Illustration by Fanny Luor
Illustration by Fanny Luor

Sundance Film Festival 2021

Sundance 2021: How a grand experiment is making the festival more expansive

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Published on January 25, 2021

Within days of becoming the new Director of the Sundance Film Festival, Tabitha Jackson faced a plot twist no one expected.

“If artists could make work, we wish to be there to amplify that work, carry it to audiences, and gather the community.”—Tabitha Jackson

Tabitha Jackson, Director of the Sundance Film Festival (photo by Josh Rose)
Photo of Tabitha Jackson, Director of the Sundance Film Festival

“We rolled out screening tests [and] hosted a weekend-long mini festival. It was really cool. You could tell there was an appetite for it .”—Amma Okwara

One of the boldest of this year’s experiments is a platform called New Frontier, which allows people to gather, watch, and discuss XR experiences.