ESTES PARK, Colo. — The Stanley Hotel will host the Sundance Institute's workshop for aspiring directors in 2024.
For more than 40 years, the "Directors Lab" has been at the Sundance Resort in Utah. But next year, the workshop will relocate to Colorado as the resort undergoes construction on outdoor areas and popular filming locations at past workshops.
The Directors Lab brings first-time feature directors together to develop new work over two to three weeks every summer. They rehearse, shoot and edit scenes that will build their skills working with actors, "exploring text and finding the visual language and aesthetic for their films," the Sundance Institute said.
"It was essential to find a space that was surrounded by nature for artists to create, had multiple environments for shooting, and could be an environment where artists could leave behind the distractions of everyday life and immerse themselves in their projects," Michelle Satter, founding senior director of artist programs at Sundance Institute, said of the decision to temporarily relocated Directors Lab to Colorado.
The Directors Lab is just one of many workshops the Sundance Institute have planned across the country next year. The January Screenwriters Lab and Episodic Lab will take place at the Sundance Resort in Utah, the Native Lab will happen in New Mexico, the Ignite Lab at MASS MoCA will be in Massachusetts and the Producers Lab will happen at UCross Foundation in Wyoming.
"The Stanley Hotel and Estes Park will provide inspiring backdrops for this prestigious workshop and showcase the many resources our state offers the film industry, including the unparalleled natural beauty of filming locations,” Colorado Film Commissioner Donald Zuckerman said.
