Sundance Institute awards Sally Menke Fellowship
July 23, 2012

Sundance Institute awards Sally Menke Fellowship

LOS ANGELES — Sundance Institute (www.sundance.org) has announced that Debbie Berman is the recipient of this year’s Sally Menke Memorial Editing Fellowship. The Fellowship was created at the Sundance Institute in 2010 by the late film editor’s husband, Dean Parisot, and children to honor her memory and passion for mentorship. 

Menke was an award-winning editor (Reservoir Dogs, Inglorious Basterds, Pulp Fiction) and long-time creative advisor who served as a guide to countless Institute Lab Fellows. With the generous support of her friends and colleagues, the Fellowship returns for the second year.

Berman attended the June Directors Lab as an editor, supporting the creative process of two of the eight emerging directors attending the Lab. Her Fellowship will continue under the guidance of two accomplished editors, including Joe Hutshing, with a year-long mentorship focusing on the creative and strategic aspects of an editing career.



Originally from South Africa, Berman worked in the film industry in Canada for several years, and now resides in Los Angeles. She has edited a diverse range of work, including music videos and feature films. Some of her more notable endeavors include working as the VFX editor for Clint Eastwood's Invictus, and as the editor on the Barry Sonnenfeld-produced animated feature Space Chimps.

Pictured: Directors Lab Fellow Ioana Uricaru and editor Debbie Berman. Photo by Ryan Johnson.