January 2026

Sundance 2026: Eight Cinematographers Share Shooting Strategies

Whether a longtime veteran or a relative newcomer, each cinematographer AC tracked down at this year's Sundance Film Festival expressed a strong sense of nostalgia as this year's edition marked the last in Park City, Utah. Lol Crawley, ASC, BSC (Wicker) notes that he still secures jobs in America based on the work showcased in the 2008 drama Ballast — his first feature to premiere at Sundance, which earned him the festival's Best Cinematography award. Sam Levy (The Only Living Pickpocket in New York) has served as director of photography for five features that premiered at Sundance and once as camera operator on another, and was also a Sundance cinematography fellow “a long time ago,” he notes. Others are just getting started. For...more