music in Film Music Showcase: BMI Snowball Presented by BMI Sundance ASCAP Music Café Sundance Institute Film Music Program at NYU: Steinhardt 2015 Sundance Institute Music And Sound Design Lab At Skywalker Sound: Documentary Photo by Lauren Janney


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MUSIC AND SOUND DESIGN LABS AT SKYWALKER SOUND PROGRAM CASE STUDY

Around the same time that Robert Redford was imagining the Sundance Labs as a place of discovery for artists to experiment, George Lucas was building Skywalker Ranch as a state-of-the-art sound facility to inspire creative work. Sharing a philosophy and spirit for pushing the boundaries of storytelling, these two places have partnered to offer artists the chance to come together, collaborate, and challenge each other. In 2015, the third annual Sundance Institute Music and Sound Design Labs at Skywalker Sound took place at the Skywalker Ranch in northern California. Since 1998, the Composers Labs have been a cornerstone of the Film Music Program held annually at the Sundance Resort. By providing a group of promising composers with valuable firsthand experience composing for film, and enhancing the musical understanding of independent filmmakers participating in Sundance Institute’s Feature Film and Documentary Programs, the Labs have supported the development of many diverse, original voices. In a recent breakthrough collaboration with Skywalker Sound, the Composers Lab evolved into the Music and Sound Design Lab offering artists a new suite of tools and resources to approach music and sound as integral parts of their overall creative process. “Most filmmakers tend to compartmentalize their use of sound and music,” explains Golub. “In this one-of-a-kind new Lab model, we’re integrating elements that are usually treated separately, and allowing for film composers, sounds designers, and filmmakers to meet and collaborate early on, which is completely unheard of in the industry. This magical approach introduces an incredible mindfulness to the artistic process.” At Skywalker Sound, the Lab Fellows have access to one of the largest, most versatile full-service audio post-production facilities in the world. From experimenting alongside Academy Award-winning sound professionals, to working on sound design, editorial, Foley, and re-recording mixes as a team, the Music and Sound Design Labs have transformed and enhanced the experience of creating music for film. The Composer Fellows also have the rare opportunity to write and record with a live chamber orchestra in a world-class soundstage—a new major highlight of the Labs at Skywalker. Stephanie Economou, composing fellow, 2015 Sundance Institute Music And Sound Design Lab At Skywalker Sound: Feature Film Photo by Rob Williamson

“ Aum volorposam que aut re, sita quo iundit quia dolo omnimendis as ad quiatis conem fugit, coritatias repel et et, site” N AME , Publication

HIGHLIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS The The2015 2015Music Musicand andSound SoundDesign DesignLab Lab for fornarrative narrativefeature featurefilms filmsisisaajoint joint initiative initiativeofofthe theInstitute’s Institute’sFilm FilmMusic Music and andFeature FeatureFilm FilmPrograms, Programs,pairing pairingsix six Composer ComposerFellows Fellowswith withsix sixDirectors DirectorsLab Lab Fellows. Fellows. FEATURE FEATUREFILM FILMCOMPOSER COMPOSERFELLOWS FELLOWS Kris KrisBowers Bowers Stephanie StephanieEconomou Economou Forrest ForrestGray Gray Fabrizio FabrizioMancinelli Mancinelli Alexander AlexanderRudd Rudd Danielle DanielleSchwob Schwob The The2015 2015Music Musicand andSound SoundDesign DesignLab Lab for fordocumentaries documentariesisisaajoint jointinitiative initiative ofofthe theInstitute’s Institute’sFilm FilmMusic Musicand and Documentary DocumentaryFilm FilmPrograms, Programs,pairing pairing four fourComposer ComposerFellows Fellowswith withfour four Documentary DocumentaryFellows. Fellows.

“It was an absolutely mind-blowing experience. It changed the entirety of not only how I approach film composition, but also how I look at film as a medium.” KRIS BOWERS, FILM MUSIC AND SOUND DESIGN LAB ALUM


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ARTIST SUPPORT

NATIVE AMERICAN AND INDIGENOUS PROGRAM FOLLOWING PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER ROBERT REDFORD’S ORIGINAL VISION, the Institute’s commitment to supporting Native American artists is woven throughout our history. Native American filmmakers have long been involved in the Institute, going back to

N. BIRD RUNNINGWATER PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Larry LittleBird (Taos Pueblo) and Chris SpottedEagle (Houmas Nation) who participated in the first meetings founding Sundance Institute. Since 2001, N. Bird Runningwater (Cheyenne and Mescalero Apache) has overseen the Native American and Indigenous Program’s yearround activities, which strives to build and sustain Indigenous film circles by supporting artists throughout the many cycles of their work. In 2015, the Native Program re-imagined the annual Native Filmmakers Lab to support the production of short films. Designed to introduce more Native storytellers to independent filmmaking, the focus on short films marked a first for the Institute’s renowned artist Labs. Also new in 2015, the inaugural Native Writers Workshop supported six emerging Native storytellers through a process of developing work for film and television. Hosted on the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) campus in Santa Fe, New Mexico, the Workshop was a partnership between the Program and IAIA. This year the Institute also launched the Full Circle Fellowship Program with support from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation. Beginning with attendance at the annual Native Forum at the Sundance Film Festival, the Fellowship provides year-long mentorship and support for four 18-to-24-year-old Native American filmmakers. RESIDENCY LABS AND PRIVATE WORKSHOPS IAIA Writers Workshop Native Filmmakers Lab Native Forum at Sundance Film Festival GRANTS AND FELLOWSHIPS Full Circle Fellowship Time Warner Native Producer Fellowship Sundance Industry Meetings at Sundance Film Festival (SIMS)

PUBLIC PROGRAMMING Autry Museum Native Films Screening Community Screenings Native Forum + New Frontier Day Lab: Detroit Southwestern Association for Indian Arts Market Panel and Workshop Sundance Institute Indigenous Film Retrospective Museum of Contemporary Art Australia Survival of the First Voices Festival Through Indian Eyes: Native American Cinema UCLA Screening Series

Blackhorse Lowe during a 2015 screening of Chasing the Light at The Autry, Photo by JT Pro Imaging


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NATIVE FILMMAKERS LAB PROGRAM CASE STUDY

“Being a Fellow in the Native Lab gave me the confidence as a writer. Being a Fellow in the Native Filmmakers Lab gave me the skills to bring my story to life. Both were life-changing experiences.” RANDI LECLAIR, NATIVE FILMMAKERS LAB ALUM

Throughout the 20 years of the Native Program’s work, there has been the creation and sustaining of an Indigenous film circle. The circle of work begins by scouting for and identifying Native artists, bringing them through Sundance Institute to get their work made and shown, then taking the filmmakers and their films back to Native lands to inspire new generations. This year, the Native Filmmakers Lab offered Native filmmakers a rare opportunity to move beyond writing workshops to develop their stories through hands-on production experience. “Over the years, we’ve successfully supported many emerging and seasoned filmmakers to fruition with their feature films,” explains Runningwater. “Our newly redesigned Native Filmmakers Lab responds to the unique need within our community to support Native American artists with grants and mentorship focusing on the crucial phase of producing their short films.” Held in Santa Fe, New Mexico, the 2015 Native Filmmakers Lab offered Fellows extensive support through production grants and mentorship with established filmmakers serving as Creative Advisors. For the first-time ever at a Native Program Lab, the Fellows gained experience shooting and editing as they developed their directorial skills while on set. With a focus on the Fellows’ original short films, the Lab moved the filmmakers and their projects closer to production. “Eventually these films will be made and we will bring them back to Native lands,” says Runningwater. N. Bird Runningwater and Razelle Benally, I Am Thy Weapon, 2015 Native Filmmakers Lab, Photo by Babak Dowlatshahi

HIGHLIGHTS 2015 Lab Fellows and Projects include: The Other Side Of The Bridge by writer/ director Randi LeClair (Pawnee) and I Am Thy Weapon by writer/director Razelle Benally (Oglala Lakota/Diné). Creative Advisors include: Janicza Bravo (Gregory Go Boom and Pauline Alone), Beck Cole (Plains Empty and Here I Am), Sydney Freeland (Drunktown’s Finest and HoverBoard), Aurora Guerrero (Pura Lengua and Mosquita y Mari), and Lucas Leyva (#PostModem and Life and Freaky Times of Uncle Luke).


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ARTIST SUPPORT

NEW FRONTIER In 2015, Sundance Institute officially established the New Frontier Initiative to deepen its investment in the bold spirit of innovation transforming the media landscape. Beginning as a Sundance Film Festival exhibition in 2007, New Frontier has grown into a dynamic initiative that identifies and fosters independent artists working at the convergence of film, art, media, live performance, music, and technology. The New Frontier exhibition at the Sundance Film Festival continues to provide the highest level of curation in the emerging field, showcasing fiction, non-fiction, and hybrid storytelling with installations, performances, and films. At the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, New Frontier moved its experimental and highly interactive venue back to Main Street and connected with a larger audience of Festivalgoers than ever before. There, the New Frontier program presented an expanded slate of virtual reality experiences—showcasing to the world how this cuttingedge immersive technology is poised to change the future of storytelling.

RESIDENCY LABS New Frontier Story Lab WORKSHOPS New Frontier Day Labs Edelman and WB FELLOWSHIPS AND GRANTS Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art Fellowship PUBLIC PROGRAMS Native Forum + New Frontier Day Lab: Detroit New Frontier at Sundance Film Festival

Throughout the year, the Labs and Residency programs at New Frontier work to identify and foster independent artists and creative technologists while building a community of collaborators across diverse disciplines. Since 2011, the New Frontier Story Lab has provided a space for the creative development of this pioneering work. In 2015, three diverse Lab projects were recognized for deepening a rich understanding of Muslim cultures. Sundance Institute launched the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art New Frontier Fellowship, which will support these three projects for a span of two years through production, outreach, and Birdly full-body virtual reality experience, 2015 NEXT FEST, Photo by Ryan Kobane


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1979 REVOLUTION PROJECT SPOTLIGHT

“A truly revolutionary video game.” —The New Yorker

As a child, Rockstar Games designer Navid Khonsari fled the Iranian Revolution with his family for Canada. Haunted by what life would have been like if his family had not escaped, Navid imagined the protagonist of a video game based on a character who stayed behind in Iran. Along with his partner, Vassiliki Khonsari, an award-winning documentary filmmaker, the creative team wanted to depict a complex ecosystem of this historic moment. The result: 1979 Revolution Game is a trailblazing genre of storytelling that layers threads of advanced video game technology with documentary and fictional elements. 1979 Revolution immerses the player in the Iranian Revolution of 1979. Using documentary content such as actual audio testimonials and (L) 1979 Revolution still, 2015 Sundance Film Festival,Photo by Mr Phoenix (R) 1979 Revolution, New Frontier, 2015 Sundance Film Festival, Photo by Jonathan Hickerson

a real-world soundscape, the game is designed to integrate an emotional, historically true narrative while giving players the experience of making moral choices under extreme situations as they navigate the streets of an uprising. The project was first supported at the 2014 New Frontier Story Lab, where Navid and Vassiliki worked among Creative Advisors and a community of artists to examine and unravel their story before reassembling the working parts through a creative process. “New Frontier is extremely unique in that it builds a community of technologists and storytellers who embrace emerging media without sacrificing the substance of content,” explained Vassiliki after experiencing the Lab. In January 2015,

1979 Revolution had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival as part of the New Frontier exhibition. Since the highly publicized launch, the game has been presented at other festivals and expos around the world to critical raves, and plans for an official release are underway.

SUNDANCE SUPPORT 2014 New Frontier Story Lab 2015 Sundance Film Festival Premiere, New Frontier Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art New Frontier Fellowship Sundance Film Forward presentations in New York City and Miami FESTIVALS AND EXHIBITIONS INCLUDE Gaming Expo at SxSW New York Film Festival Sheffield Doc/Fest Interactive The Museum of The Moving Image

SUNDANCE INSTITUTE INSTITUTE ANNUAL ANNUAL REPORT 2015 SUNDANCE

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CREATIVE PRODUCING INITIATIVES The Creative Producing Initiatives support film projects in all stages of development, production, financing, marketing, and distribution through the activities of the Creative Producing Program, Catalyst Initiative, and ArtistServices. The Creative Producing Program provides year-long Fellowships designed to hone the creative instincts and problem-solving skills of narrative and documentary producers alike. Focused on specific projects in development, the Fellowship offers support through Labs, grants, and mentorships. The annual Creative Producing Summit invites Fellows to gain tactical knowledge of the field, meet key industry executives, and develop strategies around pitching, producing, financing, and releasing their films. Each year at the Sundance Film Festival, a series of events and industry meetings allow Fellows to deepen their networks, actively move their projects forward, and gain valuable insights into the marketplace. The Catalyst Initiative, now in its third year, connects forward-thinking investors with filmmakers advancing their projects through various stages of production. This invitation-only event, held annually at the Sundance Resort, brings together select documentary and feature films developed through the Institute’s Programs or by its alumni artists with culturally engaged financiers to spur new paths to production and to envision film finance in a new light. To support projects as they seek to find audiences, the Artist Services Program supplies filmmakers and producers with the knowledge and tools to successfully navigate the changing business of creative funding and distribution. Through online resources, live workshops, and a network of allied organizations, Artist Services provides ongoing educational support, resources, and thought leadership to projects seeking creative control and direct-to-fan relationships. For Institute alumni and select artists from partner organizations, the Program offers a wide array of exclusive digital distribution opportunities with top platforms including Netflix, iTunes, Hulu, and more, as well as promotional partnerships, and consultation for Kickstarter campaigns. Artist Services partners include the Austin Film Society, BRITDOC, Film Independent, Independent Filmmaker Project, San Francisco Film Society. Peter Nicks, Oakland Police Project, 2014 Catalyst Forum, Photo by Fred Hayes

RESIDENCY LABS Catalyst Forum Creative Producing Labs (Documentary and Feature Film) Creative Producing Summit (Documentary and Feature Film) GRANTS, FELLOWSHIPS, AWARDS ArtistServices Distribution Fund Grant Creative Producing Fellowship Mark Silverman Fellowship Red Crown Producer’s Award at Sundance Film Festival Zygmunt and Audrey Wilf Foundation Award Public Programming Artist Services Workshops in New York, Miami, Park City, and Austin Artist Services Presentations at Creative Producing Summit, NEXTFest, South by Southwest Alumni gatherings throughout the year Ongoing Resources Creative Producing Fellowship Tracks at Sundance Film Festival Creative Funding Support Kickstarter Partnership and Consultation Digital Distribution Releases Transparency Project Kickstarter Consultations: 67 campaigns $5,972,954 in funds raised 33 films released SUNDANCE INSTITUTE ANNUAL REPORT 2015

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ARTIST SUPPORT: CREATIVE PRODUCING INITIATIVES

ARTIST SERVICES

THE WITCH PROJECT SPOTLIGHT

PROGRAM CASE STUDY

PROGRAM CASE

This bold narrative feature from first time writer-director Robert Eggers and veteran indie producers Parts & Labor embraced the challenge of setting a psychological horror film within the backdrop of the colonial American wilderness circa 1630. Exquisitely layered with period language, culture, and behavior, the film captures a chilling story about a family torn apart by the forces of fear and a deeply imbedded folklore. During development, The Witch was supported by the Feature Film Program through a mentorship with writer/director Alfonso Cuarón and writer Wesley Strick. The project received multiple grants to support development and post production in 2012, 2013, and 2014. In 2013, Eggers and producer Jay Van Hoy participated as one of five narrative films at the inaugural Catalyst Forum in 2013. There, the team of The Witch secured crucial financing that helped lead to production in 2014. During post production, the Feature Film Program provided targeted creative support through rough cut screenings and feedback. In 2015, The Witch made its world premiere in U.S. Competition at the Sundance Film Festival and acquired a release from A24 for spring of 2016.

The Witch, Awards Ceremony, 2015 Sundance Film Festival, Photo by Stephen Speckman

SUNDANCE SUPPORT 2012 and 2013 Feature Film Fund Grants 2013 Catalyst Forum 2014 Feature Film Fund Grant 2015 Sundance Film Festival, U.S. Competition FESTIVALS AND AWARDS INCLUDE Austin Fantastic Fest, Horror Jury Prize London Film Festival, Sutherland Award New Hampshire Film Festival, Best Feature Sundance Film Festival, Directing Award: U.S. Dramatic

Since launching at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, Artist Services has helped over 200 artists utilize forward-thinking tools and resources to connect audiences with their work. “Our program requires constant evolution if we’re going to help artists stay competitive in the current marketplace,” says Chris Horton, the director of Artist Services. “Our new digital distribution deal with Premiere Digital is an example of that evolution,” he added. At a workshop in conjunction with the Austin Film Society last May, Artist Services and Premiere officially unveiled Quiver Digital—a streamlined distribution technology tool. With a state-of-the-art, easy-to-use interface, Quiver allows filmmakers to make important distribution decisions in just a few clicks. From where and when to launch a film to what price to set, this revolutionary tool makes the entire distribution process smooth, intuitive, and transparent for filmmakers. Because of this partnership with Premiere, which has direct distribution deals with major digital platforms, every Sundance Institutesupported film is eligible for a pre-brokered distribution arrangement that allows filmmakers

to license their films to outlets like iTunes, Netflix, and Amazon. One of the first films to be released through Quiver includes Charles Poekel’s debut feature Christmas, Again. Centered around a street vendor hustling Christmas trees in Brooklyn, Christmas Again is a powerful portrait of the human spirit that premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. Poekel, who took a less traditional approach to making his film—he opened up his own Christmas tree stand to research the script, provide himself a fully-controlled shooting location, and raise some funds—also sought a creative approach for distribution. He turned to the new opportunity with Artist Services and Premiere. On December 4, the film was released just in time for the holidays in theaters and digital outlets. The filmmakers will receive 100% of all gross revenue from digital outlets in exchange for a modest servicing fee. Charming audiences and critics alike with this refreshing twist on the traditional yuletide tale, Christmas, Again was recently nominated for a Film Independent Spirit Award.

SUNDANCE INSTITUTE INSTITUTE ANNUAL ANNUAL REPORT 2015 SUNDANCE

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ARTIST SUPPORT

WOMEN AT SUNDANCE Throughout fiscal year 2015, Sundance Institute furthered its commitment to achieve diversity among storytellers and to create broader industry change through Women at Sundance, a multi-faceted initiative dedicated to creating gender equality in American media. Women at Sundance provides resources for female filmmakers to grow and sustain their careers; convenes networks and communities of artists, industry, and supporters who consciously advance women behind the camera; and raises awareness and activates systemic change in the field. Together with Women in Film Los Angeles and a consortium of 30 allied organizations, Women at Sundance collectively works to expand the reach and innovation of women storytellers and their impact on our cultural landscape.

“Women making film is a radical act. Radicals don’t ask for permission— radicals go take it.” AVA DUVERNAY, WOMEN AT SUNDANCE BRUNCH KEYNOTE ADDRESS

In an effort to provide U.S.-based female media artists a comprehensive view of available resources and opportunities, we launched an extensive Resource Map in 2015. The online database available to the public at www.sundance.org/initiatives/womenatsundance/ resource-map is a list of more than 150 programs from 50 organizations that provide support for female filmmakers nationwide. Over the last three years, groundbreaking research has revealed key barriers and opportunities for women filmmakers. In April 2015, we launched the third phase of our research. Commissioned by Sundance Institute and Women In Film Los Angeles, and authored by USC’s Dr. Stacy Smith and her team, the new study explores what happens to female filmmakers’ films and their careers after they premiere at the Sundance Film Festival and begin to enter the mainstream entertainment industry. This research has guided our efforts to reverse the trend of a limited gendered marketplace and to remove obstacles for female filmmakers.

FELLOWSHIPS AND GRANTS Harnisch Foundation Coaching Program Sundance Industry Meetings at Sundance Film Festival (SIMS) Women Filmmakers Fellowship WORKSHOPS Finance Intensive PUBLIC PROGRAMS Women at Sundance Brunch at Sundance Film Festival Keri Putnam and Ava DuVernay, 2015 Sundance Institute Celebration Los Angeles, Photo by Jason Merritt / WireImage


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WOMEN AT SUNDANCE FELLOWS PROGRAM CASE STUDY

In 2015, we introduced six new Women at Sundance Fellows, a talented group of women directors and producers working in the documentary and narrative fields. The Women at Sundance Fellowship is a multi-dimensional and highly individualized program offering deep support throughout the year to harness the momentum of each Fellow’s rising career. A pillar of the Women at Sundance Fellowship is the coaching program, made possible through a generous gift from The Harnisch Foundation. Each Fellow is matched with a distinguished professional coach who helps the Fellow strategize and shape the next steps of her filmmaking career. The coaching program offers the Fellows opportunities to bridge personal and professional barriers and to define their career goals alongside veterans of the industry. Fellows are also matched with industry mentors, who provide expert advice and counsel throughout the year. “The coaching sessions are helping me to remember to value my self and my work and maybe for the first time to understand that value,” said a recent Fellow. By the end of the fellowship year, these cohorts form unbreakable and fruitful bonds with each other, their mentors, and especially their coaches. As another Fellow noted, “It’s like having three brains instead of one to solve problems.” Christianne Hedtke and Cami Delavigne, 2015 Episodic Story Lab, Photo by Fred Hayes

FINANCING CLINIC AND INTENSIVE A group of 100 female filmmakers assemble to strengthen their skills in seeking, securing, and managing funding for their films. SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL One-on-one industry meetings, group seminars with industry experts, sessions with professional coaches, as well as screenings and events. Women at Sundance Film Festival Brunch gathers a community of 400 artists, industry, opinion makers, activists, and supporters.


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DIVERSITY INITIATIVE The Diversity Initiative at Sundance Institute is an effort to reach new communities of storytellers and audiences across regions, genres, and ethnicities. Through targeted artist outreach and partnerships and collaborations with allied organizations in the field, the Diversity Initiative expands Sundance’s commitment to artists from diverse backgrounds. In 2015, resources included Screenwriters Intensives, Time Warner Fellowships through each of the Institute’s programs, and the Knight Fellows Project, an initiative that extends Sundance programs to communities across the U.S. An extensive study of the Institute’s submissions and selections data is underway, and findings will provide important benchmarks from which to build, provide, and measure resources and tools for diverse storytellers. FELLOWSHIPS AND GRANTS Arcus Foundation Fund Grant Asian American Feature Film Fellowship Knight Fellowship Time Warner Fellowship WORKSHOPS Feature Film Screenwriters Intensives Latino Screenwriting Project at CineFestival Kartemquin Diversity Workshop PUBLIC PROGRAMS Collaboration with The Blackhouse Foundation at Sundance Film Festival On set of American Animals, 2015 Directors Lab, Photo by Jonathan Hickerson


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ARTIST SUPPORT

WORKSHOPS AND DAY LABS O P E N TO ALL, A N D HELD A R OU ND TH E CO UNTRY, W OR K S HOP S A N D D AY L A BS O F F ER PARTICIPA N TS EXP ER T A D V I C E O N TO P IC S SPANN IN G FR OM S CR EE NWR I TI NG TO DIG ITAL D ISTR IBUTION . New Frontier Day Lab + Native Forum Detroit, MI Gathering indigenous artists, activists, and innovative media makers, Sundance hosted the New Frontier Day Lab and Native Forum at the Allied Media Conference at Wayne State University. These events – supported by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Native Arts and Cultures Foundation, and the W. K. Kellogg Foundation – explored how the convergence of story and technology impacts justice.

Contemplating the Cut: Conversations with Documentary Film Editors New York City, NY The Documentary Film Program curated a series for film editors in collaboration with the Karen Schmeer Film Editing Fellowship.

Film Music Program at NYU: Steinhardt New York City, NY The Film Music Program presented its fifth annual daylong conference for composers, filmmakers, students and other industry professionals. For the first time on the east coast, the conference partnered with New York University’s Steinhardt School Of Music to bring together the top innovators in the world of music and sound for film and TV.

ShortsLabs Honolulu, HI Los Angeles, CA Miami, FL St. Paul, MN In 2015 the Institute held day-long ShortsLabs from coast to coast to inform and inspire a new wave of filmmakers. Artist Services Workshops New York City, NY Miami, FL Austin, TX The Artist Services team held a range of public workshops to provide support and insights on creative funding, marketing, and distribution.


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PUBLIC PROGRAMS With public programs held throughout the year and around the world, Sundance Institute connects audiences with artists and creates a thriving community around original, independent storytelling. With the Sundance Film Festival as its flagship public program, the Institute reaches millions of people each year through its curation of the best new work in independent film. SUNDANCE INSTITUTE ANNUAL REPORT 2015

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PUBLIC PUBLICPROGRAMS PROGRAMS

SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL JOHN COOPER FESTIVAL DIRECTOR

The Sundance Film Festival brings together the most original storytellers with the most adventurous audiences for its annual program of dramatic, documentary, and short films; New Frontier films, installations, and performances; lively panel discussions; and dynamic music events. Under the direction of John Cooper, the Festival continues to evolve since its founding in 1985 as the leading source for discovering new talent and for the best of independent film produced each year. Ranging from the outlandishly funny to disturbingly moving, the 2015 Festival presented a lineup of daring stories to more than 48,000 independent film-loving attendees. The Festival has always been an incubator for the next generation of film enthusiasts, and this past year showed a noticeable increase in a younger audience. Festival attendees between 19 and 25 years old increased to 14% of total attendees, and the 26-to-35-year-old demographic accounted for an additional 23% of Festivalgoers. As a vibrant gathering place for the community to share ideas about film, culture, and society at large, the Festival’s impact reverberates well beyond ten days in January. SUNDANCE INSTITUTE ANNUAL REPORT 2015

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SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

DIARY OF A TEENAGE GIRL PROJECT SPOTLIGHT

Based on the graphic novel by Phoebe Gloeckner, The Diary of a Teenage Girl recounts the coming-of-age adventures of Minnie Goetze, a San Francisco teenager growing up in the counterculture haze of the 1970s. Insatiably lonely and curious, Minnie chronicles her trials through expressive illustrations and painfully honest messages confided to a tape recorder. One fateful evening alone with her mother’s 35-year-old boyfriend, Minnie is confronted with her burgeoning sexuality. With perfectly in-tune “go-with-the-flow” performances from Alexander Skarsgård and Kristen Wiig, and a star-making turn by Bel Powley as Minnie, writer/director Marielle Heller’s remarkable debut captures the wonder of adolescence. “Gutsy, provocative, and without any inhibitions—Marielle immerses us into this intoxicating moment of cultural revolution,” says John Cooper. As a theatrical actress and aspiring director, Heller first fell in love with Gloeckner’s autobiographically-inspired book. Eight years ago, she got the author’s permission to adapt the book for an Off-Off-Broadway stage production. In the hopes of turning the stage piece into a film, Heller attended Sundance Institute’s Feature Film Program Directors and Screenwriters Labs in 2012. Through extensive grants, fellowships, and mentoring, Sundance

“A joy and a heartbreaker, and often an affectingly honest hormone bomb waiting to explode” —Manohla Dargis, The New York Times

continued to support the first-time filmmaker’s project throughout production. In 2015, The Diary of a Teenage Girl made its world premiere in U.S. Competition at the Sundance Film Festival, showcasing to global audiences a vibrant new filmmaking talent. At the Festival, the film was acquired for distribution by Sony Pictures Classics and was released across the country in August to widespread critical acclaim.

SUNDANCE SUPPORT INCLUDES 2012 Directors and Screenwriters Labs 2012 Screenplay Reading Series 2012 Music and Sound Design Lab at Skywalker Sound - Feature FIlm 2012 Creative Producing Summit Fellow Feature Film Program Fund Grantee Lynn Auerbach Screenwriting Fellowship Women Filmmakers Fellowship 2015 Sundance Film Festival, U.S. Competition 2015 Vanguard Award, Presented by Acura FESTIVALS AND AWARDS INCLUDE Berlin International Film Festival, Best Feature Grand Prix of the Generation 14plus Edinburgh International Film Festival, Best International Feature Film Gotham Awards, Four Nominations Palm Springs International Film Festival, Directors to Watch Stockholm Film Festival Sundance Film Festival, Special Jury Award for Excellence in Cinematography Taipei Film Festival Zurich Film Festival


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SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

POWER OF STORY Beginning in 2011, the Festival’s Power of Story

series was created to deepen public engagement with

PROGRAM CASE STUDY

storytelling, explore the cultural zeitgeist, and celebrate artists whose work pushes the cinematic form. Power of Story has become a vital platform within the Festival for luminary figures such as Jane Campion, Anna Deavere Smith, Dave Eggers, Norman Lear, Sheila Nevins, Thomas Newman, Jason Reitman, and George C. Wolfe, among others, to examine the role that art plays in transforming lives and cultures. Through live streams the series engages audiences around the world in these important and lively conversations surrounding social change, cultural understanding, and how we build community through storytelling. Power of Story hit a high point in 2015, reaching a larger audience than ever before with rare exchanges between some of today’s most compelling artists. During opening weekend of the Festival, Power of Story: Serious Ladies brought together the brilliant, fearless storytellers Lena Dunham, Mindy Kaling, Jenji Kohan, Kristen Wiig, and New Yorker critic Emily Nussbaum to discuss the shifting range of three-dimensional female characters on film and television and how humor can push boundaries to explore truth. Kicking off “Art of Film,” a new Festival program celebrating the craft of filmmaking, Power of Story: Visions of Independence reunited two icons and innovators of independent cinema—Robert Redford and George Lucas—in conversation with critic Leonard Maltin. Emily Nussbaum, Kristen Wiig, Jenji Kohan, Lena Dunham, and Mindy Kaling Power of Story Panel: Serious Ladies, 2015 Sundance Film Festival Photo by Sonia Recchia / WireImage


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PUBLIC PUBLIC PROGRAMS PROGRAMS

SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL: HONG KONG SELECTS In September 2014, SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL: HONG KONG SELECTS was launched in an effort to share the best of American independent film with audiences outside the U.S. Partnering with The Metroplex, the newest state-of-the-art cinema in Kowloon Bay in Hong Kong, the 10-day screening series offered a slate of diverse and highly acclaimed narrative and documentary films direct from the 2014 Sundance Film Festival, including Whiplash, The Skeleton Twins, Life After Beth, and The Case Against 8. Building upon the successful debut of this international exchange, Sundance returned to Hong Kong in the fall of 2015 to continue fostering the creativity of local independent filmmakers and to further inspire Hong Kong and China’s emerging independent film culture.

2015 Sundance Film Festival: Hong Kong Selects, Photo by Kim Yutani


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PUBLIC PUBLIC PROGRAMS PROGRAMS

FESTIVAL EVENTS Film Forward

NEXT FEST

Short Film Tour

This international touring program introduces a new generation of audiences to the power of story through the exhibition of film and conversations with filmmakers. Film Forward is an initiative of Sundance Institute and The President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services. In its fifth year, Film Forward travelled domestically and internationally— from Indonesia to Michigan, and from Texas to Taiwan—using film to enhance cross-cultural understanding, collaboration, and dialogue.

Fueled by the renegade spirit of independent artists, Sundance NEXT FEST is a new breed of festival experience celebrating the intersection of music and film. Marking its second year in 2015, NEXT FEST kicked off with an outdoor screening of the brazenly unconventional action thriller Cop Car, which premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. Continuing throughout the weekend at the historic Theatre at Ace Hotel Downtown Los Angeles, NEXT FEST paired five new independent films with either a special music act that shares a complementary artistic sensibility or conversations between the filmmakers and those who inspired them.

Showcasing a wide variety of story and style, the 2015 Short Film Tour is an 83-minute theatrical program of six award-winning short films from the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. From Don Hertzfeldt’s mindbending tour of the future, World of Tomorrow, to Kitty Green’s multilayered exploration of social change, The Face of Ukraine: Casting Oksana Baiul, the deeply affecting 2015 program brought a vibrant mix of fiction, documentary, and animated short films to 59 communities across the country.

Utah Community Programs

Throughout 2015, 22,643 Utah locals experienced independent film, theatre, and music through free community screenings and discussions hosted by Sundance Institute. During the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, 5,483 students participated in the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation Student Screenings Program; 1,651 Park City students took part in the Filmmakers in the Classroom Program; and another 8,728 Utahans attended special screenings or received complimentary film screening or event tickets. Beyond the festival, the outdoor Summer Film Series at Red Butte Garden in Salt Lake City and at City Park in Park City saw a record-breaking year with 6,248 locals— the highest attendance in the series history.

Neon Indian and Toro y Moi, 2015 NEXT FEST, Photo by Frazer, Harrison / WireImage


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PUBLIC PROGRAMS SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

SUBMISSION TO SELECTION

DELIBERATIONS

550

ONE DOT ( ) REPRESENTS ONE SUBMISSION features

shorts

finalists are chosen after all programmers come together to review the remaining films.

VIEWING

7MONTHS

250

feature finalists

Programmers begin viewing and screening in June.

300

short finalists

SELECTIONS

183

final films are announced in early December to premiere at the Festival.

DISCOVERY

123

365 DAYS

selected features

60

selected shorts

Festival Programmers track and watch films year-round.

SUBMISSIONS

12,166 films were submitted for consideration.

4,405

features

8,061 shorts

FEATURE FILM SUBMISSIONS

SHORT FILM SUBMISSIONS

Screeners watch and provide coverage for every film

Screeners watch and provide coverage for every film

Programming teams meet daily to discuss CONTENDERS

Programming teams watch films to identify PASSES and CONTENDERS

Programming Teams meet weekly with Festival Director and Director of Programming Programmers review coverage and watch each film and either PASS or DISCUSS with another Programmer to determine whether a film moves on Programmers broken into two teams: documentary and narrative

Programming Teams meet weekly with Festival Director and Director of Programming Programming teams meet daily to discuss CONTENDERS

TRANSFORMATIVE SUPPORT FEATURED COLLABORATIONS

IL LUMIN ATING OUR CULTUR E THROUGH ST ORY T EL LING

Sundance Institute has worked closely with many of the world’s leading foundations, government agencies, and corporations to revolutionize the way stories are told and shared. We are proud to highlight just a few of the many organizations that have transformed our work, our artists, and our community.

Theatre Lab, Jonathan Hickerson


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John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation For over two decades, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation has generously supported Sundance’s international initiatives and the Documentary Film Program. Since 2009, direct support from the MacArthur Foundation has impacted the work of 25 independent

TRANSFORMATIVE SUPPORT

documentary film projects by 29 diverse American

Alfred P. Sloan Foundation

National Endowment for the Arts

filmmakers. In 2015, the MacArthur Foundation awarded

For over 12 years, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Science in

When Founder Robert Redford first conceived of a place

a generous grant of $1 million over three years to support

Film Initiative has supported emerging filmmakers whose work

for artists to share ideas and take creative risks, the newly

the ongoing efforts of the Documentary Film Program,

heightens public awareness of science in our culture.

established Sundance Institute made an appeal to the

while expanding its commitment to include support of

Through grants, Lab Fellowships, panel discussions, and the

nation’s leading funder of artistic endeavor. The National

Adobe

the New Frontier Program to cultivate nonfiction film and

annual Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize at the Sundance Film

Endowment for the Arts responded by awarding Sundance

Sharing a vision to enhance the work of risk-taking artists,

emerging media projects that emphasize journalism.

Festival, the Initiative illustrates the vital and unique role of

its very first grant to foster a diverse community of pioneering

Adobe has partnered with Sundance Institute since 2011. In

scientists in our society and highlights the special possibilities

new American storytellers. Since that visionary investment

2014, Adobe elevated its commitment to become a sustaining

John S. and James L. Knight Foundation

of communicating the complexities and rewards of science

more than three decades ago, the NEA has provided enduring

sponsor of the Festival, and in 2015 committed to three more

With the shared belief that providing an inclusive space for

through independent film. In 2015, Kyle Patrick Alvarez’s

support for the Feature Film Program and Theatre Program,

years of increased support as a Leadership Sponsor, which

artists to create and thrive encourages diverse stories and

The Stanford Prison Experiment won the Alfred P. Sloan Feature

as well as the Institute’s international Film Forward program,

includes presenting the NEXT category of films. Adobe will

greater understanding, the John S. and James L. Knight

Film Prize; Jonathan Minard and Scott Rashap (Archive)

and, more recently, the Artist Services Initiative. This joint

also be a Principal Sponsor of NEXT FEST through 2016.

Foundation partnered with Sundance Institute in 2013 to

received the Sundance Institute/Sloan Fellowship; and Jon

commitment to artistic excellence, creativity, and innovation

Additionally, Adobe’s Project 1324 Initiative was the inaugural

support outreach into the communities of Philadelphia

Noble (Tyfus) and Cutter Hodierne and John Hibey (Otzi)

has benefitted thousands of artists across the country

supporter of Sundance’s Ignite Initiative, a new project to

and Miami in search of new voices, new perspectives,

received Sundance Institute/Sloan Commissioning Grants,

and millions of community members around the world.

inspire and connect young independent filmmakers and

and new stories to be told. In fiscal year 2015, the Knight

FEATURED COLLABORATIONS

audiences. Offering enhanced experiences at the Sundance

Foundation expanded its support with a new $1 million

Film Festival and NEXT FEST, this collaboration with

investment. Over the next three years storytellers across

Cinereach

Acura/Honda

Adobe will also feature an online short film challenge for

the country will have extensive access to creative and

Since 2007, Cinereach has been a vital supporter of

For over six years as a Presenting Sponsor of the Sundance

18-to-24-year-old filmmakers culminating at the 2016 Festival.

tactical support from Sundance Institute Programs.

Sundance Institute. Between 2009-2013, the Cinereach

Film Festival, the American Honda Motor Company has

Project at Sundance Institute enabled 83 narrative and

had a significant impact on furthering Sundance’s mission

Bertha Foundation

YouTube

documentary filmmakers to further develop their projects,

to sustain the vitality of independent film, filmmakers,

Since 2011, the Bertha Foundation and Sundance Institute

Providing a platform for people to connect, inform, and

including: Whiplash (Damien Chazelle), Rich Hill (Tracy

and audiences. Through Honda then Acura’s Presenting

have developed a deep relationship built on nurturing

inspire others across the globe, YouTube has been a long-

Droz Tragos, Andrew Droz Palermo), and These Birds

Sponsorship at the Festival, they present the highly

original, groundbreaking artists around the globe. Supporting

term partner of Sundance Institute. Since 2009, YouTube has

Walk (Bassam Tariq, Omar Mullick). Cinereach is a a non-

prestigious Audience Awards for U.S. Dramatic and

storytellers who work to bring about social and economic

been a Leadership Sponsor of the Sundance Film Festival and

profit ally of Sundance Institute Artist Services and a

Documentary Competition films, and they also provide

justice and human rights for all is a key tenet of the Bertha

is the exclusive presenter of the Shorts Program and Shorts

founding partner of the innovative Transparency Project,

over 60 new vehicles each year to ensure the success of

Foundation’s mission and is core to the work accomplished

Awards Ceremony, which in 2013 and 2014 featured an Online

which aims to empower filmmakers with tools to help

Festival Operations. Beyond January, Acura has supported

by each facet of the Institute. The Bertha Foundation has

Shorts Audience Award determined by over 2 million YouTube

fund, market and release their work. Cinereach is also

Sundance NEXT FEST since its inaugural event in 2013 as

shown tremendous confidence in Sundance Institute’s

viewers. Extending its support of innovative filmmaking and

a key supporter of the new Art of Nonfiction Initiative

a Principal Sponsor, and served as the Official Host of the

commitment to these shared values by providing essential

creative storytellers, YouTube was also a Principal Sponsor of

to cultivate bold creative practice in nonfiction film.

2015 annual Sundance Institute Celebration in Los Angeles.

unrestricted support across all Institute Programs.

Sundance NEXT FEST in 2013 and 2014.

presented through Sundance Institute’s Feature Film Program.

SUNDANCE SUNDANCE INSTITUTE INSTITUTE ANNUAL ANNUAL REPORT 2015

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ENDOWMENT DRAW 1%

EARNED REVENUE 38% CONTRIBUTED REVENUE 61%

INDIVIDUAL GIVING 24%

FOUNDATION GIVING 27% CORPORATE GIVING 37%

OTHER INCOME 5% ONE DAY LABS