YouTube & Sundance Institute Extend Multi-Year Collaboration

YouTube and Sundance Institute announced today an expansion of their multi-year collaboration to support the development of emerging storytellers. New initiatives in 2016 include a curated festival experience and storytelling intensive workshop for Youtube Creators and a joint Sundance Institute | Youtube Lab to discover and support new artists creating episodic content.

"On YouTube, there are NO LIMITS to creative freedom and we are committed to actively advancing the work of innovative, risk-taking storytellers worldwide," said Danielle Tiedt, Chief Marketing Officer, YouTube. "Our extensive collaboration with Sundance Institute furthers our mission to connect with, inspire and support independent creators."

"The Sundance Institute | Youtube Creators Intensive and New Voices Lab will discover and nurture a new class of visionary independent artists creating episodic content. Together with our broader Episodic Storytelling Initiative, these programs will support the next generation of artists who are shaping the very nature of the form and bringing fresh, original series to audiences," said Michelle Satter, Founding Director of Sundance Institute's Feature Film Program. .

The Youtube and Sundance Institute 2016 collaboration includes the following five elements:

Sundance Institute | Youtube New Voices Lab
For over thirty years, Sundance Institute has supported and championed many leading independent storytellers through their year-round Labs program. The Sundance Institute | Youtube New Voices Lab will take place November 16 - 18, 2016 at Youtube Space LA. Fellows who are accepted into the program will work with an accomplished group of creators, showrunners and episodic producers to develop projects in an environment that encourages risk-taking, experimentation and innovation. Afterwards, Fellows will have access to Sundance Institute's Alumni community, along with customized, year-round creative and strategic support. Visit sundance.org/episodic to apply for the Lab beginning February 15, 2016 through March 27, 2016.

Sundance Institute | Youtube Creators Intensive
A class of Youtube Creators have been selected to participate in this inaugural 'Intensive' -- a two-part program that begins on-site at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival, followed by a three-day workshop at Youtube Space LA from March 31 - April 2, 2016. With the Institute's world-renowned Labs serving as a model, this immersive experience will support Youtube creators in developing new series and films. Upon completion, participants may be eligible for a first look deal with Youtube Originals. The creators selected for this workshop include Anna Akana, The Gregory Brothers, Devin Graham of DevinSupertramp, Allison Raskin and Gaby Dunn of Just Between Us, Yulin Kuang of YulinIsWorking, Nikki Limo, Franchesca Ramsey, Jus Reign (Jasmeet), and Adande Thorne aka sWooZie.

YouTube Presents the 2016 Sundance Film Festival Shorts Program
For the fourth year in a row, Youtube presents the 2016 Sundance Film Festival Shorts program that showcases short-form independent cinema. As part of this sponsorship, Youtube will host the opening reception for the Festival Shorts directors.

YouTube Panels and Screenings for 2016 Sundance Film Festival Attendees
YouTube will present the following panels for festival attendees:

YouTube Red Originals Showcase & Panel
Sunday, January 24, 2016, 5:30-7:30pm
Holiday Theater, Park City, UT
Global Head of Original Content, YouTube, Susanne Daniels, will be joined by Youtube stars Lilly Singh (A Trip to Unicorn Island) and Gavin Free (Lazer Team) and Awesomeness Films head Matt Kaplan (Dance Camp) to preview and discuss their upcoming projects that will debut exclusively on Youtube Red in early February, as well as how to build a community around content on YouTube. This session will be moderated by co-editor in chief for Variety, Andrew Wallenstein.

YouTube & The Rise of Virtual Reality Panel Discussion
Saturday, January 23, 3 - 4:30pm
New Frontier Gateway (Microcinema) 136 Heber Ave Park City, UT 84060
Virtual reality and 360-degree video on Youtube are transforming how we experience stories. Join a discussion with Global Head of Original Content, YouTube, Susanne Daniels, Head of content strategy for VR team, Todd Shaiman, Co-Founder and CTO of VRSE, Aaron Koblin and Matthew Patrick from The Game Theorists on how innovations in video offer a new way for filmmakers to tell, share and connect stories with a digital audience.

Sundance Film Festival Short Film Tour, Presented by YouTube
YouTube will present the Sundance Film Festival Shorts Tour, a theatrical program of each year's award-winning shorts from the Festival, playing in art house theaters in over 50 cities in the US and Canada.

The creative partnership between Youtube and Sundance Institute builds upon YouTube's long-standing commitment to investing in creative voices around the world. In 2015, YouTube's Susanne Daniels announced a slate of Youtube Red Originals Series and Films that will premiere throughout 2016. Youtube also opened new Youtube Space production facilities in Berlin, Paris and Mumbai; announced plans for future Spaces in Rio and Toronto; and expanded creator programs at existing Spaces in Los Angeles, New York, London, Tokyo and Sao Paulo, including free workshops, community events and production resources. The Youtube Creator Academy also provides a myriad of online learning resources to help creators anywhere in the world build a community and a business on YouTube.

About YouTube
Launched in May 2005, Youtube allows BILLIONS of people to discover, watch and share originally-created videos. Youtube provides a forum for people to connect, inform, and inspire others across the globe and acts as a distribution platform for original content creators and advertisers large and small. Youtube is a Google company.

About Sundance Institute
Founded in 1981 by Robert Redford, Sundance Institute is a nonprofit organization that provides and preserves the space for artists in film, theatre, and new media to create and thrive. The Institute's signature Labs, granting, and mentorship programs, dedicated to developing new work, take place throughout the year in the U.S. and internationally. The Sundance Film Festival and other public programs connect audiences to artists in igniting new ideas, discovering original voices, and building a community dedicated to independent storytelling. Sundance Institute has supported such projects as Beasts of the Southern Wild, Fruitvale Station, Sin Nombre, The Invisible War, The Square, Dirty Wars, Spring Awakening, A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder and Fun Home. Join Sundance Institute on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.