Yesterday, we happily announced that the lineup for the 2014 Sundance Film Festival features 25 Fellows from Film Independent’s Artist Development and grant programs. Now, more good news: 31 Film Independent Members will have films screening at Sundance. (See the full list below.) We asked them, too, to tell us what it’s like to be going to the big indie film showcase and what they learned along the way.

In one word, what was your reaction to finding out you got into Sundance?
Joy.
-Steve Bannatyne, associate producer, Ping Pong Summer

Ecstatic.
-Brent Stiefel, executive producer, Obvious Child

Relief.
-Julia Lebedev, producer, Dear White People

Stoked.
-Jacob Jaffke, producer, Jamie Marks Is Dead

Umm…Is this a prank call??
-Justin R. Begnaud, producer, A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night

Who was the first person you contacted to tell them you got in?
Mom (my #1 supporter.)
-Steve Bannatyne

My wife, Courtney.
-Brent Stiefel, executive producer, Obvious Child

My husband because no one is more excited about good news than he is.
-Alix Madigan-Yorkin, producer, Laggies; producer, White Bird in a Blizzard

My mother. Because I knew she would be excited. She was asleep and I woke her. She didn't remember speaking to me the next morning!
-Julia Lebedev

My girlfriend Ivy, who was a makeup artist on the film, because I’m old fashioned like that. (Mom and dad were number two).
-Jacob Jaffke

My wife, Ali. She supported this crazy idea.
-Justin R. Begnaud

Our director, Marjane Satrapi.  After our long journey together making this movie, I was most excited to share the news with her.
-Matt Rhodes, producer, The Voices

Who would you most like to meet at the Festival?
Last year I got to meet Ringo Starr so it's gonna be hard to beat that!
-Brent Stiefel

I'm really looking forward to meeting other young producers and filmmakers. I think there are so many exciting young people in film right now making beautiful and mindful films, and I am looking forward to picking their brains.
-Luisa Conlon, associate producer, Obvious Child

Alex Orlofsky and Anne Carey—They always have great movies and we have never met.
-Alix Madigan-Yorkin

So many people. I do love Marjane Satrapi and Lynn Shelton.
-Giles Andrew, producer, Hits

I would say Sam Shepard but I’ve already met him now.
-Nicholas Shumaker, executive producer, Cold in July

Johnny Drama.
-Justin R. Begnaud

Robert Redford.
-Matt Rhodes

An enthusiastic distributor.
-Albert Berger, producer, Low Down

When have you considered throwing in the towel on filmmaking, and what stopped you?
After making a really good movie, getting some critical acclaim for the film and then having an almost impossible time getting a distribution deal.  But, I kept making films because I love the art form and the stories I get to help tell.
-Brent Stiefel

Every 4 am call time. Just kidding (sort of). I'm a few years out of school and haven't considered throwing in the towel yet, although I'm sure I'll get there. Working on films is hard, but it's incredibly rewarding.
-Luisa Conlon

On a particularly bad experience on a movie a couple of years ago, I thought this business had become too tough for me.  Then, Cherien Dabis asked me to work on May in the Summer with her and throwing myself into a tough but rewarding experience made me realize how fun the business can be.
-Alix Madigan-Yorkin

When I was nearing completion of my MFA at the graduate film program at Columbia University I was staring down a tremendous amount of student loan debt and even though I had already been a UPM and Line Producer on three feature films, the work was slow coming. Standing where I am now, it’s preposterous to think that I was still in graduate school and I was already looking to hit the eject button and run to law school, but that’s the reality. Fortunately, my long time friend and collaborator Peter Phok called me a week before I was to sit down for my LSAT and he talked some sense into me. He helped me remember why I wanted to be a filmmaker and that I was actually really good at this producing thing.  He gave me an opportunity to help produce some webisodes for his new movie, Jim Mickle’s Stake Land. He convinced me to give it some more time and that soon after more opportunities would present themselves. I decided to take Pete up on his offer and hopped in my Volvo and drove upstate. Fortunately he was right as two months later I was co-producing a feature with him, three months after that I was nominated for a BAFTA for my thesis film Off Season, and before I knew it I was producing feature films. I have not looked back since.
college essay editing service-Jacob Jaffke

Everyone has high and low points, it's a bit like snakes and ladders but then once you're hooked on film there's really no going back. Not sure I could go back to working in an office, I ate a Snickers bar every afternoon and drank a lot. I still drink but no more Snickers.
-Giles Andrew

What was the most important thing you learned while making this film?
Stick with your gut.
-Brent Stiefel

I was incredibly lucky to be brought on to this project by producer Elisabeth Holm who is not only super inspiring, but has put a lot of faith in me as a young person in film.. Liz taught me not to be afraid to ask questions when you don't know the answer to something and how important it is to surround yourself with a group of people who DO.
-Luisa Conlon

Never let your stress show to anyone. It's your job as producer to make sure everyone thinks that things are under control.
-Alix Madigan-Yorkin

Teamwork!
-Julia Lebedev

Mainly that unique material gets you great filmmakers. Everybody who worked on the film was so talented, entrepreneurial and independently minded and that was in service to the material and a clarity of vision from David [Cross].
-Giles Andrew

Something that is true on every film I’ve worked on: It’s a team effort, everyone matters, and it’s wonderful when a plan comes together.
-Nicholas Shumaker

That the word ‘no’ doesn’t exist.
-Matt Rhodes

That when you have the right partners and you share an unrelenting belief in the project, you might have to will a film into existence whether you have the money or not.
-Albert Berger

You can never have too much beef jerky on set.
-Justin R. Begnaud

FILM INDEPENDENT MEMBERS with FILMS SCREENING AT THE 2014 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

Stephanie Allain, executive producer, Dear White People
Giles Andrew, producer, Hits
Stephen Bannatyne, associate producer, Ping Pong Summer
Justin R. Begnaud, producer, A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night
Albert Berger, producer, Low Down
Effie Brown, producer, Dear White People
Chad Burris, producer, Drunktown’s Finest
Luisa Conlon, associate producer, Obvious Child
Andrew Droz Palermo, director, Rich Hill
Sydney Freeland, writer/director, Drunktown’s Finest
Bruce Wayne Gillies, co-producer, The Guest
Michael Gottwald, producer, Ping Pong Summer
Hunter Gray, executive producer, Jamie Marks is Dead; producer, I Origin
Sarah Green, executive producer, Hellion
Jacob Jaffke, producer, Jamie Marks is Dead
Mel Jones, associate producer, Dear White People
Julia Lebedev, producer, Dear White People
Michel Litvak , producer, Whiplash
Mynette Louie, producer, Land Ho!
Alix Madigan-Yorkin, producer, Laggies; Producer, White Bird in a Blizzard
Daniel S. McGilvray, co-producer, Life After Beth
Ruth Mutch, executive producer, Infinitely Polar Bear; executive producer, Little Accidents
Matt Rhodes, producer, The Voices
Anish Savjani, producer, Blue Ruin
Cathy Schulman, executive producer, The Voices
Jonathan Schwartz, producer, Imperial Dreams
Nicholas Shumaker, executive producer, Cold in July
Brent Stiefel, executive producer, Obvious Child
Rosalie Swedlin, producer, Laggies
Emily Ting, co-executive producer, Land Ho!
Ron Yerxa, producer, Low Down

For info on how to become a Film Independent Member, click here.

By Pamela Miller / Website & Grants Manager and José Tamayo / Membership Assistant