Shane Boris Urges Producers to Embrace the “Mystery” at 2026 Sundance Celebration
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The annual Sundance Film Festival honored the vital role of independent film producers on January 25, 2026, wiht the Sundance Institute | Amazon MGM Studios Producers Awards and a keynote address delivered by acclaimed producer Shane Boris. The celebration, held at The Park in Park City, Utah, recognized Apoorva Guru Charan and Dawne Langford for their visionary work.
The event, presented by Amazon MGM Studios, brought together producers of the films selected for the program to celebrate their contributions and receive recognition. Speakers included Sundance Institute leadership – Michelle Satter, Kristin feeley, Shira Rockowitz, and Maria Clement – alongside Rachel Kiner-Lucas, Senior Acquisitions Executive from Amazon MGM Studios.
Shane Boris: A call to Courage and Connection
Keynote speaker Shane Boris, known for his work on award-winning films like Navalny and Fire of Love, shared insights gleaned from a career dedicated to supporting aspiring and often risky projects. Boris emphasized the importance of human connection as the foundation of successful collaboration. “Growing up I wasn’t sure what I had to offer,” he shared,”I sensed that I could easily connect with others,and I loved listening to them.”
He described a career path that evolved organically from a passion for fostering creative sparks in others. “In between attempts at fitting in, what I remained passionate about was this life of an itinerant listener,” Boris explained. “I would travel with two passports and eight sets of friends’ house keys in my backpack… and the need for someone to bounce kernels of ideas off of.”
Boris also spoke to the challenges facing producers in the current industry landscape, highlighting the value of strong collaborative relationships. “At the moment, what is getting me through is the company I keep,” he stated.”I have collaborated with some of the best producers in the world… they have made space for me to have a chance to give projects something of value.”
Perhaps most powerfully, Boris encouraged producers to embrace the inherent uncertainty of the creative process. “One thing I can say about the filmmaking process is that we will undoubtedly experience not knowing what to do or where to go, and we will have to figure it out,” he said. He urged attendees to approach this uncertainty with “grace,” drawing on a Chinese proverb to illustrate the point: “we’ll be able to cross the river by feeling for stones.” He concluded with a message of encouragement, reminding producers not to be “daunted by the suffering of not reaching our ideals, in our art or in our life.”
Producers Awarded for Visionary Work
The Sundance Institute | Amazon MGM Studios Producers Awards recognized two remarkable producers for their contributions to independent film. Apoorva Guru Charan received the Fiction Producers award for her work on Take Me Home, which will premiere in the U.S. Dramatic Competition. charan’s debut feature, Joyland, garnered critical acclaim at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, and Take Me Home previously won Tribeca Festival’s AT&T Untold Stories prize.
Dawne Langford was honored with the Nonfiction Producers Award for Who Killed Alex Odeh?, set to premiere in the U.S. Documentary Competition. Langford has a dedicated career in independent documentary filmmaking, with previous credits including Check It, Kandahar Journals, and the Body Politic, which aired on PBS’ POV in 2024 and received an Emmy nomination.
Sustaining Independent Filmmaking
The Sundance Institute Producers Program, which supports thes awards, benefits from an endowment from the Sandra and Malcolm Berman Charitable Foundation, alongside generous support from organizations including Amazon MGM Studios, the John D.and catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and numerous individual donors.The continued investment in this program underscores the importance of nurturing the next generation of independent film producers.
