By Elena Vasquez

Merrell will hand six filmmakers $20,000 each to turn its global platform, "It Starts Outside," into short, social-first films premiering at Sundance in January 2027. The grants open a three-year partnership with Sundance Collab, the institute's digital learning platform.

The move extends the platform Merrell launched in April, which encourages audiences to experience nature and outdoor living, from grand adventures to neighborhood walks. Merrell Global CMO Rich McLeod frames the Sundance deal as a matter of "consistency of message."

"The beauty of 'It Starts Outside' is it certainly has longevity, and we contextualize it to the consumer depending on the moment," McLeod said. "I'm excited about the opportunity for consumers, for filmmakers, for storytellers to continue to bring their own personal stories to life."

How were the six filmmakers selected?

Merrell and Sundance announced the storytelling program in June and called for proposals from filmmakers worldwide. More than 1,200 filmmakers from 90 countries submitted briefs. A committee of Merrell executives, athletes, creatives, and film experts reviewed the entries, according to the company.

McLeod views the partnership as a way to expand the content ecosystem the brand is building, one that also includes social media creators, media partnerships, and multiple perspectives from creatives. Sundance broadens that scope with its global filmmaker network and its standing as a cultural institution, he said.

"You don't want to have a linear way of telling a story. What the filmmakers allow us to do is tell the stories in very different ways," McLeod said.

The winning concepts vary widely:

• One recipient plans to film a city park from a dog's-eye level, showing the outdoor experience from an unexpected point of view.
• Another turns "It Starts Outside" into a mantra that keeps her film's main character alive for 29 years.

The six recipients have through the end of the year to produce their films, which will premiere at Sundance in January 2027 alongside a panel event spotlighting the creators.

What happens after the premiere?

The shorts will not necessarily become direct marketing materials. McLeod said the brand will still platform the projects: the company plans to pitch the shorts to film festivals globally, and its team will work with media and creators to draw attention to the work.

"Stories are only as good as your ability to bring them to life," McLeod said.

Is this strategy new for a brand at a film festival?

Brand involvement at film festivals is established practice. Major sponsors run activations at Sundance, and companies like AT&T have run grant programs at the Tribeca Festival for nearly a decade. Merrell's differentiator, McLeod said, is asking artists to interpret the brand platform through a film lens, furthering the messaging more directly, if more broadly.

"Brands, more generally now, are recognizing that people choose what's worth paying attention to," McLeod said. "For Merrell, it's really about creating stories that people want to spend time with."

The setting adds a final layer of fit. Sundance leaves Park City, Utah, after more than 40 years and moves to Boulder, Colorado. McLeod called Boulder "definitely a natural setting for this partnership," a place that embodies the platform's core idea that the outside can be anywhere. The January 2027 premiere will test whether filmmaker-led storytelling can carry a brand platform across three years.