1989 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

Walter Bernstein

Creative Advisor

James L. Brooks

Creative Advisor

Allen Daviau

Creative Advisor

Irene Diamond

Creative Advisor

Stanley Donen

Creative Advisor

Randa Haines

Creative Advisor

Conrad Hall

Creative Advisor

Chris Hampson

Creative Advisor

Monte Hellman

Creative Advisor

Ian Hunter

Creative Advisor

Irvin Kershner

Creative Advisor

Ring Lardner Jr.

Creative Advisor

Luis Mandoki

Creative Advisor

Joan Micklin-Silver

Creative Advisor

Walter Murch

Creative Advisor

Richard Pearce

Creative Advisor

Frank Pierson

Creative Advisor

Abe Polonsky

Creative Advisor

Sydney Pollack

Creative Advisor

Robert Redford

Creative Advisor

Tom Rickman

Creative Advisor

Matthew Robbins

Creative Advisor

Amy Robinson

Creative Advisor

Paul Ryan

Creative Advisor

Terry Southern

Creative Advisor

Howard Smith

Creative Advisor

Oliver Stone

Creative Advisor

Bill Wittliff

Creative Advisor

Elizabeth Pena

Actor

D.B. Sweeney

Actor

Graham Beckel

Actor

Elizabeth Berridge

Actor

Michael Boatman

Actor

Rae Dawn Chong

Actor

Caitlin Clarke

Actor

Cylk Cozart

Actor

Arliss Howard

Actor

Laura Innes

Actor

Paul McGann

Actor

Byron Minns

Actor

Rene Rivera

Actor

Branca Rose

Actor

Sela Ward

Actor

Tomas Gutierrez Alea

Creative Advisor

Jill Godmilow

Fellow
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]