Celebrating and empowering everyone with a story to tell at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival

Image source: Sundance 2022.

At Adobe, we’re committed to empowering and celebrating filmmakers and underrepresented creators everywhere. And now more than ever, film and storytelling have the power to bring us together, invite new perspectives and create change.

We’re proud of our longstanding partnership with Sundance, together sharing the goal of supporting and celebrating the art and craft of independent filmmaking and inspiring the next generation of storytellers. Join us this year, in recognizing the creators at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival, who continue to connect the world with vibrant, expressive and innovative films.

Our support for independent filmmakers is decades long, and these past few years have shown that creativity can thrive in the most difficult times. For the fourth year in a row, Adobe Premiere Pro is the most prevalent video editing software at the festival, used by 61 percent of films, including Jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy, God’s Country, I Didn’t See You There, Palm Trees and Power Lines, Something in the Dirt, among many others. This year, 78 percent the 2022 films were made with Creative Cloud tools, including After Effects and Photoshop. In a time of remote filmmaking, collaboration is more important than ever. With the addition of Frame.io to Adobe Creative Cloud, storytellers can create and collaborate with anyone from anywhere in the world.

Since 2015, the Sundance Ignite x Adobe Fellowship Program, has empowered a new generation of filmmakers from all backgrounds, and provided the necessary tools, mentorship and community they need to foster independent filmmaking. Join us on Monday, January 24, for a conversation with Sundance Ignite Filmmakers as we delve into their journeys and hear directly from them about what pivotal moments led to getting their first films off the ground. This panel will be followed by a screening, which will feature ten short films created by the 2021 Sundance Ignite x Adobe fellows. These events are part of Ignite Day Presented by Adobe, our fully digital programming for aspiring filmmakers.

Throughout the Festival, also tune in to see two films from creators who are part of our Women at Sundance | Adobe Fellowship program, including Lauren Lee McCarthy’s (2020 Fellow) film, Surrogate, and Shaandiin Tome’s (2021 Fellow) film, Long Line of Ladies. And be on the lookout again this year for our latest spot, ‘When I Tell the Story,’ Adobe’s short film that highlights the work of emerging creators in collaboration with Sundance Institute alumni. The film features the work and inspiration of Ro Haber (2019 Momentum Fellow), Natalie Murao (2021 Sundance Ignite x Adobe Fellow), Aurora Brachman (2020 Sundance Ignite x Adobe Fellow), Amber Fares (2019 Momentum Fellow) and co-directed and edited by Carol Nguyen (2018 Sundance Ignite x Adobe Fellow).

This year we’re excited to team up with IndieWire again to share stories from emerging and experienced storytellers, on the importance of diversity in filmmaking, staying creative and innovative through adversity with advice for the next generation. Just like this year’s Sundance Film Festival, IndieWire Studio, presented By Adobe is fully virtual, to present video interviews with the top directors, actors, editors and artists behind the buzziest films screening at this year’s 10-day event.

With new ways to collaborate and connect now more than ever, Adobe continues to find innovative opportunities to inspire voices and make sure every story is told. Join our panel — Creativity and Collaboration: Empowering Every Voice — of established and emerging filmmakers from this year’s Festival including Brooke Sebold, Editor of Framing Agnes — Lam Nguyen, Editor of Emergency — Maliyamungu Muhande, Sundance Ignite x Adobe Fellow and Lyn Sisson-Talbert, Producer and mentor for Netflix + Adobe’s The Great Untold. The panel will be available virtually for festival goers to tune in and watch live on Monday, January 24 through the Sundance event page.

On Friday, January 21, attendees can also watch Adobe’s Meagan Keane as she interviews Festival Director, Tabitha Jackson about her perspective of this year’s event, empowering diverse storytellers and more. The event will be livestreamed on the Sundance event page and on Facebook.

For the second year in a row, we’re thrilled to sponsor The Art of Editing — a celebration to recognize all editors with films in the Festival as well as Sundance Institute’s Art of Editing Fellows. Winners of the Adobe Mentorship Awards will also be announced during the event, highlighting the importance of supporting and elevating the next generation of storytellers.

In today’s remote world, creativity and connection are more important than ever. Filmmakers have continued to be challenged to find new ways to share their craft and bring people together. At Adobe, we continue to be inspired by the incredible work of all filmmakers, especially during times of adversity, and are proud to be part of that journey to help enable creators everywhere to continue to bring their stories to life.

The ‘When I Tell The Story’ spot was made in partnership with creative agency 72andSunny Los Angeles.

Adobe is committed to creating greater opportunities for diverse voices. Learn more about our 2021 Sundance Ignite x Adobe Fellows and meet the 2021 Women at Sundance Fellows. Or check out our original interview series, Create Change, to hear creators from a spectrum of disciplines share how they are making an impact through their work, and Diverse Voices, a platform where everyone can be inspired, learn and share their stories.