Photo: 2026 Sundance Film Festival Beyond Film Header Image

PARK CITY, Utah — Today the nonprofit Sundance Institute announced the lineup for the 2026 Sundance Film Festival’s annual Beyond Film talks and events, a series featuring artist conversations and experts from various fields being held Friday, Jan. 23–Friday, Jan. 30. Come engage with Olivia Wilde, Richard Linklater, Billie Jean King, John Turturro, Salman Rushdie to Elijah Wood, Daniel Noah, James Wan and more.

A new, first-time event, Sundance Institute’s Story Forum: Exploring Art and Innovation presented by Adobe, will take place Monday, Jan. 26, bringing creators, educators, and industry leaders together to discuss the latest ideas and technologies in storytelling. The Festival will be held from Jan. 22–Feb 1 in person in Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah, with the at-home program available online from Jan. 29–Feb 1 for audiences across the country. Single Film Tickets for in-person and online screenings go on sale Jan. 14 at 10 a.m. MT. Visit the Sundance Film Festival website for more information.

The 2026 Festival will serve as a meaningful tribute to Robert Redford and his vision that has inspired generations of artists and redefined cinema around the world. During the second half of the Festival, the Park City Legacy program will celebrate the Festival’s rich history and shared experiences in Utah through archival screenings of iconic films from past editions, artist talks with notable Festival alumni, and a special community event.

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Beyond Film offers a free community experience for Festival attendees through artist discussions, talks with filmmakers and experts across various disciplines, and engaging opportunities for audience interaction. This year’s lineup includes Cinema Café presented by Audible and The Big Conversation | From Fire to Flight: Humans, Technology and Time. Beyond Film will feature conversations from various participants, such as Olivia Wilde (Director and Cast, The Invite and Cast, I Want Your Sex), Ava DuVernay, Salman Rushdie (Subject, Knife: The Attempted Murder of Salman Rushdie), Richard Linklater (Director, Nouvelle Vague), Nicole Holofcener (Director, Worried), John Turturro (Cast, The Only Living Pickpocket in New York), Billie Jean King(Subject, Give Me the Ball!), Antoine Fuqua (Director, Troublemaker), Gregg Araki (Director, I Want Your Sex and Mysterious Skin), and Barbara Kopple (Director, American Dream). This year’s programming will include a live podcast recording of Visitations featuring James Wan (Writer-director, Saw) with hosts Elijah Wood and Daniel Noah. See the schedule below for the full lineup.

To commemorate this poignant year, there will also be special talks and events as part of the Park City Legacy program, taking place during the second half of the Festival. Also part of the Beyond Film program, Power of Story: On Legacy will feature Ta-Nehisi Coates (Executive Producer and Subject, When A Witness Recants), Alex Gibney (Director, Knife: The Attempted Murder of Salman Rushdie), John Turturro (Cast, The Only Living Pickpocket in New York), Olivia Wilde (Director and Cast, The Invite and Cast, I Want Your Sex), and moderator Jia Tolentino (Staff Writer, The New Yorker). As a longtime Sundance Film Festival alum, Richard Linklater will be participating in a noteworthy live commentary of Nouvelle Vague on Wednesday, January 28. A one-of-a-kind culmination event, Everyone Has a Story: Four Decades of the Sundance Film Festival in Utah, will be a special free gathering for the public on Friday, January 30, to celebrate the many cherished memories of the over 40-year history of the annual Festival and share gratitude with the local Utah community.

“We are excited to announce this year’s Beyond Film programming as it represents how incredibly special this year is for the Sundance Film Festival,” said Kim Yutani, Director of Programming. “We look forward to bringing bold and inspiring voices together to explore the themes in this year’s program of new films, as well as celebrating our shared history with Utah through our Park City Legacy program talks and our signature Power of Story conversation held at the iconic Egyptian Theatre.”

“Our 2026 Beyond Film program remains a space for expanding perspectives and celebrating the resilient creative spirit at the heart of the Festival,” said Ania Trzebiatowska, Beyond Film Program Curator. “As we gather in Park City, we recognize the privilege of sharing this space — of looking beyond the screens, honoring our legacy, and connecting with the artists and audiences who shape how we see the world.”

All Beyond Film talks and events are free to the public, except for Power of Story, which is a paid, ticketed event. The events will take place in person from Jan. 23–30.

For admission to Cinema Café and The Big Conversation events, arrive at least 30 minutes early, as seating is limited and on a first-come, first-served basis. Upon arrival, present your Festival ID QR code on your mobile device for entry. You can access your Festival ID by logging in to your free Festival account and going to “My Schedule.” (Important: Festival tickets and Festival IDs serve different functions. Both can be retrieved as QR codes using the mobile app.) For more on how to access online Beyond Film offerings, visit the How to Fest page.

Sundance Institute’s Story Forum: Exploring Art and Innovation brings creators, educators, and industry leaders together to discuss the latest ideas and technologies in storytelling. Events are free to attend with registration and will take place at the Sheraton Park City on Monday, Jan. 26, from 8:30 a.m.–10 p.m. MT. A free online program will also be held on Thursday, Jan. 29, and Friday, Jan. 30. Secure your free in-person and online registration at collab.sundance.org/catalog/Story-Forum.

BEYOND FILM LINEUP

POWER OF STORY

The Sundance Film Festival’s Power of Story conversation aims to deepen public engagement with the art of storytelling, explore cinema culture, and celebrate artists whose work propels and reinvents the form.

Power of Story: On Legacy Tuesday, Jan. 27, 3–4:30 p.m.

Egyptian Theatre, 328 Main St., Park City, UT

Power of Story: On Legacy will bring together artists, thinkers, and culture makers for a deeper look at the idea of legacy — what it means, who defines it, and how it evolves over time. Speakers will reflect on legacy as a balancing act between intention and interpretation, control and serendipity, and explore how stories outlive their creators and take on new meaning for audiences. It’s a conversation about what lasts, what lingers, and what we hope to pass on.

Featuring: Ta-Nehisi Coates (Executive Producer and Subject, When A Witness Recants), Alex Gibney (Director, Knife: The Attempted Murder of Salman Rushdie), John Turturro (Cast, The Only Living Pickpocket in New York), and Olivia Wilde (Director and Cast, The Invite and Cast, I Want Your Sex) Moderated by Jia Tolentino (Staff Writer, The New Yorker)

CINEMA CAFÉ

Friday, Jan. 23–Thursday, Jan. 29

Filmmaker Lodge, 550 Main St., Park City, UT

The doors are open again at Cinema Café, where the culture of conversation is reinvigorated. Our series of informal chats brings together special guests for thought-provoking encounters and fascinating dialogue. Previous Cinema Café guests have included Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Tessa Thompson, Jane Campion, Eugenio Derbez, Lena Dunham, Norman Lear, Kumail Nanjiani, Saoirse Ronan, Spike Lee,

Maggie Gyllenhaal, Radha Blank, Ira Glass, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Charlie Kaufman, Ice-T, Winston Duke, Eva Victor, Mstyslav Chernov, Olivia Colman, Daniel Kaluuya, Marlee Matlin, Chlöe Sevigny, Celine Song, D. Smith, and many others.

Cinema Café is presented by Audible

Cinema Café: Ava DuVernay and Barbara Kopple (American Dream)

Friday, Jan. 23, 11 a.m.–noon

Cinema Café: TBA

Saturday, Jan. 24, TBA

Cinema Café: Salman Rushdie (Knife: The Attempted Murder of Salman Rushdie)

Hosted by Justin Chang (Film Critic, The New Yorker)

Sunday, Jan. 25, 11 a.m.–noon

Cinema Café: Billie Jean King (Give Me the Ball!) and Antoine Fuqua (Troublemaker) Tuesday, Jan. 27, 11 a.m.–noon

Cinema Café: The Indie ’90s

Featuring: Gregg Araki (I Want Your Sex and Mysterious Skin), Nicole Holofcener (Worried), Richard

Linklater (Nouvelle Vague), and moderated by John Pierson (Spike, Mike, Slackers, & Dykes), Wednesday, Jan. 28, 11 a.m.–noon

Cinema Café: Visitations Live Podcast with James Wan (Saw)

Elijah Wood and Daniel Noah of indie production company SpectreVision will host a live taping of their podcast Visitations.

Thursday, Jan. 29, 11 a.m.–noon

THE BIG CONVERSATION

The Big Conversation explores science, art, culture, and the movements fueling the imaginations of today’s independent artists.

The Big Conversation | From Fire to Flight: Humans, Technology and Time Monday, Jan. 26, 11 a.m.–12:15 p.m.

Filmmaker Lodge, 550 Main St., Park City, UT

Two leading scientists join filmmaker Andrew Stanton (WALL-E, Director, In The Blink of An Eye), screenwriter Colby Day (Executive Producer, In The Blink of An Eye), and moderator Dr. Heather Berlin.

(Spaceman) who have explored themes of human connection to science and technology throughout their work, including the new film In The Blink of An Eye, which spans thousands of years of human history, from a Neanderthal family struggling to survive, to the work of an anthropologist (uncovering that past), to the mission of spacecraft — its sole human occupant and onboard sentient computer — bringing humanity to a distant planet.

NOUVELLE VAGUE LIVE COMMENTARY WITH RICHARD LINKLATER Wednesday, Jan. 28, 9:15 p.m.

The Yarrow Theatre, 1800 Park Ave., Park City, UT

Longtime Festival alumnus Richard Linklater will provide a live commentary track over a screening of Nouvelle Vague, taking the audience behind the scenes of Linklater’s film, Godard’s film, and the nature of independence in filmmaking itself.

Nouvelle Vague / France (Director: Richard Linklater, Screenwriters: Holly Gent, Vincent Palmo Jr., Michèle Halberstadt, Laetitia Masson, Producers: Laurent Pétin, Michèle Pétin) — A reimagining of the making of Jean-Luc Godard’s Breathless explores the youthful rebellion and creative chaos that shaped the French New Wave. Cast: Guillaume Marbeck, Zoey Deutch, Aubry Dullin.

EVERYONE HAS A STORY: FOUR DECADES OF THE SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL IN UTAH EVENT

Friday, Jan. 30, 3–4:15 p.m. (doors open at 2 p.m. for cocktail hour with cash bar)

The Marquis, 427 Main St., Unit 1, Park City, UT

This special culmination event brings together artists, alumni, industry, veteran attendees, staff, volunteers, and the local community for a program of stories, shared memories, archive treasures, and legendary moments. This is a free event; a ticket reservation is required. Must be 21 or older with a scannable ID to attend. Visit festival.sundance.org for more information. 1

PARTNER EVENTS

The Sundance Film Festival’s official partner events give audiences the opportunity to hear from experts worldwide as they discuss a variety of topics. Events are hosted and produced by members of our partner community. Each of these partner organizations helped make this year’s Festival possible. To explore this year’s partner events, please visit festival.sundance.org/program/partner-events.

SUNDANCE INSTITUTE’S STORY FORUM: EXPLORING ART AND INNOVATION

Monday, Jan. 26, 8:30 a.m.–10:30 p.m.

Silvermine, Sheraton Park City, 1895 Sidewinder Dr., Park City, UT

Sundance Institute’s Story Forum: Exploring Art and Innovation is presented by Adobe and brings creators, educators, and industry leaders together to discuss the latest ideas and technologies in storytelling. Events are free to attend with registration and will take place at the Sheraton Park City on Monday, Jan. 26, 2026, from 8:30 a.m.–10:30 p.m. MT. A free online program will also be held on Thursday, Jan. 29, and Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. Secure your free in-person and online registration at collab.sundance.org/catalog/Story-Forum.

Making of a Movement: Meet the Creators Coalition on AI 8:30–9:30 a.m.

Founding members of the Creators Coalition on AI (CCAI) share their groundbreaking initiative to develop standards and best practices for artificial intelligence use in entertainment. Gain candid insights into the organization’s mission to create ethical guidelines and artistic protections for creators. The session includes breakfast.

Featuring: Janet Yang (Co-Founder, CCAI)

Beyond the Hype: A Documentary Deep Dive into AI 10–11 a.m.

Filmmakers behind two 2026 Sundance Film Festival documentaries about artificial intelligence — Valerie

Veatch (Ghost in the Machine), Daniel Roher, Charlie Tyrell, and Daniel Kwan (The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist) — examine the evolving technological landscape in this session that unpacks the intricate history and potential futures of AI in society.

Featuring: Valerie Veatch (Director, Ghost in the Machine), Daniel Kwan (Producer, The AI Doc: Or

How I Became an Apocaloptimist), and Daniel Roher and Charlie Tyrell (Co-directors, The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist)

Moderated by Alix Dunn (CEO, The Maybe)

Behind the Shorts: Creative Explorations in GenAI Filmmaking | Presented by Adobe 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

A practical, behind-the-scenes look at how generative tools can support the artists making their films. Go inside the process as the filmmakers break down how they organized their workflows and tackled key challenges. This session highlights the steps and decisions that shaped the shorts, demonstrating how AI can enhance an artist’s creativity and streamline the production process to a finished film.

Featuring: Momo Wang (Creator, WINK) and Taryn O’Neill (Writer-director, MythOS)