This Was the First Post-Studio Sundance Film Festival

"I want to tell you about changes I saw in real time. Yes, Sundance had the first bidding war in forever. This also was the first Sundance where not only were acquisitions slow, but also no one was surprised. And creators came to the festival not because brands hired them but because they wanted to be part of it. Brand marketers talking like distributors. Creators talking like filmmakers. Filmmakers talking like startups."

"At a lunch sponsored by vertical drama powerhouse ReelShort, so it's me and a boardroom full of consumer marketing execs and agencies. After a couple of ReelShort execs talked about the company, this was the first question: "How are you looking to engage with..." He cut himself off and began again. "To put it another way, you've got a room full of brands. Why are we here?" It got a few laughs and the conversation continued, but the question was real."

Sundance revealed accelerating renegotiation of industry roles as brands, creators, filmmakers, distributors, platforms, and financiers reassess responsibilities and value. The festival produced a rare bidding war, yet acquisitions overall were slow and unsurprising. Creators attended to participate rather than to fulfill brand hiring mandates. Brand marketers began speaking like distributors, creators spoke like filmmakers, and filmmakers spoke like startups, blurring traditional boundaries. A branded lunch directly asked why brands and entertainment are convening together, forcing a public reckoning about engagement strategies. Publicly asking that core question initiates practical work to redefine who does what and why.

Read at IndieWire