Sundance Institute is commemorating the 20th anniversary of its Native American and Indigenous Programme with a series of events around the country for Native artists and the public.

The Institute has also announced the four artists selected for the 2014 NativeLab Fellowship, the centrepiece of the Institute’s year-round work with the Native community and one of 10 residential labs the Institute will host for artists this summer.

“Native American and Indigenous filmmakers are rooted in a long and deep tradition of storytelling,” said Sundance Institute president and founder Robert Redford.

“I am proud of the work that Sundance Institute has done over the past 20 years to encourage Native American artists to share their stories, take risks with their work, and to both share with their communities and to give of their time and expertise to encourage younger Native American artists to do the same. Their stories enrich and inspire us all.”

Bird Runningwater, director of the Sundance Institute Native American and Indigenous Program, said, “I am honoured to be celebrating 20 years of support for some of the most creative and impactful Native American and indigenous voices of our time.

“Over the course of the next year I look forward to paying tribute to some of our distinguished program alumni and also fostering the next generation of Native American filmmakers.” 

The artists and projects selected for the NativeLab Fellowship are: Missy Whiteman for The Coyote Way Trilogy (Going) Back Home; Daniel Flores for Viva Diva; Carmen Tsabetsaye for Puebloan In Praha; and Christopher Kahunahana for Karaoke Kings.