Dolby Creator Lab Grant Directors at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival

Recorded live at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, this panel takes us inside the making of two Dolby Creator Lab Grant recipients that premiered at the festival: Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore and The Thing with Feathers — and the bold, story-first choices that helped make them stand out. We’re joined by directors Dylan Southern and Shoshannah Stern (along with Marlee Matlin, herself) to unpack how sound and music can deepen character, mood, and perspective — and why accessibility tools like captions and interpretation are increasingly central to the modern viewing experience.

Dolby Creator Lab Grants help filmmakers achieve their full creative vision. With partners like the Sundance Institute, we identify independent films from around the world that are using sound and image to tell unique and exciting stories. We then provide these filmmakers with access to Dolby technologies, including Dolby Vision® and Dolby Atmos®, and expert post-production support to help their films connect with audiences who will love them.

Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore is a 2025 American documentary film, directed and produced by Shoshannah Stern. It follows the life and career of Marlee Matlin, the first deaf performer to win an Academy Award for best actress for her role in Children of a Lesser God (1986). Now available to watch on PBS as well as other streaming platforms.

The Thing with Feathers is a 2025 British drama film starring Benedict Cumberbatch and follows a father and his two young sons dealing with the sudden death of their wife and mother. It is written and directed by Dylan Southern and adapted from Max Porter's book Grief Is the Thing with Feathers. Now available to stream in Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, where available.

Many thanks to the Sundance Film Festival for partnering with us on the Dolby Creator Lab Grant program.

Please subscribe to Dolby Creator Talks wherever you get your podcasts.

You can also check out the video for this episode on YouTube.

Learn more about the Dolby Creator Lab and check out Dolby.com. Connect with Dolby on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn.