News – Sheridan Media
On July 22, Ucross Foundation announced the 11 producers participating in the annual Sundance Institute Producers Lab, which has returned this month to the nonprofit artist residency program on its historic 20,000-acre ranch in northern Wyoming. Fiction producers were in residence at Ucross from July 14–19, and nonfiction producers are in residence from July 21-26.
“We are honored to welcome Sundance Institute back to Ucross,” said Caitlin Addlesperger, Ucross President and Executive Director. “We look forward to discovering how the trans-formative benefits of uninterrupted time for creative work impacts these producers on our beautiful ranch.”
This marks the second year of Ucross hosting the Producers Lab and the 26th year of the organization’s partnership with Sundance Institute. For more than two decades, the two nonprofits collaborated over the Sundance Institute Playwrights & Composers Retreat at Ucross.
More than 100 artists benefitted from the partnership, including Billy Porter, Hannah Gadsby, Michael R. Jackson, Charlayne Woodard, Jeanine Tesori, Doug Wright, Annie Baker, Adam Guettel, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, and Tanya Saracho.
In 2023, Ucross and Sundance Institute reconfigured the partnership, transitioning from playwrights to producers. In 2024, the acclaimed Producers Lab was moved from the Sundance Lodge to Ucross Foundation for two weeks.
The Sundance Institute Producers Program champions independent producers across career stages, empowering them to refine their craft in recognition of their pivotal role in the storytelling ecosystem. The Producers Lab is the focal point of the program and kicks off a yearlong fellowship, creating a community for fiction and nonfiction film producers as they network and participate in professional development opportunities while working on a feature-length project.
This year’s participants experience a fresh energy that mirrors the changing landscape of contemporary storytelling — one that is increasingly fluid and cross-genre. Fellows enjoy blocks of solo creative time to create, augmented with organic conversations where they can reflect on process.
Photo courtesy of Ucross and the Sundance Institute
While Sundance Institute has curated several artists who identify theatre as their primary discipline, for the first time, the group of selected fellows represents a multidisciplinary range of artistic work. As always, the Residency remains dedicated to uninhibited creativity, professional growth and peer mentorship. Emerging independent producers selected for the
Producers Lab build community while receiving project-specific support in one-on-one meetings and small group sessions with established producers and industry advisors.
Fellows sharpen their leadership and problem-solving skills while cultivating creative thinking. They develop strategies for pitching, securing funding, managing production, navigating the marketplace, and achieving sustainability. The 2025 cohort includes six fiction film producers and five nonfiction film producers.
Following the lab, fellows receive ongoing support through a yearlong mentor-ship from a dedicated advisor, industry networking opportunities, regular cohort gatherings, Sundance Collab benefits, and participation in ELEVATE, Sundance Institute’s professional development track.
For a list of this year’s fellows go to ucrossfoundation.org
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Last modified: July 26, 2025