Comedy Central And Sundance Institute Announce Sundance Institute | Comedy Central Comedy Fellowship

• Partnership Marks Sundance Institute’s First Comedy Fellowship

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NEW YORK, July 26, 2019 – Comedy Central and Sundance Institute today announced the launch of Sundance Institute | Comedy Central Comedy Fellowship, in which the #1 brand in comedy will establish a grant to fund one Comedy Fellowship to the Sundance Institute Episodic Lab and one Comedy Fellowship to the Sundance Institute Screenwriters Lab. These Comedy Fellows will be selected by Sundance Institute’s curatorial team in collaboration with Comedy Central, from among the Lab Fellows developing comedy projects. The Fellowships will include a $10,000 cash grant and customized mentorship from Comedy Central executives, alongside the Institute’s flagship Lab program and year round ecosystem of support. Comedy Central has committed to fund the Fellowship program for two years and will increase its commitment to fund an additional Fellowship for each of the Labs in the second year.

“We’re incredibly excited to partner with Sundance Institute to establish its first Comedy Fellowship. Discovering the next generation of comedic voices and working with them to develop their point of view and, ultimately, introduce them to the world is something that’s woven into the fabric of Comedy Central,” said Sarah Babineau and Jonas Larsen, Co-Heads of Original Content for Comedy Central. “This new Fellowship comes at the perfect time as we emphasize reflecting the diversity of our audience across platforms with diverse comedy projects that are super funny, personally relatable, culturally relevant and provocative. Sundance Institute has done a remarkable job with the Labs program and we’re thrilled to join with them in providing an opportunity for our Fellows to learn from the best.”

“At our Labs, we’ve always celebrated and supported a diverse range of independent voices developing material in multiple genres and formats,” said Michelle Satter, Founding Director of Sundance Institute’s Feature Film Program. “We’re thrilled to be collaborating with Comedy Central on targeted support for new comedy projects through our Episodic and Screenwriters Labs. It’s our hope that this intervention and commitment from Comedy Central in partnership with Sundance Institute, will build the field, advancing the art and craft of comedy across all screens.”

The Episodic Lab will take place in October 2019, and the Screenwriters Lab in January 2020. Both residential Labs combine the Institute’s signature blend of emerging independent creators collaborating with industry professionals to develop signature projects for global audiences. More information on the Sundance Institute Labs can be found here.

About Sundance Institute

Founded in 1981 by Robert Redford, Sundance Institute is a nonprofit organization that provides and preserves the space for artists in film, theatre, and media to create and thrive. The Institute’s signature Labs, granting, and mentorship programs, dedicated to developing new work, take place throughout the year in the U.S. and internationally. The Sundance Film Festival and other public programs connect audiences to artists in igniting new ideas, discovering original voices, and building a community dedicated to independent storytelling. Sundance Institute has supported such projects as Sorry to Bother You, Eighth Grade, Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, Hereditary, RBG, Call Me By Your Name, Get Out, The Big Sick, Top of the Lake, Winter’s Bone, Dear White People, Brooklyn, Little Miss Sunshine, 20 Feet From Stardom, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Fruitvale Station, I’m Poppy, America to Me, Leimert Park, Spring Awakening,
A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder and Fun Home. Join Sundance Institute on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.

About Comedy Central

Comedy Central gives audiences access to a world of super funny, personally relatable, culturally relevant, and provocative comedy that tells the funny truths of life, every day and everywhere. From award-winning late-night, scripted and animated series to stand-up specials, short-form and sketch, Comedy Central has it all. A subsidiary of Viacom, Comedy Central is available to more than 300 million households in over 150 countries across the globe.