The last Sundance

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Sundance is leaving the ski slopes. After more than four decades in Park City, Utah, the festival is preparing to relocate to Boulder, Colorado. For veteran film journalist and documentary producer Bronwyn Cosgrave, speaking to Visionary from the snowy heart of this year’s edition, it’s a move that feels bold, necessary, and optimistic.

Sundance, she explains, has always been about reinvention. And amid a changing media landscape – where big-budget celebrity documentaries dominate streamers and selling smaller films is harder than ever – the festival remains a vital launchpad. “Young people are rediscovering the power of independent film,” she says. “Sundance has to reflect that.” While the big players bring scale, it’s the buzz generated on the ground that can turn a smart, small documentary into a global conversation.

As the festival looks ahead to its next chapter in Boulder, Cosgrave sees promise in the university town's fresh energy and audience. The departure from Park City may ruffle a few local feathers, but the mission endures: to create space for cultural dialogue, human storytelling, and artistic risk. “Festivals,” she reminds us, “aren’t just distribution engines. They’re where communities are built, and where new ideas begin.”

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why Sundance’s move to Boulder signals a bold shift in the future of independent film.

• How celebrity-driven documentaries are reshaping the market – and why smaller films still matter.

• Why film festivals remain essential hubs for cultural dialogue in a fragmented media world.

Watch the episode on YouTube below, or listen via your preferred podcast app.