Technology is impacting the film and television industry and change is happening fast. AI, new production tools, and platforms are redefining how stories are created, experienced, and shared. Learn with us about new practices and how to harness artist-first creative technologies responsibly, creatively, and ethically.


Story Forum: Exploring Art and Innovation is an in-person and online program that launched at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival designed to offer a space to learn, collaborate, and join the conversation; inviting thoughtful dialogue about the artist-first tools and technologies supporting visual storytelling today.


If you missed the program, now you can experience recordings of all of the in-person and online sessions for free here.

Start Watching Now

Why Story Forum?

Demystify the Technology

Gain clarity on the evolving landscape of AI, virtual production, gaming, and immersive storytelling — and what it means for your creative process.

Learn from Innovators

Hear from artists, educators, industry leaders, and creative technologists as they share new ideas, practices, tools, and ethics in storytelling.

Keep Creativity Human

Every session is grounded in ethical, artist-centered practice — because technology should support and uplift your imagination and creative process.

Frequently Asked Questions

Story Forum is a gathering for creators who want to explore the latest in storytelling. Through conversations and case studies, you’ll learn how different tools, practices, workflows, and techniques can support—not replace—your creative voice.

Story Forum is designed for artists, creatives, writers, producers, game and immersive creators, educators, students, and anyone curious about the future of storytelling. Whether you’re just starting out or already established, you’re welcome.

Yes. Ethics and responsible innovation are central to Story Forum. Many sessions explore how to use new tools in ways that respect artists, audiences, and communities. They also address how to navigate questions around authorship, consent, and creative ownership.

The program is grounded in an artist-first approach: technology is treated as a support for your imagination, not the driver. Conversations focus on how tools can help you experiment, expand your vision, and deepen your storytelling—while staying true to your voice.

Yes. Story Forum connects you to Sundance Collab, a global online learning platform where you can keep building your craft. You’ll find courses, master classes, and community events that extend the conversations and skills from the forum throughout the year.

Sundance Collab is the Sundance Institute’s global online learning platform for creators. Story Forum is one way to engage with that community; after the event, you can continue to learn, share work, and collaborate with peers worldwide through Sundance Collab.

At Sundance Institute, we are committed to creating a thriving environment where all community members feel valued. We aim to reflect inclusion, racial equity, and accessibility across our organization and in all our programs and platforms. This includes, but not limited to, staff, artists, fellows, advisors, patrons, and guests of Sundance Institute.

Our goal is to make all experiences, both in-person and online, as accessible as possible. This is an ongoing effort, and your partnership is crucial in helping us improve. To offer feedback or request assistance, please contact us at 435-776-7790 or accessibility@sundance.org.

For Sundance Collab’s online experiences, we work to provide captioned content, adjustable caption settings, and accessible platforms whenever possible. If you have specific access needs for an online session connected to Story Forum, please reach out in advance so we can coordinate options:

  • Email: accessibility@sundance.org
  • Phone: (435) 776-7790

Accessibility is an ongoing effort. We welcome your comments and suggestions:

  • Email: accessibility@sundance.org
  • You may also complete the Film Event Accessibility Scorecard, a community survey managed by FWD-Doc, to share anonymous feedback about your experience.