Sundance Institute Announces 2025 Fellows for Directors, Screenwriters, and Native Labs

©sundance

The Sundance Institute has officially revealed the fellows selected for its prestigious 2025 Directors, Screenwriters, and Native Labs, continuing its deep tradition of championing independent storytelling.

The Native Lab, running April 28–May 3 in Santa Fe, New Mexico, supports four Indigenous fellows and two artists-in-residence, helping them develop stories rooted in Indigenous experiences. Among the selected fellows are Jared Lank (Mi’kmaq), Isabella Dionne Madrigal (Cahuilla/Turtle Mountain Ojibwe), Alex Nystrom (Ojibwe), and Jordan Waunch (Métis), with creative support from notable advisors like Erica Tremblay and Bryson Chun.

This year also marks the 45th Directors Lab, hosted June 1–16 at the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado. Eight feature film projects will be nurtured through hands-on directing and editing workshops under the guidance of celebrated advisors such as Catherine Hardwicke, Rick Famuyiwa, and Ed Harris. Following the Directors Lab, an additional group of filmmakers will refine their scripts during the online Screenwriters Lab from June 24–27.

In a statement, Michelle Satter, Founding Senior Director of Artist Programs, emphasized Sundance’s enduring commitment to nurturing emerging voices through intensive creative and career support.

Past lab alumni include influential names like Chloé Zhao, Taika Waititi, and Nia DaCosta, and with this new cohort, Sundance continues to shape the future of independent cinema with bold, visionary artists.