Sundance 2026: AC to Host Panel Series at Canon Creative Studio in Park City

The editors of American Cinematographer will moderate a series of “Behind the Lens” filmmaker discussions starting this week at the Canon Creative Studio at Park City, Utah, open from Jan. 23-26 (11:00 am-5:00 pm).

The Canon Creative Studio is located at the Park City Museum at 528 Main St. and admission is free. Registration is done on-site and entry is limited to accredited filmmakers and photographers.

SCHEDULE

Camera to Cloud Workflow — Friday 1/23, 12:00pm

One of the more exciting technical developments in recent years, Frame.io Camera to Cloud technology enables rapid file transfer to the cloud as soon as you stop recording. Canon Senior Technical Specialist Matthew Irving will lead a discussion on the benefits and best practices of the C2C solution with Adobe’s Senior Production Support Specialist Derek Johnson.

Spotlight on Documentaries I — Friday 1/23, 2:00pm

Join moderator Jay Holben (technical editor of American Cinematographer) for a wide-ranging deep dive into the world of documentary filmmaking, with cinematographers Helki Frantzen (Who Killed Alex Odeh, Joybubbles) and Abd Alkader Habak (Birds of War) discussing their projects that are premiering at this year’s festival.

Tech Talk: Open Gate Recording — Friday 1/23, 4:00pm

Full-frame Open Gate recording has become a very popular topic of conversation as of late, but what is it, exactly? In this presentation, Canon Senior Technical Specialist Paul Hawxhurst will discuss the ins and outs of Open Gate, and how you can make it work best for your next project.

Spotlight on Documentaries II — Saturday 1/24, 12:00pm

The documentary discussion continues, as moderator Jay Holben talks with cinematographer Andrew H. Brown (Kikuyu Land) and the duo of Brad Jones and Ben Premeaux (Theydream) about their respective projects and the future of documentary filmmaking.

Tech Talk: Exploring the EOS C50 — Saturday 1/24, 2:00pm

Since its introduction in 2025, the EOS C50 cinema camera has been generating tremendous attention for its multitude of features in such a compact form factor. Join cinematographer Brandon Hoeg as he discusses his experience as one of the first users of the camera on a film (Grind) with Canon Senior Technical Specialist Ryan Snyder.

Paralyzed by Hope: The Maria Bamford Story — Saturday 1/24, 3:00pm

Blurring the line between performance and personal crisis, comedian Maria Bamford turns her mental health journey into material that’s riotously funny and ultimately inspiring. What emerges is a portrait of an artist transforming vulnerability into creative strength through honesty. Moderator Jay Holben will lead an in-depth discussion of the film and their use of Canon cinema cameras with Neil Berkeley (director, producer, cinematographer), Amanda Rohlke (producer), and David Heiman (producer).

Curating Your Cinematography Career — Sunday 1/25, 12:00pm

Cinematographers just embarking upon their professional careers are wise to seek guidance on the best ways to find their path forward and develop their personal brand. This panel will offer tips and advice from three experienced industry pros who can assist new directors of photography in creating a strategic road map to success: agent Brian Goldberg of Worldwide Production Agency (WPA), who will offer counsel on how to find the right representation; publicist Ranjinder Hans of EBComs Public Relations, a company that helps cinematographers draw attention to their work and artistic achievements; and Stephen Pizzello, editor-in-chief of American Cinematographer magazine, a publication where coverage of a promising project can become a career-defining moment that introduces a cinematographer’s name to the filmmaking elite. The panel will be moderated by ASC associate member Jay Holben, who also serves as American Cinematographer’s technical editor.

Give Me the Ball! — Sunday 1/25, 3:00pm

World champion tennis trailblazer Billie Jean King has had a game-changing impact on culture and sports. Rare archive footage and candid interviews with Billie Jean and those closest to her reveal how one woman put changing the world ahead of saving herself. Join cinematographer Thorsten Thielow for a conversation with moderator Jay Holben about the Canon cinema gear that helped bring this film to life.

Focused on Lenses — Monday 1/26, 12:00pm

The lenses you choose help to define the look and feel of your project, and how the audience will interpret the scene. This panel will be an in-depth discussion of everything related to lenses, and how to best utilize them to convey your intentions for a scene. Joining moderator Jay Holben will be cinematographers Bryan Gentry (When a Witness Recants), Alex Takats (The Laker), Gabriela Osio Vanden (Nuisance Bear) and Jack Weisman (Nuisance Bear) for a discussion of how their lens choices helped to create the look and feel of their festival projects.

Breaking Through the Lens — Monday 1/26, 2:00pm

Breaking Through the Lens (BTTL) will host a panel headlined by director and actor Olivia Wilde, who will discuss her new film The Invite, which premieres at the festival on Saturday, January 24. The conversation will be moderated by BTTL’s Liz Cardenas and, alongside Wilde, will also feature filmmakers Sophie Mas and Saba Zerehi (additional panelists may be announced). In addition to speaking about their respective films and experiences behind the camera, the panelists will shed light on the critical need for financing independent films, especially those made by marginalized individuals, which is a core pillar of BTTL’s tireless work.

On-site, Canon will have a full presentation of cameras and lenses including the tools used to create many Sundance-nominated and award-winning films. Canon Pro Reps will be on site to answer technical questions, address production challenges and show attendees the tools Canon offers to support their creative vision. On display will be cameras including the EOS C400, EOS C300 Mark III, EOS C80, EOS C70, EOS C50 and EOS R5 C; lenses including RF Cinema Primes and Flex Zooms; and more.

Canon is an official partner of the Sundance Film Festival.

#CanonCreativeStudio

Follow Canon on Instagram.