Every Film Independent Fellow Who Was At Sundance This Year

But whether precariously perambulating down an icy Main Street clutching a scoop of Java Cow ice cream or shakily trying to hold our stomachs together on an undulating shuttle after one too many trips to the open bar, Film Independent wasn’t at Sundance/Slamdance just to party. We were also there to celebrate the accomplishments of our 41 individual Film Independent Fellows with projects at the two Festivals—including 2019 Producing Lab Fellow Hurriyah Muhammad, winner of the Sundance Producers Award for Farewell Armor. “Fellows” here defined as participants of any of our Film Independent Artist Development Labs, Fast Track, grant winners or alumni of the LA Film Festival. Who are these supremely talented filmmakers? Keep reading to find out—by festival section—which 2020 Sundance/Slamdance filmmakers have Film Independent DNA running through their altitude-thinned blood.

U.S. DRAMATIC COMPETITION

Esteban Arango, director/screenwriter, Blast Beat Grant/award winner, 2017 Erick Castrillon, screenwriter/producer, Blast Beat Project Involve, 2017 Ed Wu, cinematographer, Blast Beat Project Involve, 2015 Huriyyah Muhammad, producer, Farewell Amor Producing Lab, 2019 Josh Penn, producer, Farewell Amor Grant/award winner, 2014 Bruce Cole, cinematographer, Farewell Amor Project Involve, 2018 James M. Johnston, producer, Miss Juneteenth Grant/award winner, 2014 Toby Halbrooks, producer, Miss Juneteenth Grant/award winner, 2014 Jason Berman, producer, Nine Days Fast Track, 2009 Ian Olds, editor, The Evening Hour Grant/award winner, 2006 Harry Yoon, editor, Minari Project Involve, 2004 Tatiana Bears, co-producer, Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Always and Save Yourselves! Fast Track, 2019 Carolina Costa, cinematographer, Wander Darkly Project Involve, 2014

U.S. PREMIERES

Dee Rees, director, The Last Thing He Wanted Grant/award winner, 2010 Mako Kamitsuna, editor, The Last Thing He Wanted Fast Track, 2008 Grant/award winner, 2009 Michael Almereyda, director/screenwriter, Tesla Grant/award winner, 2015 Uri Singer, producer, Tesla Grant/award winner, 2015 Isen Robbins, producer, Tesla Grant/award winner, 2015 Josh Penn, producer, Wendy Grant/award winner, 2014

DOCS (U.S. COMPETITION & PREMIERE)

Kareen Tabsch, director, Mucho Mucho Amor (competition) Grant/award winner, 2015 Lana Wilson, director, Taylor Swift: Miss Americana (premiere) Fast Track, 2015 Christine O’Malley, producer, Taylor Swift: Miss Americana Fast Track, 2012 Sara Newens, screenwriter, On the Record (premiere) Documentary Lab, 2013

U.S. NARRATIVE SHORTS & INDIE EPISODIC

Thembi Banks, writer/director, Baldwin Beauty (U.S. Shorts) Project Involve, 2017 Elegance Bratton, writer/director, Buck (U.S. Shorts) Fast Track, 2019 Zamarin Wahdat, cinematographer, Buck Project Involve, 2018 Chester Algernal Gordon, producer/costume designer, Buck Producing Lab, 2019 Fast Track, 2019 Valerie Steinberg, producer, Buck and Blocks (U.S. Shorts) Producing Lab, 2019 Fast Track, 2019 Faren Humes, producer, T (U.S. Shorts) Project Involve, 2018 Grant/award winner, 2018 Fast Track, 2019 Jessica Sanders, director, Embrace (Indie Episodic) Fast Track, 2004 Producing Lab, 2003 Project Involve, 2000 Screenwriting Lab, 2007 David Shapiro, writer/director, Untitled Pizza Movies (Indie Episodic) Grant/awards winner, 2001

NEW FRONTIER & NEXT

Terence Nance, director/screenwriter, Ominiboat: A Fast Boat Fantasia (NEXT) and Guisado on Sunset (New Frontier shorts) Project Involve, 2016 Kahlil Joseph, director, BLKNWS (New Frontier) Project Involve, 2002 Mynette Louie, producer, I Carry You With Me (NEXT) Fast Track, 2010

MIDNIGHT, SPOTLIGHT

Justin Simien, director/screenwriter, Bad Hair (Midnight) Project Involve, 2010 Daniel Powell, producer, Scare Me (Midnight) Grant/award winner, 2017 Scott Macaulay, producer, The Assistant (Spotlight) Fast Track, 2008 Grant/award winner, 1998

SLAMDANCE

Claudia Sparrow, director, Maxima Project Involve, 2002 Ryan Schwartz, producer, Maxima Directing Lab, 2018 Fast Track, 2017 Steven J. Berger, executive producer, Maxima Producing Lab, 2014 Fast Track, 2014/17/18

So again congrats to all of our Sundance-anointed Fellows—we hope you made it home safe and sound, with a minimum of ski injuries and plenty of souvenir fry sauce. Here’s hoping your films continue to travel the globe!