This year’s Sundance featured 18 who got early breaks from NewFilmmakers Los Angeles — a nonprofit champion of rising indie filmmakers.
Through monthly festivals that often highlight underrepresented voices, NFMLA — led by executive director Larry Laboe — provides many filmmakers their first introduction to industry professionals and opens the doors to opportunities like distribution, representation, and, yes, Sundance. NFMLA also featured an excellent panel at this year’s final Sundance in which panelists urged filmmakers to form friendships and alliances to persevere through dark times.
We’re proud to share interviews with NFMLA standouts every month, and to share the following accounts from NFMLA veterans who presented films at Sundance 2026, the “Last Dance” to be held in Park City before the festival moves to Boulder next year.—M.M.
JOYCE LIU-COUNTRYMAN
Producer of the 2026 Sundance short “Taga”
When did you make your first film? 2008
How has NFMLA helped you in your journey as a filmmaker? NFMLA has made me feel like someone cares about me as a storyteller and artist. They’re the ones who say your name when you’re not in the room — and even when you are — and remind you that your talent matters and that it’s real. They are the antidote to our imposter syndrome.
Was this your first Sundance? How did you feel about getting in, and what impact has it had?: This is the first one where I’ve had a project as the above-the-line producer. The experience has opened up my eyes to the warmth and accessibility of the Sundance community, helping me see that it’s not pretentious but rather supportive and grounded. They have high standards for a reason, but once you’ve achieved those standards, it shows you how much higher you can climb.
What’s next? We’re developing “Taga” into a feature, and I just applied to the Sundance Features Producing Lab with a smart, post-Me Too era psychological thriller from my slate of features in development.
LOUISE BARRETTO
Producer of the 2026 Sundance short “Taga”
When did you make your first film? 2022
How has NFMLA helped you in your journey as a filmmaker? NFMLA showcased a short that I produced and always creates spaces for filmmakers to connect. They’ve built such a supportive community of filmmakers. Making films doesn’t happen in a vacuum. We all need a good village and Larry and the rest of NFMLA continue to keep that village running.
Was this your first Sundance? How did you feel about getting in, and what impact has it had? Honestly, it was so unexpected to get into Sundance. Imagine, there’s 11,000 entries and only 54 shorts made it. It’s such an honor to be part of the “Last Dance at Sundance” programming and I’d just like to thank the amazing Sundance programmers for championing new filmmakers. Shout out to Shorts Programmer Irene Soriano, too, for always supporting Filipino-American filmmakers.
What’s Next?: I’d love to work on a feature but until then, I’m going to continue collaborating with directors with unique voices. Have some shorts in the works!
MIREIA VILANOVA
Producer of the 2026 Sundance shorts “Living with a Visionary” and “Once in a Body”
When Did You Make Your First Film? 2017
How has NFMLA helped you in your journey as a filmmaker? Back in 2019 when I was a graduate student at USC, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (now called the Golden Globe Foundation) gifted me a one-year student membership to NFMLA and it was an incredible way for someone like me, who at the time had been in L.A. for a relatively short period of time, to meet filmmakers, watch interesting films and, most importantly, build a community.
Was this your first Sundance? How did you feel about getting in, and what impact has it had? I was fortunate enough to have been a co-producer on By Design, which was at the festival last year. But this year was definitely the most special one, not only because I was able to screen two projects in competition, but especially since “Living with a Visionary” won the Jury Award for Animation, which was definitely not something we were expecting. It may be too early to know the impact this award will have in our careers, but I hope we’ll soon be able to find out.
What’s Next? I have two features coming out this year: Sender, starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Britt Lower and premiering at SXSW, and Moonfish, my first animated feature, premiering at the Venice Film Festival as part of Biennale College Cinema.
WILLIAM D. CABALLERO
Director and co-writer of the Sundance 2026 feature TheyDream
When did you make your first film? 2009
How has NFMLA helped you in your journey as a filmmaker?NFMLA has offered invaluable services, such as panels and networking events, that really helped boost my confidence as an emerging latino filmmaker.
Was this your first Sundance? How did you feel about getting in, and what impact has it had? This was my third time coming to Sundance, but first time with a feature (the other two were for shorts). This year, TheyDream won the NEXT Special Jury Award for Creative Expression. I’m beyond excited to see where this year takes me, creatively.
What’s next? I’m currently touring the festival circuit, while also developing some projects on the side. I am here because I never gave up on telling my own stories in my own unique voice.
ELAINE DEL VALLE
Co-writer and producer of the Sundance 2026 feature TheyDream
When did you make your first film? 2013
How has NFMLA helped you in your journey as a filmmaker?NFMLA was a pivotal catalyst in my career. My short film “All Is Well” screened at the festival, giving the work meaningful industry visibility. As a direct result of that screening, I was hired to direct my first feature film — a Tubi Original — transforming a short-form calling card into a major directing opportunity.
Was this your first Sundance? How did you feel about getting in, and what impact has it had? This was my third time at the Sundance Film Festival, but my first time premiering a feature. Being selected at this level feels like entering the inner circle of independent film and gives my name and work an immediate measure of credibility and success to the outside world. It signals trust, momentum, and that the stories I tell truly belong on a global stage.
What’s next? After years of building my voice across film and television, I’m now developing and seeking support for my episodic comedy pilot Crushin’ It, which I wrote and look forward to directing next.
DANIEL CROIX
Producer of the Sundance 2026 short “Don’t Tell Mama”
When did you make your first film? 2009
How has NFMLA helped you in your journey as a filmmaker? NFMLA brought me into a community that supports bridging my work as an actor with my work as a filmmaker. They’ve programmed my shorts “Huli” and “Oasis,” which sharpened my voice as a writer/director, and the Q&As showed me the producer’s role in championing innovative stories. NFMLA showed me I can build a career across multiple disciplines — acting, directing, and producing — without compromise.
Was this your first Sundance? How did you feel about getting in, and what impact has it had? My first Sundance! … I love how Sundance supported Ryan Coogler, Chloé Zhao, Ava DuVernay, Shaka King, Greg Kwedar and Clint Bentley as they rose, and I see a clear lineage of films that inspire me. It’s shifted how I approach choosing roles and developing stories, encouraging me to work with greater specificity, depth, authenticity.
What’s Next? I’m collaborating with film and TV artists on bringing nuanced roles to life and finishing my next short as writer/director. I’m acting in bold work, producing what I believe in, directing stories that encourage empathy.
ALEXANDRA KERN
Director and producer of the Sundance 2026 short “Some Kind of Refuge”
When did you make your first film? 2022
How has NFMLA helped you in your journey as a filmmaker? NFMLA was one of my first true encounters with the film festival world. It gave me a stage for my work while I was still finding my way in the industry and building my confidence, which I will forever be grateful for. It also placed me directly among industry professionals in a setting that felt intimate. I am still in contact with a few of the filmmakers who were apart of my block and industry professionals to this day, years later!
Was this your first Sundance? How did you feel about getting in, and what impact has it had? Yes, and getting in felt surreal and deeply affirming. The films in our block were both inspiring and intimidating, pushing me to reach for a deeper honesty and a level of craft that challenges my own limits within my work. Coming from work rooted in intimate and local places, it was great to see the film resonate with audiences far and wide, giving the project a reach I never expected.
What’s next? I’m currently developing a series rooted in my family history and personal connection to Mardi Gras — exploring its role in American history as a space of collective joy, ritual, and generational traditions.
GABRIELA ORTEGA
Writer and director of the Sundance 2026 short “Marga en el DF”
When did you make your first film? 2020
How has NFMLA helped you in your journey as a filmmaker? Through NFMLA I met a mentor who gave me my first studio writing assignment in the industry. I was also able to start developing my feature Huella with the New Narratives grant. Their support of my career has been invaluable.
Was this your first Sundance? How did you feel about getting in, and what impact has it had? This was my second time at Sundance with a short film as a director. I was also at Sundance with a film in 2022, which was a virtual Sundance.
What’s next? I am currently working on my first narrative feature, and its’ the accumulation of hard work and being able to build community by festivals like NFMLA that helped me build strong industry connections.
