In recent years, some of the most celebrated films have been written, directed, produced, and starred in by a diverse group of creators spanning genders, races, ages, and nationalities. The film industry needs this diversity in order to thrive — without it, we wouldn’t have the representation and unique perspectives required to tell authentic stories that challenge old belief systems.
At Adobe, it’s always been a part of our mission to support diverse storytellers and give them the opportunity to tell their stories. We recognize the importance of supporting emerging talent in filmmaking, particularly those who are underrepresented. Because of this, we’re so proud of our longstanding partnership with the Sundance Institute, an organization known for its ability to provide emerging filmmakers with exposure, opportunity, and community. Through our Sundance x Adobe Fellowships, we’re able to offer even more tangible support for a new cohort of talented filmmakers.
To date, 143 fellows have gone through the Sundance x Adobe Fellowships programs — 21 of those fellows have premiered their films at the Sundance Film Festival, and others have premiered at SXSW, Tribeca, and TIFF. This year, we're proud to welcome a new cohort of filmmakers to the Sundance Ignite x Adobe Fellowship.
Sundance Ignite x Adobe Fellowship
The Sundance Ignite x Adobe Fellowship launched in 2015 as a way to offer resources and opportunities to emerging filmmakers. The year-round artist development program is open to individuals from all backgrounds, ranging in ages from 18 to 25. Since the fellowship’s inception, we’ve been able to support more than 100 fellows with artist grants, workshops and seminars, partnership with Sundance Institute alumni mentors to offer both professional and artistic guidance, and year-long access to the Adobe Creative Cloud.
This year’s 10 fellows were chosen from a global pool of more than 1,000 submissions. Applicants had to submit a short film ranging from 1 to 15 minutes in length to be considered.
Sundance Women to Watch x Adobe Fellowship
The Sundance Women to Watch x Adobe Fellowship is aimed at supporting women filmmakers at pivotal points in their careers, offering a year-round program that fosters community, provides mentorship, and helps to nurture and develop these underrepresented voices. Since 2020, this fellowship has offered fellows custom-tailored mentorship programs with the Sundance Institute, ongoing coaching, skill-building workshops, financial grants to help support artists’ work, and a free one-year subscription to Adobe Creative Cloud.
Adobe believes that everyone deserves access to the tools and resources to be creative. Through the Sundance x Adobe Fellowships, we’re proud to be able to support such deserving, talented emerging filmmakers. See how Adobe is supporting independent filmmakers through our partnership with the Sundance Film Festival here.
