The Annenberg Film Fellows Program at the Sundance Institute was created in 2004 with support by the Annenberg Foundation.

The program allowed for workshops with mentors from the creative and business sides of the filmmaking business; stipends for living expenses during the creation and pre-production process; and seed, work-in-progress and/or completion awards to move projects into production and distribution. At the time the grant of $5 million was the largest non-public sector grant to the institute.

According to a report published by the Institute, the projects involved in the program have all advanced impressively in the film world: “Over the course of eight annual cycles, AFFP has supported 101 emerging filmmakers as they have developed 90 projects. (Some of the Annenberg Fellows have collaborated on projects together as co- directors, screenwriters, or producers.) All of these projects are moving forward—38 have been completed (32 of these have been released theatrically, while the other six are engaged in festival runs prior to theatrical release), 11 are in post-production and in the process of applying to film festivals, two are in pre-production, and 39 are in development (of these, 33 are in active development). AFFP films have been screened at 174 different festivals in 29 US states and 41 countries on six continents, and have won a total of 97 awards.”

Four of those films by former Annenberg Fellows are currently in theaters and have been well-received by movie critics;Like Crazy, Martha Marcy May Marlene, Take Shelter and Pariah.

Watch video interviews with film directors Sean Durkin (Martha Marcy May Marlene) and Dee Rees (Pariah) about their experience with the Annenberg Film Fellows Program.