Film alum Kaelo Justin Iyizoba ’23 has been named one of eight filmmakers selected for the inaugural Sundance Cultural Impact Residency. The new residency, created in honor of late social justice activist and entertainment executive Michael Latt, offers opportunities and support for underrepresented filmmakers beginning their careers.
Over six months, the online residency provides fellows with ongoing feedback for their projects, meetings with Sundance Institute mentors, and access to the Sundance Collab Video Library with its vault of educational materials.
The class of eight fellows includes concentrations for writing-directing in fiction, nonfiction, and episodic formats, with Iyizoba as one of two Writing Fellows selected for the program.
Iyizoba is a Nigerian American filmmaker and former pharmacist who left the practice to pursue his passion for film. He was accepted into the residency with his project Birthright, set in 19th-century Nigeria.
The story follows a man who was rescued as a boy by the ancient deities. When British colonial forces then threaten the eradication of the old gods, the man is called upon to make good and fight for the deities that once saved his life.
The program will also offer Iyizoba the advice of working artists in the development of his project, a list that includes Reinaldo Marcus Green (director, King Richard), Jessica Sharzer (writer, A Simple Favor), and Justin Simien (writer-director-producer, Dear White People). Also serving as advisors are filmmakers Rita Baghdadi, Patricia Cardoso, David France, Claudia Lloso, LaToya Morgan, and Rodrigo Reyes.
Sundance Institute artist programs remain an industry standard, providing support for new voices in film and television. The list of celebrated filmmakers that have benefited from past Sundance programs includes names like Hollywood heavyweight Ryan Coogler (Black Panther), Academy Award winner Chloé Zhao (Nomadland), and Columbia’s own James Mangold ’99 (A Complete Unknown).
See the full list of 2025 fellows here.
