Fifty-four short films. Honestly. As if anyone attending the 2026 Sundance Film Festival has time for shorts. It’s a strategic distraction, of course, meant to dilute the crush around the Eccles and the Library Center. The Park City legacy program, a sentimental nod before the exodus to Boulder, is predictably drawing the usual suspects – those who benefitted most from the arrangement. I suspect a great deal of forced nostalgia. The inclusion of full-length features in this ‘legacy’ collection feels… generous, especially given the limited screening space. A one-day panel at The Egyptian Theatre? It’s merely a venue to contain the self-congratulations. One expects to see Robert Redford, naturally, flanked by the Park City Institute’s leadership. The entire affair smacks of a farewell tour, a final inventory of accumulated social capital. The traffic will be, as always, intolerable. However, one must be seen navigating it with effortless grace. Maintaining a presence, securing a table at 501 on Main… these are the true measures of success. One anticipates the usual deluge of celebrity sightings, the inevitable photographs of indifferent stars against the step-and-repeat red. It’s all quite tiresome, really. Still, a commitment must be made.
Cable #8987December 16, 2025
Sundance's Final Utah Bow
The approaching end of an era at Sundance necessitates a precise accounting of access and, more importantly, who has it.