Reflections on 20 Years at the Sundance Film Festival - Indie Film Rules

"What we do here and what we support is something that cannot be corralled by straight business." Time to wrap it up. I'm on my way home from the 2026 Sundance Film Festival after viewing a grand total of 54 films across 10 days. It was also a very special celebration. This was my 20th year in a row (believe it!) covering the Sundance Film Festival in Utah for FirstShowing. A monumental achievement for me, but also for Sundance as it marks its final year in Utah before moving to Colorado next year. To add to the sadness of its departure from the mountains it was born in, Sundance founder Robert Redford passed away last year and it feels like the end of an era. Of course, it's not the end of Sundance. There was a rather somber mood in both Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah during the festival this year. Everywhere I went there were always conversations about what's going to happen next... A few people were acting like this was it, Sundance was over, it's time was up. However, that's certainly not the case. Sundance is going as strong as ever. And even if the line-up of films in 2026 wasn't its strongest, the festival's warm embrace of and celebration of indie films is still as strong as ever. The festival may be changing – but thankfully filmmakers are as edgy as ever. // Continue Reading ›