"At Sundance 2026, the last held in Park City, Utah, nostalgia was inevitable. The festival's founder, Robert Redford, passed just four months before the event kicked off and the close-knit independent film community is anchored by veterans whose careers were forged here. Before every screening, audiences saw a short video in which Redford reminded audiences why he founded Sundance and reaffirmed his belief in fostering new independent voices."
"As to how Sundance would rebuild in Boulder, Colorado - well, that question was avoided, or met with some variation of the answer Olivia Wilde gave during our Future of Filmmaking keynote chat at IndieWire's Dropbox Studio. "I think as long as we remain true to Redford's vision, then that is the North Star," said Wilde. " And that spirit of discovery is what we need to maintain in order to keep this industry going.""
Robert Redford died four months before Sundance 2026, the last festival held in Park City, Utah. Before every screening, a short video featured Redford reiterating his reasons for founding Sundance and his commitment to fostering new independent voices. The festival community remains rooted in filmmakers whose careers were launched there, including Gregg Araki, Paul Thomas Anderson, Ryan Coogler, and Chloé Zhao. Sundance will move to Boulder, Colorado and intends to carry Redford's mission forward. Independent film faces mounting challenges, making it increasingly difficult to build careers like Araki's and raising concerns about the festival's ability to fulfill its mission over coming decades.
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