There is a tough barrier to break through for budding filmmakers, but the Sundance Institute has helped to pave the way for future filmmakers who are changing cinema one take at a time. In Los Angeles, the Sundance Institute has announced two support tracks for filmmakers in underrepresented communities. This continues the Institute’s constant commitment to create an inclusive cinematic community in order to create a platform for artists of variant visions.
Along with this announcement came the announcement of the eight members of the second class of the Momentum Fellowship. The fellowship is a year long program filled with creative support and professional opportunity for writers, directors, and producers from underrepresented communities in Hollywood. These talented individuals are ready to take the next step in their careers; working on documentaries, feature films, and episodic content. The Momentum Fellowship, which launched last year, originally evolved from the Women at Sundance Fellowship. Those eligible for this unique program include artists identifying as women, non-binary and/or transgender, artists of color, and artists with disabilities.
The 2020 Momentum Fellows are: Andrew Ahn, Linda Yvette Chávez, Christina Choe, Deborah Esquenazi, Rodney Evans, Penny Lane, Avril Z. Speaks, and Malika Zouhali-Worrall.
Warner Bros. is teaming up with the Sundance Institute to continue the dream of inclusion and equal representation in film both in front of and behind the camera. With the help of Warner Bros., the fellowship is to include access to executives and workshops hosted on the studio’s Burbank lot. In addition to aid from Warner Bros., each Momentum fellow receives professional coaching made possible by The Harnisch Foundation in partnership with Renee Freedman & Co.
Along with the Momentum Fellowship, Sundance Institute also announced the four awardees of the inaugural Launch Grant Fund, a new opportunity for emerging filmmakers from underrepresented communities launching their first feature film. The Launch Grant Fund will offer three to five artists per year up to $10,000 each in funding, designed to take feature films from the development stage into pre-production and beyond. The Launch Grant Fund was born out of an analysis by Dr. Stacy L. Smith and the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, which found systemic barriers for artists from underrepresented communities seeking to complete major works and build sustainable careers.
The 2020 Launch Grant Fund Recipients are: Marion Hill, Meryam Joobeur, Anais Blondet Medina and Kase Peña. More information on both the Momentum Fellows and Launch Grant Recipients appears below.
The world is an ever changing place, and with it the way we see the world and are entertained by it are also changed. Thanks to companies like Warner Bros., the Harnisch Foundation, Renee Freedman & Co., and the Sundance Institute, filmmakers of all colors and creeds are able to tell their stories. And as a viewing audience we eagerly await the cinematic wonders these incredibly talented individuals have in store.
Visit www.sundance.org for more information on grant and fellowship opportunites, the latest film festival info, and any upcoming events for film fans of all types! And for all other HorrorBuzz articles about Sundance and it’s happenings, click here!
