Sundance Film Festival

The 2006 Sundance Film Festival marks the 25th anniversary of the industry changing Sundance Institute. Since its inception in 1980 by uber-star Robert Redford, the institute has committed itself to helping indie filmmakers succeed.

For a timeline of the Sundance Institute over the years,

1980

-Robert Redford gathered a group of colleagues and friends at Sundance, Utah to discuss new ways to enhance the artistic vitality of American film.

-Utah Arts Council established the Utah Playwrights Conference. Robert Redford invited the group to hold its conference at Sundance.

1981

-June: Sundance Institute held its first program for independent filmmakers at the Sundance Resort in Provo Canyon, Utah. Ten filmmakers were selected to participate in the June Filmmakers Lab to develop their projects in the company of the advisors Frank Daniel, Caleb Deschanel, Michael Hausman, Laszlo Kovacs, Karl Malden, Sydney Pollack, and Waldo Salt. By providing resources in an environment which supported the creative process, the Sundance Institute hoped to improve the skills of independent filmmakers and to create networks of support between the mainstream and independent film communities.

1982

-June: Redford letter to participants: “We have spent the past year refining and strengthening the Institute. We have chosen to proceed slowly and resist the temptation of rapid growth so rampant these days. We feel very strongly that the Sundance Institute must be project driven and not just a “mountain retreat” - although, as you can see as you look around, that, too, is an integral part of the experience at Sundance.” Seven filmmakers participated in the June Lab and were guided by the mentors Robert Duvall, Eddie Olmos, Hume Cronyn, Richard Pearce, Bill Wittliff, and Jessica Tandy.

1983

-1981 June Lab project EL NORTE, co-written by Gregory Nava and Anna Thomas and directed by Gregory Nava, became the first film supported by the Lab that was produced. Critically acclaimed, EL NORTE brought new audiences to independent films, telling the story of the plight of illegal immigrants from Guatemala and their journey to America.

1984

-The Utah Playwrights Conference changed its name to the Sundance Playwrights Laboratory.

-June Filmmakers Lab - Creative Advisors Peter Masterson and Carlin Glynn developed Horton Foote‘s play THE TRIP TO BOUNTIFUL. Geraldine Page won the 1985 Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her performance in the film.

1985

-The Sundance Institute assumed creative and administrative control of the U.S. Film Festival. The Film Festival was expanded to 10 days to provide a showcase for new work of American independent filmmakers. The Festival also included a program of international films. Award-winning films included the Coen brothers‘ debut film BLOOD SIMPLE, THE LIFE AND TIMES OF HARVEY MILK, and Jim Jarmusch‘s STRANGER THAN PARADISE.

-First annual Sundance Independent Producers Conference held for emerging producers and Lab alumni.

-Sundance Institute began construction of a screening room and rehearsal hall to expand the Sundance Resort site to serve filmmakers and theatre artists participating in summer programs.

1986

-Institute began supporting Latin American filmmakers and initiated the Latin American Exchange Program, designed to support the creative work of Latin American filmmakers.

-The first Sundance Composers Lab was held. Emerging composers were guided by Creative Advisors David Newman, Danny Elfman, David Shire, Mark Isham, Alan Silvestri, and Michael Kamen.

-January Screenwriters Lab held for the first time to support projects at an earlier stage through intensive script development.

-Sundance Film Festival - SMOOTH TALK, directed by Joyce Chopra and starring Laura Dern and Treat Williams, won Dramatic Grand Jury Prize.

1987

-Award-winning films from the Sundance Film Festival presented in Japan. Program initiated to expose new films to the Japanese public, to bring together filmmakers from two countries for creative exchange, and to help gain opportunities for independent filmmakers within the dynamic Japanese market.

-Dance/Film lab launched to support the collaboration of choreographers and filmmakers. Merce Cunningham, Michael Kidd, Twyla Tharp, Lucinda Childs and Donald Byrd, among others, attended.

1988

-June Filmmakers Lab supported THREE THOUSAND by writer/director Jonathan Lawton. THREE THOUSAND, the dark drama of a tough street girl and her power struggle with a NY businessman, ultimately morphed into the romantic comedy PRETTY WOMAN.

1989

-Steven Soderbergh‘s SEX, LIES AND VIDEOTAPE won the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival. The film won the Palme d‘Or and became the most successful independent film released at that time.

-Nobel Prize-winning author Gabriel Garcia Marquez came to Sundance to teach a storytelling workshop for Latin-American writers.

1990

-Sundance Children‘s Theatre program founded - dedicated to developing a new body of children‘s literature for the stage and screen; activities included the commissioning, development and production of new plays for young audiences.

-Sundance Film Festival - The groundbreaking film LONGTIME COMPANION, supported by the Sundance Labs, premiered at the Festival.

1991

-June Filmmakers Lab - Sundance supported RESERVOIR DOGS, Quentin Tarantino‘s debut film. Other Lab Fellows included: Allison Maclean - CRUSH, Walter Mosley - DEVIL IN A BLUE DRESS, Michael Dijiacomo - ANIMALS. Creative Advisors included: Monte Hellman, Alan Pakula, Terry Gilliam, and Glenn Close.

1992

-Latin American Independent Producers Conference held in Toluca, Mexico.

-Sundance Theatre Program opened the Eccles and King Stages at the Sundance Village for the production of classical musicals and new work for children.

1993

-Sundance Film Festival - Award winners included SLIVERLAKE LIFE: THE VIEW FROM HERE, EL MARIACHI, RUBY IN PARADISE, and PUBLIC ACCESS.

-June Filmmakers Lab - supported maverick filmmaker Paul T. Anderson with his debut film HARD EIGHT; John C. Reilly and Philip Baker Hall rehearsed scenes with Anderson under the guidance of Creative Advisors Michael Caton-Jones, John Schlesinger, Scott Frank, and Richard LaGravenese.

-Sundance co-sponsored the first Mexican Screenwriters Lab in collaboration with the University of Guadalajara. Guillermo del Toro, one of the Lab fellows, brought his screenplay THE DEVIL‘S BACKBONE to continue development at the Lab. Advisors included Aida Bortnik, Kit Carson, Jorge Goldenberg, and Paz Alicia Garciadiego. Lab projects that reached world audiences included SANTITOS and SEX, SHAME AND TEARS.

1994

-Sundance Institute affirmed its commitment to Native filmmakers by launching a special program at the Sundance Film Festival.

-Sundance Film Festival - Award winners included HOOP DREAMS and CLERKS.

1995

-Institute expanded the International Program with Latin American Producers Conferences held in Mexico, Brazil, and Cuba, and Screenwriters Labs in Mexico, Brazil and Chile.

-Sundance Film Festival Beijing held in October - first-ever festival of American independent film in China. The American delegation included Quentin Tarantino, Allison Anders, and Ethan Coen, among others.

-Sundance Film Festival - Award winners included CRUMB and THE BROTHERS MCMULLEN.

-June Filmmakers Lab - supported SMOKE SIGNALS directed by Chris Eyre and written by Sherman Alexie. SMOKE SIGNALS was the first film written, directed, co-produced by and starring Native Americans, and the first Native film to receive a commercial release. Went on to win the Audience Award and the Filmmakers Award at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival.

-Lynne Ramsay‘s debut feature RATCATCHER participated at Moonstone International Lab in association with Sundance Institute. Released in 2000, the film was celebrated by audiences around the world.

1996

-Sundance/NHK Filmmakers Award created - to honor and support the next generation of independent filmmakers from four different global regions: USA, Europe, Latin America, and Japan. Walter Salles‘s film CENTRAL STATION, the Latin-American winner, went on to receive many awards including the Golden Bear at the 1998 Berlin International Film Festival and the 1999 Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film. The film was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

-First Sundance/RioFilms Screenwriters Lab held in Brazil. Advisors included Ron Nyswaner, Tom Rickman, Ruy Guerra, and Orlando Senna.

-Sundance Film Festival - Award winners included WELCOME TO THE DOLLHOUSE and WHEN WE WERE KINGS.

-June Filmmakers Lab - The Lab supported Tony Bui on his debut film THREE SEASONS, the first feature film shot in Vietnam written and directed by a Vietnamese American. The award-winning film opened to critical acclaim in its worldwide theatrical release.

1997

-Sundance formed the Sundance Collection at UCLA - an archive dedicated to the collection and preservation of independent cinema.

-First Sundance Central European Screenwriters Lab - held in Budapest for Hungarian, Czech, and Polish screenwriters.

-The Sundance Theatre Program was redefined to serve theatre artists and support the most innovative new work, following upon the success of the Pulitzer Prize-winning THE KENTUCKY CYCLE and Tony Award-winning ANGELS IN AMERICA. Plays originally developed through the Sundance Theatre Lab were seen in theatres nationwide.

-Sundance Film Festival - Award winners included IN THE COMPANY OF MEN, GIRLS LIKE US, and LOVE JONES.

-Filmmakers Lab - Writer/Director Kimberly Pierce developed BOYS DON‘T CRY under the guidance of advisors Jon Amiel, Michael Apted, Agnieszka Holland, Callie Khouri, Howard Smith and Victor Nunez. Hilary Swank went on to win the 2000 Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role.

1998

-Composers Lab relaunched as Film Music Program. Advisors included Stewart Copeland, Basil Poledouris, Graeme Revell, and Shirley Walker.

-Sundance Film Festival - Award winners included SLAM, SMOKE SIGNALS, and PI.

1999

-Writers Fellowship Program initiated to support non-fiction writers committed to writing about film, theatre and the arts.

-December - Havana International Film Festival - the Sundance Institute returned with a selection of American independent films, including Todd Haynes‘ VELVET GOLDMINE, Todd Solondz‘s HAPPINESS, and Marc Levin‘s SLAM.

-Sundance Film Festival - Award winners included AMERICAN MOVIE, THREE SEASONS, and TUMBLEWEEDS.

-June Filmmakers Lab - John Cameron Mitchell adapted his award-winning off-Broadway hit HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH into a feature film.

2000

-House of Docs was launched at the Sundance Film Festival to provide nonfiction filmmakers with a gathering place, and the Documentary Film Initiative was launched.

-Gen-Y Studio debuted at the Sundance Film Festival for a diverse group of the youngest filmmakers from around the world.

-First Sundance/FCC Screenplay Development Workshop for Screenwriters held in Barcelona, Spain.

-Sundance Theatre Program launched “Sundance Playwrights Retreat at the UCROSS Foundation” in Wyoming.

2001

-Sundance Film Festival - Award winners included DOGTOWN AND Z-BOYS, SCOUT‘S HONOR, HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH, and MEMENTO. The Online Film Festival was launched to create a showcase for work created specifically for the Web.

-Sundance Screenplay Reading Series in New York and Los Angeles featured work-in-progress screenplays of six emerging writers/directors.

-Soros Documentary Fund became the Sundance Documentary Fund when it was transferred from the Open Society Institute, its founding organization, to Sundance Institute. The Fund continued to provide financial support for nonfiction films that focus on issues of human rights, social justice, and freedom of expression. With the move to Sundance Institute, the Fund became the core of the Institute‘s Documentary Film Program which grew to provide creative and strategic support to documentary filmmakers in addition to providing grants.

2002

-Sundance Film Festival - Award winners included PERSONAL VELOCITY, REAL WOMEN HAVE CURVES, and SECRETARY. The film adaptation of the play THE LARAMIE PROJECT premiered at the Festival; the play was developed with the support of the Sundance Institute Theatre Program, and the script for the film was developed at the Sundance Institute Feature Film Program‘s Screenwriters Lab.

-Zana Briski and Ross Kaufman received a grant from the Sundance Documentary Fund to develop their film BORN INTO BROTHELS. The film later premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2004, and received the Academy Award for Documentary Film.

-Filmmakers labs - Joshua Marston‘s MARIA FULL OF GRACE was developed at the Screenwriters lab.

2003

-Documentary Composers Lab initiated to provide emerging composers with experience composing for nonfiction films, and to enhance the musical understanding of documentary filmmakers.

-First Theatre Lab at White Oak held at the White Oak Plantation in Yulee, Florida to support the development of musical and ensemble theatre.

-Sundance Film Festival - Award winners included CAPTURING THE FRIEDMANS, AMERICAN SPLENDOR, THE STATION AGENT, WHALE RIDER, and THIRTEEN.

-Filmmakers Labs - Films supported by the Feature Film Program included Miranda July‘s feature film debut ME AND YOU AND EVERYONE WE KNOW and Hany Abu-Asad‘s PARADISE NOW.

2004

-Documentary Edit and Storytelling Lab initiated to provide creative support through the editing phase of nonfiction filmmaking.

-Sundance Film Festival - Award winners included MARIA FULL OF GRACE, SUPERSIZE ME, and PRIMER.

-I AM MY OWN WIFE, a play developed by Doug Wright with the support of the Sundance Institute Theatre Program, received popular and critical acclaim, winning the Pulitzer Prize, the Tony Award for Best Play, and the Tony Award for Best Actor in recognition of Jefferson Mays‘ performance.

-Doug Wright, Scott Frankel, and Michael Korie developed their musical adaptation of the documentary film GREY GARDENS at the Theatre Lab at White Oak. The work is scheduled to premiere in New York in the spring of 2006.

2005

-Sundance Film Festival - World Cinema Competition launched as part of Festival‘s evolving commitment to international film; Sundance Online Film Festival was enhanced to stream same-day coverage from Park City alongside selections of the short film programs that show at the Festival; Award winners included WHY WE FIGHT, FORTY SHADES OF BLUE, SQUID AND THE WHALE, and SHAKE HANDS WITH THE DEVIL: THE JOURNEY OF ROMEO DALLAIRE.

-Sundance Institute Theatre Program collaborated with the Stary Theatre of Krakow, Poland to offer theatre workshops and stage a production of I AM MY OWN WIFE in Krakow.

-Adam Guettel and Craig Lucas‘ THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA, which was supported in its development by the Sundance Institute Theatre Program, wins six Tony Awards.