EXCLUSIVE: The Sundance Institute and Peter Luo’s Stars Collective (Crazy Rich Asians, Midway, Marshall, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark) have partnered on the new Imagination Award that grants $25,000 each to three metaverse-based projects that show innovation “in a rapidly evolving mediascape.” Candidates were submitted to the Sundance Film Festival’s New Frontier Program with winners were selected by fest programmers and reps of Stars Collective, a talent incubator.
The award extends a Sundance-Stars Collective partnership from 2020 that launched the Granting Fund to support diverse filmmakers from historically marginalized communities.
The cash has provided project advancement and completion support to over 30 films so far, including works by Jamila Wignot (Ailey), Alison O’Daniel (Tuba Thieves), Nikyatu Jusu (Nanny) and Isabel Castro (Mija).
Nine have premiered at Sundance. Inaugural Imagination Award winners: 40 Acres: Lead Artist, Tamara Shogaolu.
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