Funder: Sundance Institute
Due Dates: Invitation-only (no deadline published)
Funding Amounts: $25,000 in unrestricted, non-recoupable grant funding
Summary: Supports directors of feature-fiction projects needing critical development financing or urgent assistance to advance.
Key Information: Candidates must be nominated through prior Sundance Institute support or a partner organization; projects without previous Institute engagement may receive support.
Description
Launched in 2023 with support from The Walt Disney Studios, this fund provides grants to directors working on feature-fiction projects across a variety of genres. It focuses on projects that need critical development financing or urgent assistance to move forward meaningfully, prioritizing those for which funding would have the greatest impact and catalyze the next step.
The fund is administered through Sundance Institute’s Artist Accelerator Program, which provides financial, creative, and tactical support to emerging and mid-career independent storytellers. Artist Accelerator funds support both projects previously supported by Sundance Institute and projects with no previous Institute engagement. Access to its fellowships and grants is invitation-only.
