Artist Accelerator
Launched in 2021, Artist Accelerator Program provides leadership and strategy across Sundance Institute’s granting initiatives, pilots cross-disciplinary funding opportunities to propel artists along their professional and project journeys, and engages in industry innovation to build a more equitable and transparent field.
Artist Support
Artist Accelerator Program offers opportunities for artists to access funding to advance their projects, build their networks, and grow professionally. Our program provides Project Advancement and Completion Funding through our Zions Bank partnership – as well as year-long fellowships such as the Humanities Sustainability Fellowship, the Latine Fellowship and the Asian American Foundation Fellowship.
Humanities Sustainability Fellowship
The Sundance Institute Humanities Sustainability Fellowship is a year-long opportunity that provides 20 U.S.-based underemployed nonfiction mediamakers whose work and livelihood have been grossly affected by the pandemic with direct, unrestricted stipends to supplement their income, pairs them with humanities advisors to deepen the humanities content and approach, and provides professional development opportunities throughout the fellowship year.
The program, the first of its kind at the Institute, hopes that by providing mediamakers with monthly stipends, we will alleviate the financial burden the pandemic has had on the creative minds leading the field in recovery from the impacts of COVID, and by pairing artists with humanities advisors, we will help foster community and collaboration between humanities practitioners and mediamakers.
Asian American Foundation Fellowship and Scholarship
The Sundance Institute Asian American Foundation Fellowship and Scholarship provides 12 emerging Asian-American artists with professional development, opportunities to connect with like-minded creatives to develop and grow one’s network and Collab Creator+ memberships. Our goal is to have a positive impact on Asian-American representation in independent media and to strengthen connections to other organizations working in the space. The Program consists of two strands: the Sundance Institute Asian American Fellowship and the Sundance Institute Asian American Scholarship.
The Asian American Fellowship and Scholarship is developed with support from The Asian American Foundation (TAAF), and additional support from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.
Latine Fellowship and Scholarship
The Sundance Institute Latine Fellowship and Collab Scholarship provides 11 emerging Latine artists with professional development, opportunities to connect with like-minded creatives to develop and grow one’s network, and Collab Creator+ memberships.
The program aims to positively impact Latine representation in Sundance Institute programs and independent media. The Program consists of two strands: the Sundance Institute Latine Fellowship and the Sundance Institute Latine Collab Scholarship.
Developed with founding support from Lyn Lear and Cindy Horn, and additional support from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.
Sundance Institute Completion Fund
The Sundance Institute Completion Fund in partnership with Zions Bank provides unrestricted grants to BIPOC and Women filmmakers working across fiction and nonfiction. Applicants must be planning to premiere their film in the first six (6) months of the calendar year to be eligible. Selections are by invitation only and open to nominated candidates that are receiving support via an Institute Program.
Industry Innovation
The Non-Fiction Core Application Proposal Checklist
The Non-Fiction Core Application (v. 2022) is a collaborative field-wide effort by funders, producers, fiscal sponsors, artist collectives and artist support organizations to standardize a set of questions that are used in non-fiction funding, fiscal sponsor or artist support opportunities. Led by Sundance Institute, in partnership with the IDA, the goal of Non-Fiction Core Application Proposal Checklist Initiative to alleviate the burden of proposal re-writing on applicants, foster greater access to sources of creative and financial support and build toward a more equitable and transparent nonfiction field.
