LOS ANGELES, CA, April 7, 2026 — The nonprofit Sundance Institute announced today the fellows selected for the 2026 Native Lab, the signature initiative of the Institute’s Indigenous Program. The lab will take place April 6–11 in Santa Fe, New Mexico, at the Hotel Santa Fe. The Native Lab has been offering Indigenous filmmakers a nurturing, immersive environment to develop their projects and refine their artistic voice under the guidance of accomplished creative advisors since 2009.
The 2026 Native Lab will support four fellows and two artists-in-residence. It is designed for artists of Native and Indigenous backgrounds centering Indigeneity in their work. Over five days, fellows will refine their screenplays for feature and episodic projects in one-on-one feedback sessions, script readings, and roundtable discussions with industry advisors while forming connections on Native land in Santa Fe. The four selected fellows include three U.S.-based participants (Taylor Foreman-Niko, Samoan; Miles T. RedCorn, Osage/Caddo; and Sabrina Saleha, Navajo), as well as one Canadian participant (Ashley Qilavaq-Savard, Inuk/Inuit) who was selected in partnership with the Indigenous Screen Office (ISO). There will also be two artists-in-residence attending to experience the lab while in script development: Sayun Simung (Tayal) and Taylour Chang (Kanaka Maoli). This year’s Native Lab creative advisors are: Patrick Brice, Bernardo Britto, Alex Lazarowich (Cree), and Graham Foy. The Native Lab is overseen by Adam Piron (Kiowa and Mohawk), Director of the Institute’s Indigenous Program, alongside Ianeta Le’i, the program’s Senior Manager, and Katie Arthurs (Chickasaw), Coordinator.
“The Native Lab is grounded in storytelling development and how that can progress when it’s approached in community through a lens of Indigeneity,” said Adam Piron, Sundance Institute Director of Indigenous Program. “We’re grateful for our advisors and excited for our fellows — this program is impactful because of the generosity all involved bring to the experience, and our Indigenous Program team is looking forward to the development of these projects and storytellers as they come together to share their work and insights in Santa Fe this week.”
Indigenous artists were part of the very first Sundance Institute lab in 1981, with the Indigenous Program formalized in the mid-’90s to uplift Native talent in a more focused way. Native Lab alumni have brought Indigenous stories to audiences across film and television, earning recognition and awards for writers, directors, and actors alike, forming several cycles of storytellers supported through the Institute.
Previous Sundance Institute Native Lab fellows whose work has been fostered at the labs include award-winning filmmakers Sydney Freeland, Sterlin Harjo, Sky Hopinka, Shaandiin Tome, Erica Tremblay, and Taika Waititi.
