IndieWire Sundance Panel Explores AI Tools for Creative Filmmaking

IndieWire's Studio at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival brought together AI technology leaders and filmmakers to examine how artificial intelligence can expand creative possibilities without replacing human artistry. The January 23 panel, titled "AI and Filmmaking: Clearing Space for Creativity" and sponsored by Dropbox, featured concrete examples of AI deployment in production workflows and interactive storytelling.

Panel Lineup and Format

Chris O'Falt of IndieWire moderated the 3-4 PM session, which convened three executives working directly with AI in entertainment contexts. Alexandra Hooven, co-CEO of Othelia Technologies, discussed enterprise applications for major studios. Jess Engel, Head of Primordial Soup, addressed independent production needs. Bernie Su, Head of Creative at Pickford.ai, demonstrated interactive narrative formats powered by AI systems.

The discussion centered on practical implementation rather than speculative futures. Each panelist brought case studies from active projects, offering attendees tangible examples of AI integration in current production pipelines.

Interactive Storytelling with AI Systems

Bernie Su unveiled details of "Whispers," an AI driven murder mystery that adapts to participant decisions in real time. Unlike branching narrative games with predetermined paths, the project uses language models to generate contextually appropriate responses based on user queries and actions.

Su explained that the system maintains narrative consistency while allowing unprecedented freedom in how participants investigate the mystery. Players can ask any question of virtual characters, who respond based on their established personalities and knowledge within the story world. The technology enables what Su described as "detective work without rails," where the path to solving the case emerges organically from participant choices rather than following scripted decision trees.

The project premiered at Sundance on the evening of January 23, offering festival attendees hands on experience with the format. Su positioned interactive AI narratives as a complement to traditional filmmaking rather than a replacement, noting that the medium requires different storytelling skills focused on world building and character consistency rather than linear plot construction.

Intellectual Property Protection for Major Studios

Alexandra Hooven addressed concerns around using AI tools trained on copyrighted material, an issue that gained prominence following multiple lawsuits against AI companies in 2024 and 2025. Othelia Technologies works with clients including Disney to develop AI systems trained exclusively on studio owned content, eliminating legal exposure from third party training data.

Hooven explained that custom trained models allow studios to leverage their extensive film and television libraries as training material while maintaining complete copyright control. The approach costs more than commercial AI services but provides legal certainty and ensures that generated content remains stylistically consistent with existing intellectual property.

The discussion highlighted a bifurcation in the industry. Major studios with large content catalogs can invest in proprietary AI systems, while independent filmmakers rely on commercial tools with less clear legal standing. Hooven acknowledged this divide but noted that compute costs continue declining, potentially making custom training accessible to smaller production companies within two to three years.

AI Tools in Independent Production Workflows

Jess Engel from Primordial Soup focused on how independent filmmakers are currently deploying AI in pre-production and post-production. The company works with creators who lack studio budgets but need professional quality results on compressed timelines.

Engel cited storyboard generation as an area where AI delivers immediate value. Directors can visualize sequences rapidly, iterate on shot compositions, and communicate vision to cinematographers without hiring concept artists. The technology has reduced pre-production timeline by an average of two weeks for Primordial Soup clients, according to internal project data Engel shared during the panel.

For post-production, Engel highlighted AI assisted color grading and sound design tools that handle routine technical tasks, allowing human experts to focus on creative decisions. The approach positions AI as infrastructure that handles repetitive work rather than as a creative collaborator. Engel emphasized that final decisions remain with human artists, with AI serving to expand what becomes financially feasible for limited budgets.

Tools like those available through AI FILMS Studio represent similar approaches, offering independent creators access to text-to-video and image-to-video generation that would otherwise require expensive production resources. The panel discussion aligned with broader industry trends toward democratizing production capabilities through AI assistance.

Industry Context and Labor Considerations

The panel occurred less than two weeks after Christopher Nolan assumed leadership positions in the Directors Guild of America, which is preparing for 2026 contract negotiations that will address AI use in production. While the IndieWire discussion did not directly address labor concerns, the focus on AI as a tool that expands creative options rather than replaces workers reflected the broader industry effort to position the technology as additive rather than substitutional.

Engel noted that Primordial Soup clients have maintained or increased crew sizes despite AI integration, reallocating budgets from routine technical work to creative roles. Hooven acknowledged that automation of certain post-production tasks has reduced demand for entry level positions in those areas, but argued that new roles in AI oversight and quality control are emerging to partially offset those losses.

The Q&A session following the panel included questions about training data ethics and attribution. Su stated that Pickford.ai uses only licensed content or material specifically created for training, while Engel acknowledged that many commercial tools used by independent filmmakers rely on datasets with unclear provenance. Hooven reiterated that major studios are moving toward proprietary systems to avoid legal uncertainty, suggesting that commercial AI providers may face increasing pressure to clarify training data sources as adoption expands.

IndieWire's complete video recording of the panel provides additional context and direct quotes from all participants. The discussion at Sundance 2026 reflected an industry in transition, with AI tools becoming standard in certain workflows while fundamental questions about implementation, compensation, and creative control remain subjects of active negotiation between studios, guilds, and technology providers.

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Sources

IndieWire: "Can AI Solve Hollywood's Biggest Problems? Sundance Panel" Published: January 23, 2026 https://www.indiewire.com/news/events/can-ai-solve-hollywood-biggest-problems-sundance-panel-1235177211/

IndieWire: "IndieWire Studio Returns to the 2026 Sundance Film Festival" Published: January 2026 https://www.indiewire.com/news/events/indiewire-studio-returns-2026-sundance-film-festival-1235173660/

IndieWire: "Sundance Film Festival 2026 Beyond Film Talks" Published: January 2026 https://www.indiewire.com/news/festivals/sundance-film-festival-2026-beyond-film-talks-1235171784/