OIFF Launches Ouray Film Sabbatical: A Four-Day Winter Lab in Ouray
We are thrilled to announce the launch of the Ouray Film Sabbatical, a four-day residency for filmmakers (in any role), film writers (critics, academics, journalists), and film programmers (festivals, theaters, and filmmaker education) – all in the mountain town of Ouray, Colorado.
Like many film labs, we will offer mentorship for projects at all phases of development. But like a true sabbatical, we also welcome candidates who are looking to benefit from connecting with other film professionals while recharging between major projects. The fully-funded experience will take place in early March 2026.
“This sabbatical has been a dream years in the making,” says Jake Abell, co-founder of the Ouray International Film Festival. “Supporting artists at all career phases is core to our festival mission. We’ve been wanting a way to extend that support beyond the four days of our annual festival, and this sabbatical will help us do that.”
Confirmed sabbatical mentors include award-winning documentary filmmaker Alexandria Bombach, whose Sundance-hit It’s Only Life After All played at Ouray in 2024. Bombach attended the festival, where they received the Film in Action Award. “Alexandria Bombach is a giant in the documentary space, but they are also one of the kindest and most compassionate filmmakers we know,” says Jared LaCroix, who also founded OIFF. “We can’t wait for the transformative relationships that sabbatical fellows can build under Bombach’s leadership.”
The same is true for Dr. Sabeen Ahmed, a philosophy professor at Swarthmore College who served as Scholar-in-Residence at OIFF 2022. She’ll be returning as a sabbatical mentor. “Having a writer with experience in film was a big priority for our first year,” says Abell. “Sabeen brings a brilliant mind that will enrich our first cohort.”
The lab was founded by LaCroix, Abell, and OIFF-board member Benjamin Weissner, who also created the Short to Feature Lab with Jim Cummings in Malibu. All three directors will be on site along with the sabbatical mentors throughout the residency. The initial cohort will be selected under the leadership of two guest curators: filmmakers Colleen Thurston and Haneol Lee. A former OIFF Scholar-in-Residence, Thurston traveled to Ouray last year with her film Drowned Land. In addition to being a prolific filmmaker, Lee serves as a programmer for OIFF. You can click here to learn more about the people behind the Ouray Film Sabbatical.
“We know film labs are extremely competitive, and artists need these spaces,” adds LaCroix. “We’re delighted to be adding another space where artists, writers, and programmers can slow down, connect, and receive the gift of time and mentorship to help chart the next steps in their careers.”
Applications are now live on Filmfreeway.com and close January 9!