Will and Jada Pinkett Smith, Sundance Institute Collaborate to Support Underrepresented Screenwriters

By Sameer Rao Jan 23, 2017

The Sundance Institute announced an alliance with Will and Jada Pinkett Smith‘s namesake foundation to support emerging screenwriters from marginalized populations.

In a statement yesterday (January 22), the Institute said it will collaborate with The Will & Jada Smith Family Foundation on a two-year initiative "to support diverse independent artists." The crux of that commitment is the Screenwriting Intensive, a two-day workshop for "10 emerging screenwriters from underrepresented communities."

The Intensive is part of the Institute’s Feature Film Program, which supports movies from creators of color, including Ryan Coogler‘s "Fruitvale Station" and Cary Fukunaga‘s "Sin Nombre." Both the Intensive and Feature Film Program fall within the Institute’s broader Diversity Initiative, which also features specific programs for Native, Asian-American and Latinx filmmakers.

"We are honored and energized to collaborate with Sundance Institute to cultivate stories and storytellers reflective of the world at large, and we view today as the beginning of a productive, purposeful and powerful alignment with an enduring institution," Pinkett Smith said in the statement.

Applications for the program are not yet available.