- Location:
- Los Angeles, CA
- Grant Cycle:
- 2023
- Amount:
- $8,000
- Type of Grant:
- General Operating Support
- Disciplines:
- Film
Slamdance’s mission is to function as an agent of change in filmmaking and digital media, helping to make the creative works of artists with divergent voices accessible to everyone. Slamdance has built a legacy of disrupting the status quo created by major studios and galleries by spotlighting emerging storytellers in film, digital art and new media, and showcasing artists in those fields who are members of under-represented communities. Known first for our renegade annual film festival in Park City, Utah, Slamdance is actually a year-round organization based in Los Angeles supporting filmmakers and new media artists helping develop sustainable careers in the arts.
There remains an astonishing underrepresentation of marginalized populations in the entertainment industry that often leads to stereotypes and inaccuracies. There is also an industry-wide hesitation to take risks and step outside of the established major studio paradigm. Our goal is to help non-traditional artists achieve equity and inclusion in the filmmaker community.
Slamdance focuses on new writers, digital and interactive art, funding and mentorship, DIY film education, film screenings and of course, the Slamdance Film Festival. No other media arts organization is entirely run and organized by the creative force that can only be found in film, digital and new media artists themselves. Slamdance adamantly supports self-governance amongst independents, and has earned a solid reputation for premiering works by first-time arts innovators working within the creative confines of limited budgets. Many have gone on to great artistic achievements and critical acclaim.
We support emerging artists through the following:
SLAMDANCE FILM FESTIVAL: Held annually in Park City, Utah, the subversive film festival has built a legacy of disrupting the status quo. It is a qualifying film festival for both the Oscars and the BAFTA awards.
UNSTOPPABLE: A showcase providing equity for filmmakers with visible and non-visible disabilities, entirely programmed by disabled artists. We increase the visibility of disabled creators and provide more access to opportunities. We believe Unstoppable will inspire confidence in hiring more disabled artists and filmmakers in front of and behind the camera. Slamdance aims to be an example of inclusive programming in order for the disabled community to be provided with the same opportunities as other communities.
DIG (DIGITAL, INTERACTIVE, GAMING): Experiential and cutting-edge digital works by independent artists working in hybrid, immersive and emerging forms of digital media art.
ANARCHY: Anti-genre experimental films “run by dissidents for dissidents.”
SLAMDANCE MIAMI: Last held in 2021 in Miami Florida, the festival is dedicated to underrepresented artists from Central and South America, Mexico, the Caribbean and Florida.
THE SLAMDANCE CHANNEL: A well-established streaming service giving artists access to their audience 24/7 ever since its debut in 2020.
SLAMDANCE SCREENPLAY COMPETITION: A place for new, bold and raw voices. Slamdance looks for scripts that take risks, refuse compromise, and go places where Hollywood fears to tread.
AWARDS & MENTORSHIP: Through prizes, funding, mentorship, and career development services, Slamdance supports the creation of culturally diverse storytelling in all moving image formats.
SLAMDANCE PRESENTS: Broader exhibition opportunities for alumni online and in theatrical settings. The Slamdance Cinema Club programs award-winning and audience favorites that don’t have traditional distribution to moviegoers in Southern California. Slamdance on the Road brings festival films to theatre screens across the United States and around the world.
Slamdance is championing artists blazing their own unique paths at the intersection of film, art and technology, to help make our culture more inclusive and open to the experiences and perspective of those whose voices might otherwise not be heard.