Sundance Announces 2025 Fellows for Inaugural Cultural Impact Residency (EXCLUSIVE)

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As your trusted movie reviewer, I’m thrilled to share an exclusive scoop: The first eight fellows taking part in the innovative Sundance Institute Cultural Impact Residency program are none other than Caron Creighton, Jennifer Huang, Kristal Sotomayor, Alejandra López, A.D. Smith, Wendi Tang, Caitlin McCarthy, and Kaelo Iyizoba. This promising group is set to make waves in the world of filmmaking!

In tribute to the social justice champion, Michael Latt, Sundance has launched a six-month online initiative aimed at empowering underrepresented narrators in their professional journeys.

The organization offers individual sessions with advisors from Sundance Institute for project feedback, bi-monthly gatherings with the cohort to discuss progress and share work, an opportunity to meet with Michelle Satter, the founding senior director of Artist Programs at Sundance Institute, and meetings with relevant staff members from the Artist Program at Sundance Institute.

Experts guiding the initial residency program are Rita Baghdadi (known for “Sirens”), Patricia Cardoso (“Real Women Have Curves”), David France (“How to Survive a Plague”), Claudia Llosa (“The Milk of Sorrow”), Reinaldo Marcus Green (“King Richard”), LaToya Morgan (“Duster”), Rodrigo Reyes (“Sansón And Me”), Jessica Sharzer (“A Simple Favor”) and Justin Simien (“Dear White People”).

The inaugural residency has advisors such as Rita Baghdadi (of “Sirens” fame), Patricia Cardoso (“Real Women Have Curves”), David France (“How to Survive a Plague”), Claudia Llosa (“The Milk of Sorrow”), Reinaldo Marcus Green (“King Richard”), LaToya Morgan (“Duster”), Rodrigo Reyes (“Sansón And Me”), Jessica Sharzer (“A Simple Favor”) and Justin Simien (“Dear White People”).

The program will be active until August, dividing the chosen eight fellows into three categories: writing-directing, nonfiction, and episodic. Among those focusing on documentary filmmaking are Creighton, Huang, and Sotomayor (with their projects being “Wood Street”, “The Long Rescue”, and “Untitled PARS Project” respectively). In the writing-directing group we have López (“Salmon Run”), Smith (“r.e.g.g.i.n”), and Tang (“Fishtank”). Lastly, McCarthy and Iyizoba are part of the writing track with their projects “A Native Land” and “Birthright”.

Previous artistic endeavors that have received backing from Sundance Institute’s programs are titles such as “Beasts of the Southern Wild,” “The Big Sick,” “Call Me by Your Name,” “CODA,” “Didi,” “The Farewell,” “Summer of Soul,” and “Mudbound.” These projects have all been part of the institute’s successful support system for artists.

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2025-03-24 20:16