On February 27, the African American Steering Committee (AASC) virtual meeting featured the panel discussion,A Conversation with Michelle Satter of the Sundance Institute & Kim Yutani of the Sundance Film Festival. During a discourse moderated by Committee Co-Chair Gina Prince-Bythewood, Satter, the Sundance Institute’s Founding Senior Director, Artist Programs (The Labs) and Yutani, the Director of Programming for the Sundance Film Festival discussed the history of the Programs and identified what they look for when choosing applicants to the Labs and the Festival. Prince-Bythewood shared her journey to bring her film, Love & Basketball, to fruition and the role that Sundance played in making the feature a reality. Satter talked of the “Culture of Generosity” fostered at Sundance and shared the words of encouragement she uses when working with Filmmakers still finding their voice which is that “you have a story, only you can tell”. Yutani answered questions about the process and submission and what they are looking for in the projects that she and her team choose.
The Sundance Institute is a non-profit organization founded by Robert Redford committed to the growth of independent artists. Driven by its programs that discover and support independent filmmakers, theatre artists and composers from all over the world, the goal to introduce audiences to the artists' new work, aided by the institute's labs, granting and mentorship programs that take place throughout the year in the United States and internationally.
The Sundance Film Festival brings original storytellers together for its annual program of dramatic and documentary films, shorts, New Frontier films, installations, performances, panel discussions, and dynamic music events. The 2023 Festival took place from January 19-29 in person and online. The DGA is a longtime supporter of the Festival.
About the Committee:
The African American Steering Committee (AASC) was born of a desire to address the specific needs of the African-American members of the Directors Guild. One of the primary goals of the Committee is to establish a productive line of communication between African-American members and the creative community. The Committee meets monthly to plan events throughout the year celebrating the achievements of African-Americans, as well as forums with industry executives to proactively address what can be done to hire more African-Americans.