1981 Directors Lab

The Directors Lab is held for 3-4 weeks each June at the Sundance Resort in Sundance, Utah. A total of eight projects, the vast majority of which have participated in a previous Screenwriters Lab, are invited to participate. There is no open application for the Directors Lab; rather, applicants to the January Screenwriters Lab program are considered for the June Directors Lab after their projects have been selected for the January Screenwriters Lab.
Over the course of the Directors Lab, the Fellows work with an accomplished group of Creative Advisors and professional production crews, rehearsing, shooting, and editing key scenes from their scripts. Through this intense, hands-on process, the Fellows push the boundaries of their scripts, allowing them to workshop text, collaborate with actors, and find a visual language for their film in an atmosphere where experimentation is encouraged. Surrounded by seasoned professionals, yet removed from the typical pressures of production, Lab Fellows are offered a unique opportunity to see the script “on its feet,” develop skills, and take risks. Directors Lab Fellows also join in the week-long Screenwriters Lab with five additional Screenwriter projects to participate in individualized story sessions under the guidance of established screenwriters.

  • Credits
  • Projects

Irving Azoff

Creative Advisor

Tony Bill

Creative Advisor

Ian Calderon

Creative Advisor

Frank Daniel

Creative Advisor

Caleb Deschanel

Creative Advisor

Monte Dolack

Creative Advisor

Robert Geller

Creative Advisor

Michael Hausman

Creative Advisor

Alan Jacobs

Creative Advisor

Lamont Johnson

Creative Advisor

Laszlo Kovacs

Creative Advisor

Ed Lynch

Creative Advisor

Karl Malden

Creative Advisor

Ivan Passer

Creative Advisor

Sydney Pollack

Creative Advisor

J.A.C. Redford

Creative Advisor

Robert Redford

Creative Advisor

Tom Rickman

Creative Advisor

Martin Ritt

Creative Advisor

Waldo Salt

Creative Advisor

Annick Smith

Creative Advisor

Chris Spotted Eagle

Creative Advisor

Patrizia Von Brandenstein

Creative Advisor

Mary Apick

Actor

Lee Biolos

Actor

Tom Bower

Actor

Stephen Collins

Actor

Miriam Cruz

Actor

Morgan Freeman

Actor

Santiago Gonzalez

Actor

Jonah Greenberg

Actor

Christopher Guest

Actor

Zaide Gutierrez

Actor

Foster Hood

Actor

Don Keefer

Actor

Karl Malden

Actor

Mary Mercier

Actor

Jose Luiz Moreno

Actor

Lynn Moody

Actor

Alaina Reed

Actor

Tony Roman

Actor

Chris Spotted Eagle

Actor

Patsy Stevens

Actor

Sidney Walker

Actor

Shannon Wilcox

Actor

Peter Beiler

Creative Advisor

Jack Bender

Creative Advisor

Jim Owens

Creative Advisor

Reed Smoot

Creative Advisor

Robert M. Young

Creative Advisor

Edward James Olmos

Actor

Jennifer Salt

Actor

Claire Townsend

Creative Advisor
 
As you use our Online Archives, please understand that the information presented from Festivals, Labs, and other activities is taken directly from official publications from each year. While this information is limited and doesn't necessarily represent the full list of participants (e.g. actors and crew), it is the list given to us by the main film/play/project contact at the time, based on the space restrictions of our publications. Each entry in the Online Archives is meant as a historical record of a particular film, play, or project at the time of its involvement with Sundance Institute. For this reason, we can only amend an entry if a name is misspelled, or if the entry does not correctly reflect the original publication. If you have questions or comments, please email [email protected]