Your Sundance Survival Guide
Predictions, Tips, and Tricks - Plus How to Enjoy the Fest from Home
Happy Thursday, friends. It’s Sundance season. We’re interrupting our typical newsletter structure to get you up-to-speed — whether you’re on a plane to Salt Lake or on your couch, ready to follow the fest from home.
A great place to start: Brian Newman’s three dreams for this year’s festival — especially his push for creative collaboration across funding, programming, distribution and marketing. “Come-on folks – get outside your circles and get to know one another, because we all need each other to build a better future!” Well said, Brian. Let’s dive in!
Sundance 2024 from A to Z
Say hello to Sundance filmmakers and attendees on the app.
What to Watch For: A is for Anticipation
Rolling Stone: 20 Most-Anticipated Movies. “It’s been co-opted and commercialized and slapped onto a cable channel... So much has changed. And somehow, despite the odds, so much of what Sundance matter in the first place has remained the same.”
IndieWire: 18 Movies That Could Sell Big. “We don’t have a crystal ball for what will sell big (or at all), but we can report on the movies that agents, publicists, producers, and distributors — all of whom have a vested interest in what they’re drumming up excitement for — keep telling us about.”
On Portrait: 4 Days of Filmmaker Interviews. Watch out for exclusive Sundance interviews on the Portrait app from our partnership with Deadline!
How to Fest from Anywhere: B is for Binging…
The Best. Hit up the best-ever Sundance films according to 500+ festival-linked filmmakers, critics and dealmakers: 1)Whiplash, 2) Reservoir Dogs, 3) Get Out, 4) Little Miss Sunshine, and 5) Memento. Then read how some of the greats started as shorts. Shout out to Whiplash producer, Portrait member Gary Michael Walters.
The New. 9 Big Films You Can Watch Online, From A Real Pain to Rob Peace.
The Commemorative. The Festival is celebrating its 40th anniversary with a series of restoration screenings, from Napoleon Dynamite to The Babadook. Not on the ground for the big screen versions? It’s a great time for a remote re-watch.
Where to Go: P is for Parties (and P&I)
Parties, Panels, Popups.
Roundup of Events, Panels and Parties for 2024 Festival in Park City (Updating, Hollywood Reporter)
Color-Coded P&I Schedule.
Brian Newman (of Sundance predictions above) demanded that we build him a color-coded, easy-to-skim press & industry schedule in the app (so he could get out of the Sundance spreadsheet). So that’s what we did. Teal is for P&I. Black is for Public Screenings. Ask and you shall receive.
How to Hold It Together: Zzz is for…. Remembering to Sleep, Eat, and Bundle Up.
Pack smart. As wild weather vexes the festival kickoff, this ultimate packing List from Sundance organizers is worth a read… either in your closet or at an emergency REI in Utah.
Eat well. If you’re on duty for meals for your Sundance crew, check out In Good Company. Popping up in Park City just for the fest, IGC delivers ready-to-eat, affordable meals from famous chefs. Order in advance or anytime throughout the festival here. 15% off your order with referral code PORTRAITEATS!
Find your friends, old and new. We hope many of you received our rundown on all the new in-app tools we launched yesterday to help you navigate the fest. One of our favorites: Sundance attendee search to find attendees by name or role. Search, DM, find a friend in line, at a party, for a meeting. Stay warm, reach out to each other, and have fun! And update your app to see the new tools!
Window of Opportunity
aka The Discover Tab 🔍
Check out the Discover Tab on Portrait for grants, programs, jobs, and deadlines.
Coming Soon: Portrait @ Sundance
Sundance Mixer. We can’t wait to celebrate the Portrait members who made 70% of this year’s Sundance films. A huge thank you to our partners at 8 Above, The Film Collaborative, and the DPA. With curry bowls from In Good Company! The party is at capacity - so come early if you want to ensure you get in!
Film Fatales Panel. We’re thrilled to partner with Film Fatales and United Airlines on their Breaking Glass panel + reception. Shout out to Portrait panelists Asmae El Moudir and Carla Gutiérrez!
Closing Soon: Programs + Grants
Have an opportunity to share? Post it on the app or fill out our form.
HamptonsFilm Screenwriting Lab (1/18 deadline + discount)
New Orleans Emerging Voices Lab (1/19 deadline)
LEF Moving Image Fund (1/19 deadline)
CBS Leadership Pipeline Challenge (1/19 deadline)
Fox Entertainment Writers Incubator (1/19 deadline)
Southern Producers Lab (1/19 deadline)
Emerging Voices Directors Lab (1/19 deadline)
NYFA Artist Fellowship (1/25 deadline)
Jewish Story Partners Grant (1/26 deadline)
A-Doc Storytelling Initiative (1/26 deadline)
Film Independent Imaginar TV Incubator for Fearless Latinx Creators (2/2 deadline)
2024 Nature Connection Pitch at Mountainfilm Festival (applications open 1/12, deadline 2/5)
Sandbox Fund (2/5 deadline)
Primetime Empower Fund (2/5 deadline)
AT&T Untold Stories | Tribeca (2/6 deadline)
Sony Future Filmmakers (2/15 deadline)
Proof of Concept - Advancing Women Filmmakers (2/16 deadline)
Telly Awards (2/25 deadline)
SagIndie Film Music Connect (rolling deadline)
Elevate Collective (rolling deadline)
Ford Foundation JustFilms Grants (rolling deadline)
Awesome Foundation Grants (rolling deadline)
Perspective Fund (rolling deadline)
Jobs/Gigs Roundup
Have a job to share? Share it on the app or fill out our form.
Vice President, Creative Development - Screen Gems, Sony Pictures.
Creative Executive II - Screen Gems, Sony Pictures.
Vice President, Development, Factual Studio, A+E Network.
Unscripted Creative Development Executive, MGM Alternative.
Senior Producer – Race, Culture & Inclusion (ABC News), ABC News.
Photographer/Videographer, Morning Coffee Creative.
Sr Photographer / Videographer (Content Studio), Disney Parks, Experiences and Products.
Audio Editor, Sports Newsroom - Part Time, Sirius XM.
Rapid Response Senior Video Editor, Joe Biden 2024 Presidential Campaign.
Digital Editor, Convergence, Warner Bros. Discovery.
Digital Editor, Hearst.
Assistant Editor, Chicago Bulls.
Assistant Editor/ DIT, MrBeast.
Content Creator Video Production, Universal Studios Hollywood.
EDITOR - NBA, Valnet Freelance.
Editor, Leadership Programs, Netflix.
Video Editor, Studio Center.
End Credits: Portrait Post of the Week
Until next week, friends. See you in the snow and on the app.
Receive this guide from a friend? Request an invite to Portrait here. Add “Sundance” in your referral for fast-track review.