Of course, this is especially true if you happen to be one of the lucky (not to mention outrageously talented) folks whose movie is actually playing at the Festival—and this year, those sporting the elite Sundance “filmmaker” lanyard include a very impressive 42 Film Independent Fellows representing a whopping 29 different projects spanning virtually every Festival category, from incisive documentaries about social justice to irreverent hip-hop comedies, gory revenge thrillers, graphic novel adaptations and much, much more. So as the Festival buzz begins to swell and swirl like so many cold weather storm systems making their way across the Wasatch Front, here’s a complete list of Fellows—participants of Film Independent’s myriad Lab Programs, Fast Track, Project Involve and grant winners and recipients—currently flailing down Main St. as they slip on black ice: US DRAMATIC COMPETITION
Drew Houpt, producer, Beach Rats Producing Lab, 2015 Shrihare Sathe, co-producer, Beach Rats Producing Lab, 2011; Fast Track, 2013; Grant/award winner, 2013 Paul Mezey, producer, Beach Rats Grant/award winner, 2001 Houston King, producer, The Hero Grant/award winner, 2014 Brett Haley, writer/director, The Hero Fast Track, 2014 Mel Jones, producer, Burning Sands Project Involve, 2012 Jason Michael Berman, producer, Burning Sands Fast Track, 2009 Isiah Donte Lee, cinematographer, Burning Sands Project Involve, 2016 Neil Kopp, producer, I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore Grant/award winner, 2008 Anish Savjani, producer, I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore Grant/award winner, 2011 Matt Medlin, line producer, Brigsby Bear Producing Lab, 2010 Josh Penn, executive producer, Patti Cake$
US DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
Pete Nicks, director, The Force Grant/award winner, 2013 Alysa Nahmias, co-producer, Unrest Grant/award winner, 2013; Fast Track, 2013
NEXT
Andrew Droz Palermo, cinematographer, A Ghost Story Documentary Lab, 2013 Toby Halbrooks, producer, Person to Person Grant/award winner, 2014 James M. Johnston, producer, Person to Person Grant/award winner, 2014 Giulia Caruso, producer, Columbus Project Involve, 2016; Grant/award winner, 2015 Sydney Freeland, director, Deidra & Laney Rob a Train Grant/award winner, 2013 Musa Syeed, writer, Menashe Producing Lab, 2011; Grant/award winner, 2011 Traci Carlson, producer, Menashe Producing Lab, 2014 Houston King, producer, Lemon Grant/award winner, 2014
NEW FRONTIER
Terrence Nance, writer/director, 18 Black Girls / Boys Ages 1-18 Who Have Arrived at the Singularity and Are Thus Spiritual Machines: $X in an Edition of $97 Quadrillion Project Involve, 2016 Rosemarie Troche, lead artist, If Not Love Fast Track, 2011 Amy Lo, producer, If Not Love Fast Track, 2011 Jem Cohen, director, World Without End (No Reported Incidents) Grant/award winner, 2005
PREMIERES
Pamela Koffler, producer, Beatriz at Dinner Grant/award winner, 2000 Michael Almereyda, writer/director, Marjorie Prime Grant/award winner, 2015 Aimee Schoof, EP, Marjorie Prime Grant/award winner, 2015 Uri Singer, EP, Marjorie Prime Grant/award winner, 2015 Isen Robbins, EP, Marjorie Prime Grant/award winner, 2015 Mako Kamitsuna, editor, Mudbound Project Involve, 2009 Mary Jane Skalski, producer, Wilson Grant/award winner, 2004
MIDNIGHT
Elisa Lleras, EP, Bitch Project Involve, 2013 Gabriela Gonzalez, line producer, “The Birthday Party” segment), XX Project Involve, 2013
SPOTLIGHT
Laura Dunn, director/producer/editor, Look & See: A Portrait of Wendell Berry Grant/award winner, 2008
SPECIAL EVENTS & KIDS
Jill Soloway, director / EP, I Love Dick Grant/award winner, 2012 Jim Forhna, cinematographer, I Love Dick Directing Lab, 2001 Marissa Jo Cerar, co-producer/writer, Shots Fired Project Involve, 2009 Alexandra Johnes, EP, The Mars Generation Fast Track, 2015
SHORT-FORM EPISODIC
Anna Kerrigan, director, The Chances Producing Lab, 2011; Directing Lab, 2012 Marvin Lemus, writer/director, Gente-fied Project Involve, 2015 Linda Yvette Chavez, writer, Gente-fied Project Involve, 2010; Screenwriting Lab, 2015 Aaliyah Williams, EP, Gente-fied Project Involve, 2010 Ana Amortegui, cinematrographer, Gente-fied Project Involve, 2010
US NARRATIVE SHORT FILMS
Anna Kerrigan, writer/director, “Hot Seat” Producing Lab, 2011; Directing Lab, 2012 Traci Carlson, producer, “Rubber Heart” Producing Lab, 2014
Check out these highlights from last year:
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