Sundance Institute receives $4 million grant from Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria

Photo: Sundance Institute

PARK CITY, Utah – The non-profit Sundance Institute announced the largest endowment in its history, a $4 million endowment to the Institute’s Indigenous Program from the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria (FIGR).

The endowment from the FIGR will provide support for indigenous artists from both federally and non-federally recognized California-based tribes.

Graton Rancheria is a federally recognized Indian tribe comprising Coast Miwok and Southern Pomo Indians. In December 2000, a bill that gave the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria its federal recognition back was passed into law. California’s Rohnert Park, in Sonoma County, is home to their tribal lands.

The donation will enable Sundance Institute to broaden the services already provided to artists through the Indigenous Program. The Indigenous Program is a crucial part of the Institute’s work and was formally launched in 1994, but it has been ingrained in the organization’s values since its founding in 1981, when Robert Redford invited Native American filmmakers to take part in the founding meetings of Sundance Institute and its first filmmaking lab.

Greg Sarris, the FIGR Tribal Chairman, who himself had participated in the Sundance Institute’s 1992 Screenwriters Lab, helped make the endowment contribution possible. The endowment will immediately establish a new fellowship that will offer crucial financial and creative support to beginning and mid-career Indigenous artists who have a project in development or production.

“As a nonprofit, the Institute is so grateful to Greg Sarris and the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria on this incredibly generous gift that will ensure we are able to continue meaningfully supporting the development of the careers of Indigenous storytellers from tribes throughout the state of California,” said Joana Vicente, CEO of the Sundance Institute. “It means a lot to us that so many Native talents will be provided a space to learn, connect, and create thanks to this substantial support, and we’re especially appreciative of Greg for giving back to the Sundance family he has belonged to for decades.”

Each Graton fellow will receive a $25,000 grant, a year of creative mentoring from Indigenous Program personnel, access to opportunities for professional and creative growth, and financial assistance to attend the Sundance Film Festival. Additionally, the donation will help Sundance Collab, the Sundance Institute’s online learning community for artists from all across the world to create scholarships.

The first round of fellowships and scholarships, which will be awarded in 2024, is now accepting applications through August 28, 2023.

“When I was a part of the Screenwriter’s Lab at Sundance in 1992, I witnessed firsthand the incredible support that the Institute provides to all artists, but Indigenous talent specifically,” said Greg Sarris, tribal chairman of the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria. “We are excited to see the creative breakthroughs from future fellows and scholarship recipients. Supporting and nurturing these artists will open up pathways to success for the entire California Indigenous creative community and enable us to tell our stories.”

The Sundance Institute, which was founded by Robert Redford in 1981, has long been a curator of independent filmmakers and storytellers. The Institute’s signature Labs, granting, and mentorship programs, dedicated to developing new work, take place throughout the year in the U.S. and internationally.

Interested applicants must be affiliated with a tribe within the state of California and can learn more here.