Honoring an Indie Champion
Sundance Institute’s Michelle Satter to receive Jean Hersholt Award
After being postponed due to the strikes, the 14th annual Governors Awards will take place Jan. 9. Honorary Awards will be presented to Angela Bassett, Mel Brooks and editor Carol Littleton, with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award bestowed upon the Sundance Institute’s Michelle Satter.
Satter might have a shorter IMDB page than her fellow honorees, but her work at the institute founded by Robert Redford has influenced the industry across genres and borders, helping to launch or steer the trajectories of many of Hollywood’s leading artists.
As the founding director of Sundance’s feature film program (the institute’s inaugural program), Satter has supported and spurred on early works by some of today’s most in-demand filmmakers, including Damien Chazelle, Ryan Coogler, Boots Riley, Lulu Wang, Paul Thomas Anderson and Quentin Tarantino, to name just a few.
“For over 40 years, I have had the incredible opportunity to develop and lead many of the Sundance labs and hold on to and evolve Redford’s vision and mission supporting artists with independent and bold visions,” says Satter. “My continuing mission has focused on listening closely to what artists need and evolving our programs to meet those needs.”
Satter’s work isn’t confined to just Sundance, Hollywood or North America.
“I started our international work, finding great partners in Latin America, Asia, India, Europe and the Middle East to support the script development of a next generation of artists,” she says. “We currently focus on supporting international filmmakers at all of our labs and at the festival.”
While COVID tapped the brakes on much of the world, including Sundance, Satter pushed forward.
“Following the pandemic, we are starting to build back our international collaborations; this support of global storytellers is one we are eager to further develop current partnerships for,” says Satter, pointing out that technology has closed much of the distance. “I founded Sundance Collab to make learning and community more accessible globally through a new digital arm of the institute. It’s now becoming a thriving and vital touchstone for artists around the world who want to connect with Sundance, develop their craft and tell their stories.”
Satter notes that while there are many artists who have been instrumental in her journey, “my life-long commitment to Sundance began with experiencing the visionary spirit of Robert Redford. Bob’s values have guided me and all of us at Sundance as a North Star.”
She also singles out the screenwriter Joan Tewkesbury “for supporting filmmakers at the Sundance labs as a creative advisor for over 30 years, providing a transformative experience in storytelling,” as well as director Joan Darling, “for her extraordinary commitment to giving directors the tools they need to communicate and collaborate with actors in creating unforgettable performances.”
Beyond that, she credits the extended Sundance family of artists, along with her colleagues, praising their tireless work and boundless creativity as “the driving force behind every success we have achieved.”
After the Governors Awards, Satter will return to the screenwriters lab at the Sundance Resort to support another crop of writers and directors on their first and second features, before moving on to the Sundance Festival for its 40th Edition Gala, and a host of other commitments.
That includes a deeply personal cause. Her son Michael was killed in late November by an intruder at his L.A. home. Says Satter: “Having recently lost my beloved son Michael Latt to a tragic act of violence, I will also be involved in setting up his legacy fund to continue his work supporting artists from underrepresented communities, leveraging storytelling and building community to impact social change.”