Sundance Institute To Expand Indigenous Program Through Largest Endowment In Its History

The Sundance Institute received a $4 million endowment — the largest gift in the nonprofit’s history — from the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria (FIGR) on Tuesday to benefit the film organization’s long-running Indigenous Program.

FIGR is a federally recognized tribe of the Coast Miwok and Southern Pomo people in Northern California. The tribe has made numerous donations to various causes, including a $200,000 grant for habitat restoration in Marin County, California, and a $2.5 million donation to fund tuition for Native American students in the University of California system. 

The Sundance Institute, a nonprofit that puts on a prestigious annual film festival in Park City, Utah, said in a news release  it would use the funding to expand opportunities provided by the long-running program in the immediate future, with applications for new fellowships and scholarships already open. 

Sundance, founded by actor Robert Redford in 1981, “provides and preserves the space for artists across storytelling media to create and thrive,” according to the organization’s website.

With the funding, Sundance has created the Graton Fellowship for emerging and mid-career Indigenous artists, which will provide a grant of $25,000, a yearslong creative mentorship from the Sundance Indigenous Program’s staff, access to creative and professional development opportunities, and support to attend the Sundance Film Festival. 

Only one Graton Fellow will be accepted in the first year, but a spokesperson from Sundance told HuffPost that the number will increase. The spokesperson also confirmed that 13 new scholarships will be provided, which will offer learning opportunities via Sundance Collab, a global digital storytelling community and learning platform.

FIGR Tribal Chairman Greg Sarris, who was part of the Sundance Institute’s Screenwriters Lab in 1992, helped facilitate the endowment. 

“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,” Sarris said in a news release. 

Sundance’s Indigenous Program was officially established in 1994, and has supported the work of several notable Indigenous creatives over the years, including Taika Waititi, Sydney Freeland, Sterlin Harjo and Sky Hopinka. The program has grown and expanded over the years, such as with the recent addition of an Indigenous non-fiction three-day intensive program .

“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,” Sundance Institute CEO Joana Vicente said in a statement. 

For years, Indigenous representation in the film and TV industry has been lackluster, both on and off screen. According to a 2021 Hollywood Diversity Report from the University of California, Los Angeles, Native Americans represented only 1.1% of working TV staff writers and 0.8% of employed screenwriters in the 2019-2020 season.

Though there is still a long way to go, efforts are underway to increase representation in creative fields for Indigenous people, including pathway programs and fellowships such as Netflix’s IllumiNative Producers Program . 

In the news release, Adam Piron, director of the Sundance Institute’s Indigenous Program, emphasized the importance of its opportunities, pointing out that much of cinema’s history as well as the establishment of the American film industry is based in California yet has rarely included the people whose land sustained it.

“The ripple effect of the opportunities created through this endowment will be significant. Our program is dedicated to empowering a broad range of Indigenous voices, and we’re so excited to be able to expand our mission, specifically to California Indigenous tribes, with the addition of the fellowship and Collab scholarships,” Piron said.