This year’s programme will include panels, roundtables, one-on-one meetings and a keynote address by interdisciplinary artist and activist Glenn Kaino.
Sundance Institute has announced the participants for its Producers Lab and Producers Summit.
Taking place July 25-28 and July 29-31, respectively, the events are being held in person at Utah’s Sundance Mountain Resort.
Selected for the Producers Lab are six fiction film and five nonfiction film producers and their projects, and more than 40 industry leaders and 26 independent filmmakers will participate in the Producers Summit. The Producers programme champions and supports the current and rising generation of producers working across fiction and nonfiction film and features year-round mentorship, granting, educational resources, strategic introductions, and networking opportunities with the industry.
The Producers Labs support emerging independent producers through intimate group sessions and one-on-one meetings with veteran producer advisors to hone their creative instincts, communication, and problem-solving skills and to develop strategies for pitching, financing, production, and navigating the marketplace. Fellows selected for the Labs Feature Film Programme include Apoorva Guru Charan with The Rotting Of Casey Culpepper, Leah Chen Baker with The President’s Cake, Eli Raskin with Starfuckers, Chloe Sabin with Sales Per Hour, Helena Sardinha and Doménica Castro with Huella and in the Documentary Film Programme: Lindsey Dryden with Untitled Dwarfism Project, Yoni Golijov with Untitled Sura Mallouh Project, Dawne Langford with Untitled Baltimore Project, Neyda Martinez with Bartolo, Igor Myakotin with Queendom.
Advisors for the Feature Film Programme include David Hinojosa (Zola, Bodies Bodies Bodies), Amy Lo (Nancy, Sugar), Riva Marker (The Guilty, Relic), Josh Penn (Beasts of the Southern Wild, Philly D.A.), Jason Michael Berman (Nine Days, Uncorked) and for the Documentary Film Programme Daffodil Altan (PBS Frontline series producer), Violet Feng (Hidden Letters, Tigre Gente), Andrea Meditch (Ernie & Joe, Fathom), Bob Moore (Midwives, Softie), and Amanda Spain (MSNBC Films).
The Summit convenes emerging and mid-career fiction and nonfiction producers with wide-ranging industry experts to gain critical knowledge and make connections to advance their projects. Distributors, financiers, sales reps, talent agents, and seasoned independent producers delve into learnings from the past year and discuss the future of the field. This year’s programme will include panels, roundtables, one-on-one meetings, and a keynote address by renowned interdisciplinary artist and activist Glenn Kaino, whose visionary and collaborative approach is rooted in the belief that cultural production can affect meaningful change.
Industry participants in this year’s Summit include Maria Altamirano (Son of Monarchs), Maggie Bowman (Indie Media Arts Group), Josh Braun (Submarine Entertainment), Gabby Canton (Orion Pictures), Liz Cardenas (7 Days), Deniese Davis (Reform Media Group), Scott Foundas (Amazon Studios), Jannat Gargi (Westbrook Inc), Emilie Georges (Paradise City Films), Anna Godas (Dogwoof), Wyck Godfrey (Temple Hill Entertainment), Elizabeth Grave (Sony Stage 6 Films), Eliza Hajek (SAGindie), Poppy Hanks (MACRO), Alex Hannibal (CNN Films), Jessica Harrop (Sandbox Films), Kevin Iwashina (Endeavor Content), Sarah Kim (I Was a Simple Man), Jessica Lacy (Sales Agent), Dylan Leiner (Sony Pictures Classics), Anjanette Levert (The Only Doctor), Amira Lewally (A&E Indie Films), Maida Lynn (Genuine Article Pictures), David Magdael (David Magdael & Associates), Michelle Momplaisir (Focus Features), Lisa Nishimura (Netflix), Brianna Oh (Amazon Studios), Tommy Oliver (Confluential Films), Beth Osisek (Hulu), Chan Phung (Searchlight Pictures), Jason Ropell (MUBI), Mikey Schwartz-Wright (UTA), John Sloss (Cinetic Media), Avril Speaks (Distribution Advocates), Scott Shooman (IFC Films), Rory Thost (Participant Media), Lois Vossen (ITVS), Jason Wald (NEON), and Alex Walton (WME Entertainment).
Speaking about the summit, Producing and Artist Support Director Shira Rockowitz and Documentary Film Programme Deputy Director Kristin Feeley, said: “It has been three years since we have been able to gather in person, and over this time, the landscape for independent storytelling has shifted dramatically. It’s never been more critical to work to create a sustainable future for independent producers, a key priority for the Lab and Summit. The Producers Summit is a unique space that brings together producers and industry to advance bold, independent projects and address timely questions and issues in the field. We are excited to convene and build community through these vital conversations.”
In addition to the annual Labs and Summit, Sundance’s Producer Programme hosts an Intensive in the fall, an annual orientation for Sundance Film Festival producers, and the Producers Awards, supported by Amazon Studios, recognising both fiction and nonfiction producers at the Sundance Film Festival’s Producers Celebration.
