Michelle Satter, the founding senior director of artist programmes at Sundance Institute, will be honoured at a gala fundraiser on January 24, 2025.
Satter is being recognised for her “longstanding commitment to nurturing artists and cultivating independent film through the Sundance Labs” over the past four decades.
The annual event will also see Vanguard Awards presented to Didi director Sean Wang, and Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie, co-directors of Sugarcane. All three premiered their films in Park City earlier this year.
“For over four decades Michelle has been devoted to truly championing independent storytellers,” said Amanda Kelso, acting CEO of Sundance Institute. “She has encouraged artists to own their voice, learn their craft, become fierce leaders, and develop their resilience in our changing ecosystem.”
Starting in 1981, Satter worked alongside Sundance Institute founder Robert Redford and developed ways of mentoring emerging independent storytellers, launching with the annual June Filmmakers Lab. Since then she has built the Episodic Program, Producers Program, the Institute’s global initiatives, and oversees the Indigenous, Catalyst, and Documentary programmes, as well as the Sundance Collab global digital platform for storytelling, learning, and community.
She has acted as a mentor to the likes of Quentin Tarantino, Chloé Zhao, Dee Rees, John Cameron Mitchell, Paul Thomas Anderson, Gina Prince-Bythewood, Ryan Coogler, Miranda July, Kimberly Peirce, Darren Aronofsky, Sterlin Harjo, and Taika Waititi, among others.
“Championing independent artists through the Sundance Institute has been the driving force of my career,” Satter said. “I’m passionately invested in this work because I believe that art and storytelling can truly reshape the world, sparking empathy, bridging humanity, and fostering understanding for global audiences, all while engaging and inspiring them.”
Sundance Film Festival runs January 23–February 2, 2025, in person in Park City and Salt Lake City. A selection of titles will become available online from January 30–February 2, 2025, for audiences across the United States.
No comments yet