Sundance’s Last Run in Park City and a New Chapter in Boulder

[00:00] Frederick Moore: From Neural Newscast, I'm Frederick Moore. [00:04] Hannah Whitmore: And I'm Hannah Whitmore. [00:06] Frederick Moore: Today, Sundance opens in Park City for the final time before relocating to Boulder next year. [00:15] Frederick Moore: It is a move that closes a chapter in independent film. [00:21] Hannah Whitmore: The shift comes down to a pretty simple reality. [00:25] Hannah Whitmore: The festival has outgrown a small ski town. [00:29] Hannah Whitmore: Even getting to screenings can start to feel like a sprint. [00:33] Frederick Moore: Park City is part of the Sundance story, but it has also become the bottleneck. [00:40] Frederick Moore: Organizers say Boulder offers more room to operate and fewer constraints. [00:47] Hannah Whitmore: Next year, that larger footprint could reshape who shows up and how the festival runs. [00:55] Hannah Whitmore: More venues can mean more screenings. [00:58] Hannah Whitmore: It can also mean higher costs for local businesses and for visitors. [01:04] Frederick Moore: This year carries extra weight, too. [01:08] Frederick Moore: It is the first Sundance since Robert Redford died. [01:12] Frederick Moore: The festival is planning tributes and events that trace his role in building a launchpad [01:18] Frederick Moore: for new filmmakers. [01:20] Hannah Whitmore: Those tributes include a gala and a new award in Redford's name. [01:26] Hannah Whitmore: The lineup also looks back with a screening of Downhill Racer and reunions for past festival favorites. [01:34] Frederick Moore: Turning to the industry pressures hovering over the festival, artificial intelligence is a central conversation in Park City. [01:44] Frederick Moore: Two AI-focused documentaries are on the slate. [01:48] Frederick Moore: Tech executives are also meeting with filmmakers. [01:53] Hannah Whitmore: And for working crews, that question is not abstract. [01:57] Hannah Whitmore: People want to know which tools can speed up production. [02:01] Hannah Whitmore: They want to know which ones replace jobs. [02:05] Hannah Whitmore: And they want to know who keeps control of the final creative choices. [02:11] Frederick Moore: Sundance also shows how the business of movies keep shifting. [02:16] Frederick Moore: The festival is still a marketplace for discovery. [02:20] Frederick Moore: Big names arrive alongside first-time directors and documentary subjects who have never been on a stage like that before. [02:29] Hannah Whitmore: Documentaries still anchor that identity too, from cultural figures to athletes and activists. [02:37] Hannah Whitmore: Even as the industry consolidates, Sundance keeps trying to plant a flag for independence. [02:45] Frederick Moore: I'm Frederick Moore. [02:46] Hannah Whitmore: And I'm Hannah Whitmore. [02:49] Hannah Whitmore: Neural Newscast is AI-assisted, human-reviewed. [02:53] Hannah Whitmore: View our AI transparency policy at neuralnewscast.com.