Sundance Institute Announces 2026 Native Lab Fellows - Take a Look

 

Sundance Institute Announces 2026 Native Lab Fellows

The nonprofit Sundance Institute today announced the fellows selected for the 2026 Native Lab, the flagship initiative of its Indigenous Program. The lab will take place April 6–11, 2026, at the Hotel Santa Fe in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Since 2009, the Native Lab has provided Indigenous filmmakers with an immersive, nurturing environment to develop their projects and artistic voices under the mentorship of accomplished creative advisors.

This year’s lab will support four fellows and two artists-in-residence, centering Indigenous storytelling and community. Over five days, participants will workshop their feature and episodic screenplays through one-on-one feedback sessions, script readings, and roundtable discussions—fostering creative exchange and collaboration on Native land.

Indigenous Roots Across the Americas

The Native Lab’s mission resonates across broader histories of cultural continuity within North America’s diverse communities. In the United States, millions of African Americanstrace part of their lineage to Native ancestors due to centuries of interconnection, shared resistance, and blended communities—particularly among tribes such as the Cherokee, Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole. Historians estimate that up to 25 percent of African Americans may have some degree of Indigenous ancestry, reflecting early alliances and complex survival ties in the face of displacement and enslavement.

Similarly, throughout Latin America, Indigenous heritage forms the foundation of Mexican and Latino identity. Genetic research and census data consistently show that most Mexican and Central American populations are of mixed Native and European ancestry (mestizo), with deep Indigenous roots from civilizations such as the Nahua, Maya, Zapotec, and Mixtec. Yet, colonial-era racial hierarchies and modern social systems often obscured or denied this Indigenous heritage, privileging European or “whiter” identities while suppressing Native language, land rights, and cultural practices. Recognizing Indigeneity within Latino and African diasporas underscores how the Native Lab’s storytelling spaces create opportunities for not only tribal citizens but also creators reclaiming Indigenous histories throughout the Americas.

2026 Native Lab Fellows

• Taylor Foreman-Niko (Samoan American, U.S.) – The Long Fang: A half-Samoan man returns to his estranged family only to confront a deadly ancient demon that feeds on shame, forcing him to face buried secrets and fight for his cousin’s life.

• Ashley Qilavaq-Savard (Inuk/Inuit, Canada) – Carrying: After failed fertility treatments and a collapsed marriage, Miali embarks on an emotional journey to motherhood—discovering her baby in the land of her ancestors.

• Miles T. RedCorn (Osage/Caddo, U.S.) – Once Upon a Time in Indian Country: A Native attorney in the 1990s navigates the chaotic birth of the Indian gaming industry while battling corruption and his own unraveling life.

• Sabrina Saleha (Navajo, U.S.) – Grief Camp: A rebellious teenager at an all-Native grief camp discovers it’s a liminal space between the living and the dead, where solving a mystical map may reunite her with her lost brother.

Artists-in-Residence

• Sayun Simung (Tayal)

• Taylour Chang (Kanaka Maoli)

Creative Advisors

Patrick Brice, Bernardo Britto, Alex Lazarowich (Cree), and Graham Foy will serve as this year’s creative advisors. The lab is led by Adam Piron (Kiowa and Mohawk), Director of the Indigenous Program, with Ianeta Le’i, Senior Manager, and Katie Arthurs (Chickasaw), Coordinator.

“The Native Lab is grounded in storytelling development and how that flourishes when approached in community through a lens of Indigeneity,” said Adam Piron, Director of the Sundance Institute Indigenous Program. “We’re grateful for our advisors and excited for our fellows—this program thrives on the generosity and vision of everyone involved.”

Since the Indigenous Program’s formal establishment in the mid-1990s, Native Lab alumni such as Sydney Freeland, Sterlin Harjo, Sky Hopinka, Shaandiin Tome, Erica Tremblay, and Taika Waititi have brought powerful Indigenous stories to global audiences, redefining cinematic representation and cultural memory.

The Sundance Institute Indigenous Program is supported by Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, The 11th Hour Project, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Crystal Echo Hawk, Merrell, Indigenous Screen Office, SAGindie, Susan Friedenberg, and Indigenous Media Initiatives.

For more information or to support independent and Native storytelling, visit 

sundance.org