The 34-year-old (give or take a rebranding or two) indie film marketplace is, of course, a key part of the calendar of any hardcore cineaste, whether you’re a content creator, festival volunteer, journalist, movie lover or simply an armchair industry-watcher tsk tsk-ing at overeager acquisition figures from the comfort of your web browser. But! If you happen to be one of the talented folks lucky enough to actually have a project playing in the festival this year, well… [extremely Jeff Foxworthy voice] you just might be a Film Independent Fellow. This year, we’re proud to tout an incredible 57 Film Independent Fellows who’ll be putting their stamp on Sundance ’18—representing 43 separate projects, four of which (Kusama-Infinity, Minding the Gap, Emergency and Nancy) were directly supported by Film Independent’s Lab Programs, Project Involve and Fast Track. So! Let’s meet ‘em, shall we?
U.S. DRAMATIC COMPETITION
Josh Penn, producer, Monsters and Men Grant/award winner, 2014
Mary Jane Skalski, producer, American Animals Grant/award winner, 2004
Geoff Quan, co-producer, Blindspotting Project Involve, 2011
Cole Wiley, screenwriter, Monster Project Involve, 2014
Rei Green, writer/director, Monsters and Men Fast Track, 2016
Christina Choe, writer/director, Nancy Directors Lab, 2015; Fast Track, 2014
Amy Lo, producer, Nancy Fast Track, 2011
Jonathan Duffy, producer, Sorry to Bother You Fast Track, 2016
Kelly Williams, producer, Sorry to Bother You Fast Track, 2016
Mynette Louie, producer, The Tale Fast Track, 2009
Jenny Halper, executive producer, The Kindergarten Teacher Producing Lab, 2016
NOTE: Christina Chloe’s Nancy was directly supported by Film Independent as part of Fast Track 2014 and the 2015 Directing Lab.
U.S. DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
Laura Nix, director, Inventing Tomorrow Documentary Lab, 2011
Derek Doneen, director, Kailash Documentary Lab, 2016
Heather Lenz, writer/director, Kusama-Infinity Doumentary Lab, 2013
Diane Quon, producer, Minding the Gap Fast Track, 2017; Documentary Lab, 2017
Bing Liu, director/producer, Minding the Gap Fast Track, 2017; Documentary Lab, 2017
Brock Williams, producer, On Her Shoulders Producing Lab, 2014
NOTE: Heather Lenz’s Kusama-Infinity and Bing Liu and Diane Quon’s Minding the Gap were directly supported by Film Independent as part of the 2013 and 2017 (respectively) Documentary Lab.
WORLD CINEMA DRAMATIC COMPETITION
Isold Uggadotirr, writer/director, And Breathe Normally Screenwriting Lab, 2012
Paul Mezey, producer, MATANGI/MAYA/M.I.A. Grant/award winner, 2001
Hilla Medalia, producer, The Oslo Diaries Documentary Lab, 2012; Fast Track, 2012
NEXT
Krista Parris, producer, Madeline’s Madeline Fast Track, 2009
Danielle Renfrew, producer, Night Comes On Grant/award winner, 2017
Aslihan Unaldi, writer, Skate Kitchen Documentary Lab, 2016
SPECIAL EVENTS
Nausheen Dadabhoy, cinematographer, Lenny
Project Involve, 2011
NEW FRONTIER
Josh Penn, producer, A Thousand Thoughts Grant/award winner, 2014
PREMIERES
Silas Howard, director, A Kid like Jake Directing Lab, 2007; Fast Track 2007
Veronica Nickel, producer, A Kid like Jake Fast Track, 2015
Pamela Koffler, producer, Colette Grant/award winner, 2000
Chris Ohlson, producer, Damsel Grant/award winner, 2015
Brett Haley, writer/director, Hearts Beat Loud Fast Track, 2014
Houston King, producer, Hearts Beat Loud Grant/award winner, 2014
Eric Lin, cinematographer, Hearts Beat Loud Directing Lab, 2009; Fast Track, 2009
Jim Young, producer, The Catcher Was a Spy Producing Lab, 2008; Grant/award winner, 2008
Andrew Droz Palermo, cinematographer, The Long Dumb Road Documentary Lab, 2013
Jonathan Duffy, producer, The Long Dumb Road Fast Track, 2016
Mynette Louie, executive producer, The Long Dumb Road Fast Track, 2009
Kelly Williams, producer, The Long Dumb Road Fast Track, 2016
Debra Granik, writer/director, Untitled Debra Granik Project Grant/award winner, 2014
DOCUMENTARY PREMIERES
Reena Dutt,line producer, Akicita: The Battle of Standing Rock Project Involve, 2014
Heather Rae, producer, Akicita: The Battle of Standing Rock Grant/award winner, 2009
Jeff Malmberg, editor, Won’t You Be My Neighbor? Producing Lab, 2009; Grant/award winner, 2011
Isiah Donte Lee, cinematographer, Wild Wild West: A Beautiful Rant by Mark Bradford Project Involve, 2016
MIDNIGHT
Liz Cardenas Franke, producer, Never Goin’ Back Project Involve, 2017
Toby Halbrooks, producer, Never Goin’ Back Grant/award winner, 2014
James Johnston, producer, Never Goin’ Back Grant/award winner, 2014
SPOTLIGHT
Mollye Asher,producer, Spotlight Producing Lab, 2014
Chloē Zhao, director, The Rider Screenwriting Lab, 2011
INDIE EPISODIC
Bing Liu, segment producer, America to Me Documentary Lab, 2017; Fast Track, 2017
Mel Jones, director/screenwriter, Leimert Park Project Involve, 2012
Kady Kamakatē, screenwriter, Leimert Park Project Involve, 2017
Aaliyah Williams, executive producer, Leimert Park Project Involve, 2010
Isiah Donte Lee, cinematographer, Leimert Park Project Involve, 2016
Andrew Ahn, director, This Close Project Involve, 2012; Screenwriting Lab, 2013; Directing Lab, 2014
U.S. NARRATIVE SHORT FORM
Jonathan Duffy, executive producer, Don’t Be a Hero Fast Track, 2016
Kelly Williams, executive producer, Don’t Be a Hero Fast Track, 2016
David Aristizabal, editor, Emergency Project Involve, 2016
KD Davila, writer, Emergency Project Involve, 2017; Episodic Lab, 2017
Jomo Fray, cinematographer, Emergency Project Involve, 2017
Joenique Rose, producer, Emergency Project Involve, 2017
Carey Williams, director, Emergency Project Involve, 2017
Jessica Sanders, producer/director, End of the Line Project Involve, 2000; Producing Lab, 2003; Fast Track, 2004; Screenwriting Lab, 2007
Jim Frohna, cinematographer, Eve Directing Lab, 2001
Shaka King, writer/producer/director, LaZercism Grant/award winner, 2014
Andrew Carlberg, producer, The Blazing World Fast Track, 2014
Ed Wu, cinematographer, The Blazing World Project Involve, 2015
NOTE: Emergency was produced as part of the 2017 edition of Film Independent’s signature diversity program, Project Involve. Whew! But before you head out to the Beehive state, be sure to brush up on you Sundance survival skill with the below video. See you in Park City!
To learn more about Film Independent’s Programs, click here. To learn about applying to our Filmmaker Labs click here. For more information about becoming a Member of Film Independent visit our website or subscribe to our YouTube channel.
