For decades, the Sundance Institute’s Directors and Screenwriters Labs have been incubators for visionary talent—especially for Black women whose stories might not have found a home elsewhere. From trailblazers like Euzhan Palcy and Gina Prince-Bythewood to more recent auteurs like Nia DaCosta or A.V. Rockwell, the Feature Film Program has consistently uplifted distinct, daring voices in independent cinema. This year, that legacy continues with the inclusion of writer-director duo Andrea Ellsworth and Kasey Elise Walker, who are developing their debut feature film The Dispute.
The project, rooted in friendship and personal history, follows two best friends from South Central who leap at the chance to escape their dead-end lives—only to find themselves tangled in the high-stakes cost of ambition and survival. Its creators, both actors and storytellers in their own right, have poured their lived experiences into every draft.
“I’ve known Andrea since I was 17 years old, and in this collaboration, the thing that really works for us is that we do have a shared dream,” Walker said. “Time and time again, we’re reminded that we do see this project in the same way. So, I’m grateful that I’m able to tell this story with someone that I’ve known for so long. It just feels like a very rare experience.”
Ellsworth, whose acting credits include The Vince Staples Show and Truth Be Told, the process of developing The Dispute through Sundance has been both grounding and transformative. Working alongside a longtime friend on a story rooted in their own bond has made the experience all the more meaningful. What once felt like a distant aspiration—being part of Sundance—has become a tangible reality, marking a major milestone in their creative journey.
“There’s something about this moment that is really informative,” said Walker, who previously premiered her short film Hoop Dreams at Tribeca. But the road to the Labs wasn’t guaranteed. As Ellsworth recalled, they submitted their application just days before the deadline. “We just applied blindly,” she explained. “We had been applying to a lot of other fellowships and they weren’t successful. But I had a good feeling about Sundance. I thought that the script was in a great place for them to appreciate it—and ironically, they did.”
What sets The Dispute apart isn’t just its sharp dialogue or moments of levity, it’s the honesty at its core. The two creatives approach storytelling with a clear intention: to move beyond the one-dimensional portrayals that often define narratives about women from communities like theirs. By drawing from real-life experiences and cultural nuance, Ellsworth and Walker see the film as a form of quiet activism—one that fosters empathy, challenges assumptions, and invites audiences to connect across perceived differences.
“Many of the stories that exist about women that are from where we’re from, I find there’s a lot of cliches or stereotypes,” Walker noted. “I think it’s important to tell an authentic story from the lens of women that have experienced and spirits of things that we have and have come from the place that we do, and making a movie from our lens is kind of activism. It is creating a ripple effect that can hopefully create empathy in people’s hearts.”
Their ability to merge the personal with the political, the intimate with the universal, places them firmly in the lineage of Black female directors Sundance has championed. That connection isn’t lost on either of them. “I don’t feel that there’s pressure,” Andrea said of joining that esteemed group. “It feels like there is immense possibility around what we’re doing, and that’s really encouraging.”
Beginning her career as an actor, Ellsworth has found that stepping into writing and directing has deepened her overall creative process. “I don’t think I would direct something that I wasn’t acting in,” she admitted. “But all of each of those parts—writer, actress, director—deepens the other parts of the process.” When approaching a scene, she often draws on her acting instincts to assess its authenticity, which in turn informs how she rewrites or shapes the moment. This layered perspective has become an essential part of how she builds character and narrative.
Looking ahead, both filmmakers are focused on nurturing not only their artistic growth but also the sense of community they’ve found through Sundance. The Labs introduced them to a deeply supportive network of advisors, peers, and program leaders—one that extends far beyond workshops or deadlines. This sense of connection was invaluable, offering consistent encouragement and open lines of communication that continue to guide their journey long after the sessions have ended. “It created a support system I actually didn’t know existed,” Ellsworth said. “But I think the biggest thing that you gain from this is access to the deepest parts of your artistry.”
“I never went to film school, and I didn’t have formal training or even a mentor telling me how to be a director,” Walker added. “But this experience is teaching me craft. Yes, you can use your abilities or talent to tell a story, but at a certain point, you’re going to need to pull something out of a toolbox and to apply it when something’s not working—and that’s a big thing at Sundance, especially in the writer’s and directing labs. That’s something I’ll be able to take with me for the rest of my career.”