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 an orientation event for this year’s filmmakers at Guild headquarters in Los Angeles. During the orientation, DGA Special Assignments Executive Jennifer Peat spoke with the attendees and discussed the economic and creative protections and community that Guild membership can provide and relayed that many DGA Directors screened their early work at Slamdance. They also heard from Slamdance President & Co-Founder Peter Baxter, Film Festival & Screenplay Competition Manager Anna Lee Lawson, Social Media & Marketing Consultant Eddie Bernard, Board Member Paul Rachman and Co-Founder at Large Dan Mirvish. The Filmmakers then introduced themselves and spoke about their projects.
The DGA is a longtime sponsor of the Festival and many filmmakers who are now noted DGA Director-members screened their early work at Slamdance including Christopher Nolan, Lee Isaac Chung and Anthony and Joe Russo.
