Calling Native Film Makers

Sundance Institute's commitment to supporting Native American artists is woven throughout the history of the Institute. Since the beginning, Native American filmmakers have been involved in the founding of the Institute, including Larry LittleBird (Taos Pueblo) and Chris SpottedEagle (Houmas Nation). Following President and Founder Robert Redford's mandate, the Institute has been committed to supporting Native American artists. This support has created tremendous growth in the Native American media field and put Indigenous Film on the cultural map. From Sundance’s first support of Greg Sarris' (Coast Miwok) Grand Avenue at the June Screenwriters Lab in 1992 to Andrew Okpeaha MacLean (Iñupiaq) winning the 2008 Sundance Short Filmmaking Jury Prize for his film Sikumi, the Institute has established a rich legacy of work.

Native Filmmakers Lab

The Native Program has built and sustained an Indigenous film circle. The circle of our work begins by scouting for and identifying Native American and Indigenous artists, bringing them through the mechanisms of support at Sundance to get their work made and shown, then taking the filmmakers and their work back to Native Lands. The Native Program has made strategic investments in emerging Native American filmmakers through the Sundance Institute-Ford Foundation Film Fellowship. The Fellowship selects four Fellows each year to work intensively on a project and to help launch their careers. The first part of the Fellowship includes the newly created Native Filmmakers Lab, which is a vital part of the circle. In spring of 2009, the Native Program selected four emerging Native American filmmakers and brought them to the Mescalero Apache Reservation from May 18–22, 2009 along with four established filmmakers who served as Creative Advisors. These participants engaged in deep development work on individual projects, strengthened their stories and their craft, and charted a path towards production. As a second stage of the Fellowship, the filmmakers will attend the 2010 Sundance Film Festival to network, pitch their projects, and participate in a screening program and the Native Forum.

Sundance Institute-Ford Foundation Film Fellowship

Each year, the Institute's Native American and Indigenous Program invites emerging Native American filmmakers to apply for the Sundance Institute-Ford Foundation Film Fellowship, which provides support to early-stage feature films, documentaries, and short films. Sundance-Ford Fellows participate in the Native Filmmakers Lab to do deep development work on their projects under the nurturing of established filmmakers who serve as Creative Advisors. The second-stage of their Fellowship includes attending the Sundance Film Festival to network with the independent film community. In addition to networking with accomplished film professionals, Fellows attend films screening in the Festival's World Cinema Competition and participate in Native Forum panels and events. After the Festival, Sundance-Ford Fellows receive ongoing support to bring their projects to fruition. Some Fellows advance to the Feature Film Program's Labs and other development programs after they have completed the tenure of their Fellowship.

Applications to the Native Program's Sundance Institute-Ford Fellowship open every December. Applications for 2010 are available now.

See: http://www.sundance.org/press_subgen.html?articleID=5&colorCode=green&src=em-091217

Native Forum

The Sundance Film Festival (January 21-31, 2010) will host the annual Native Forum—a hub for the International Indigenous film community, including a program of panel discussions, filmmaker discussions, and networking events that provide opportunities for Indigenous filmmakers to share their expertise and knowledge with each other and the larger independent film community. Sundance-Ford Fellows also participate in the Native Forum, and in networking and pitching sessions hosted at Sundance Industry Meetings (SIM).