The 2026 Slamdance Film Festival — which focuses on emerging artists — took place in-person from February 19-25 in Los Angeles.
On the first day of the festival, the DGA hosted the welcoming event for this year’s filmmakers at the Guild’s Los Angeles headquarters. During the event, DGA Special Assignments Executive Jennifer Peat informed the attendees about the economic and creative protections and the sense of community that Guild membership can provide and noted that many DGA members screened their early work at Slamdance.
The attendees also heard from Slamdance President & Co-Founder Peter Baxter, Film Festival & Screenplay Competition Manager Anna Lee Lawson, Slamdance Unstoppable Co-Founder Juliet Romeo and Board Member Paul Rachman and Co-Founder at Large Dan Mirvish. The filmmakers were then invited to introduce themselves and speak about their projects.
The DGA is a longtime sponsor of the Festival. Among the filmmakers who are now noted DGA members who screened their early work at Slamdance are Directors Christopher Nolan, Lee Isaac Chung and Anthony and Joe Russo.
