The Sundance Film Festival has always been a place where new voices break through, where perspective matters, and where creativity takes center stage. Adobe has been a longtime partner to Sundance because we believe in the same thing: creativity belongs to everyone and every storyteller deserves access to the tools that help their ideas come to life.
We’re proud to return as Presenting Sponsor this year — supporting independent filmmakers and the power of storytelling to move culture forward. That commitment shows up across the festival itself: according to the Sundance Institute’s annual survey, nearly 85 percent of this year’s entrants used Adobe Creative Cloud tools, including Premiere, Frame.io, After Effects, Photoshop, and Substance 3D. More than 75 projects relied on Premiere Pro as their primary editing platform.
That spirit of creative community comes to life at Adobe House on Main Street, which once again serves as a home base for filmmakers, creators, and collaborators throughout the week. It’s a place to connect, stay in flow, recharge and share work in progress — reflecting how creativity really happens today: collaboratively, iteratively, and through human perspective.
Inside, attendees can engage with hands-on experiences that explore how ideas move from imagination to finished work. Whether you’re a first-time filmmaker or a seasoned director, Adobe is built to adapt to how you create today, helping you move seamlessly from idea to execution.
This year, we’re also continuing our collaboration with Variety to host a compelling slate of conversations at the Adobe House, including the Showtime! Park City: GenAI Shorts showcase, moderated by Cynthia Littleton, Co-Editor-in-Chief, Variety which explores how filmmakers are experimenting with generative AI to expand creative expression. Fireside chats with industry leaders and creative luminaries will dive into the editor-director relationship, unpacking how trust, craft, and collaboration influence the choices that ultimately define a film.
New AI updates from Premiere and After Effects: Helping filmmakers optimize creative flow from idea to final cut
Timed with this year’s festival, Adobe introduced new updates across Premiere and After Effects designed to help filmmakers move faster from idea to final cut — without sacrificing creative control. In Premiere, new AI-powered tools and workflow improvements make it easier to isolate subjects, refine edits, and stay focused on the story rather than the mechanics of editing. Deeper connections across Creative Cloud, including Frame.io, Firefly, and Adobe Stock, help reduce friction and keep creative momentum flowing. Meanwhile, After Effects 26.0 opens — new creative possibilities for motion and compositing, with expanded animation, 3D, and performance enhancements that let artists spend less time waiting for rendering and more time designing.
These updates reflect our sustained focus on providing filmmakers and artists with production-ready tools built for meaningful storytelling. They also expand capabilities across the Adobe creative applications that are already fundamental to the work of Sundance filmmakers. “Chasing Summer,” “Wicker,” “The A.I. Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist," “Union County,” “Zi,” and “The Brittney Griner Story” are just a few of the features and documentaries set to debut at the festival that were cut on Premiere.
Adobe Film & TV Fund: Advancing opportunities for the next generation of filmmakers
This year, Adobe is deepening its long-standing support of emerging and mid-career filmmakers with new investments through the Adobe Film & TV Fund. We are committing nearly $10M in contributions and Adobe product donations to achieve the funds’ mission of helping newcomers create, launch and amplify the next generation of film and television projects. We also have new and exciting partnerships with Rideback RISE and Amelia Dimoldenberg’s Dimz Inc., and continued collaborations with the Group Effort Initiative, Gold House, and others.
New this year, the Film & TV Fund introduces a direct grant application designed specifically for filmmakers integrating AI into their creative workflows. Adobe-funded and Adobe-cut films are strongly represented with four films premiering at the festival, including “Bedford Park,” “American Pachuco,” “Marga en el DF” and “Pankaja.”
Standout Ignite Fellows with films at the festival include feature director Giselle Bonilla (2020 Ignite Fellow), alongside short filmmakers Anooya Swamy (2025 Ignite Fellow) and Matthew Puccini (2018 Ignite Fellow). Through Gold House, “Bedford Park,” written and directed by Stephanie Ahn, emerges as a powerful, personal breakout story, while Rideback RISE premieres “Marga en el DF,” edited by Monica Salazar, and celebrates “American Pachuco,” edited by Daniel Chavez Ontiveros. Together, these films and filmmakers underscore the impact of sustained investment in underrepresented voices, and the real-world success of creators who move from fellowship to festival stage.
Ignite Day at Sundance
For creators beginning to shape their voice, we are excited to present Ignite Day, hosted in partnership with the Sundance Institute on Monday, January 26 at the Adobe House. Designed for emerging creatives ages 18–25, Ignite Day brings together hands-on learning, mentorship, and creative exchange for young storytellers to connect, experiment, and gain real-world insight as they explore pathways to bring their ideas to life. At its core, Ignite is grounded in the belief that creative potential exists everywhere, and that the right support at the right moment can help it take form.
Throughout the day, Sundance Ignite x Adobe Fellows will share original project ideas in interactive pitch sessions, receiving direct feedback and guidance from industry professionals, while curated one-on-one conversations connect emerging filmmakers with mentors across film, media, and technology. The day concludes with a dedicated gathering for Ignite Fellows, Ignite ticket holders, and Adobe Film & TV Fund recipients, where we will also announce the Ignite Film Grant, reinforcing a shared belief in investing early, building community, and supporting the next generation of storytellers as they take their next step forward.
We invite all festival attendees to join us at the Adobe House for a lineup of engaging programming, from hands-on product demos to insightful panels and conversations with filmmakers. Follow Adobe on social media for real-time updates, exclusive interviews, and behind-the-scenes content throughout the festival. For more information and to stay connected with everything Adobe is doing at the festival, visit our dedicated hub here.
