Does Sundance Still Matter?

variety.com:

Owen Gleiberman Chief Film Critic At the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, there were movies that provoked their share of buzz, chatter and official breathless enthusiasm.

But it’s fair to say that no movie this year generated half the conversation that Sundance did about itself. The buzz was all about the festival — which city it would move to in 2027 (Cincinnati or Boulder?

The smart money is now on Cincinnati), as well as the question that’s been the backdrop of that move: Can Sundance, a festival that in the ’90s altered the very landscape of cinema, find a way to sustain its relevance into the 21st century?

The jury is very much out on that. Sundance still generates excitement and headlines, as well as a small handful of films that will have a chance to make an impact.