Sundance Native Filmmakers lab Launches Erica Tremblay’s Career

Updated May 30, 2025

Writer-director‍ Erica Tremblay of the Seneca-Cayuga Nation, never imagined she would return to the Sundance Institute’s ‍Native Filmmakers Lab as an ⁣advisor so soon after⁣ attending as a fellow in 2018. Tremblay, speaking ⁤from the 2025 Native lab in Santa Fe, New Mexico, said⁢ she initially focused on applying the lessons ‍learned from her mentors.

The 2018 lab proved transformative for Tremblay. Her short film project, Little Chief, was selected for the 2020 Sundance Film festival. “It changed⁢ my life,” Tremblay said, explaining that the⁣ film led ⁣to representation, her first TV writers ⁤room job, and a ‍feature film collaboration with miciana Alise, whom she met through Sundance. since 2018, her career has been a “whirlwind.”

Before her Sundance success, Tremblay was working in a different ⁤industry and felt frustrated. She recalls a hawk landing outside her window, which she interpreted⁣ as a sign to pursue a missed opportunity. Taking the hint, she wrote a short film, workshopped⁤ it, and ‍submitted it to the Native Lab.

During the production of Little Chief in Oklahoma, Tremblay received further confirmation. “We’re in this field shooting the final scene of the film, and ‍this hawk comes over the field and just circles us for like ⁣two ⁤minutes,” Tremblay ⁢recounted. “And it was bearing its face at us. And it was just this moment where I was so glad ⁤that I had taken a chance.”

What’s next

Tremblay continues⁢ to develop new projects, inspired by her experiences and the support she received from the Sundance Institute’s Native Filmmakers lab. She aims ⁤to mentor emerging native filmmakers and create more‍ opportunities for indigenous voices in the film industry, solidifying her role as a key figure in Native American filmmaking and the Sundance Native Filmmakers Lab.