When Sundance vaulted indie filmmakers into the spotlight in the late 1980s, it reshaped cinema and the business around it.
A generation of directors, from Tarantino to the Coen brothers, emerged with little more than grit and maxed‑out credit cards, changing culture and creating new multi‑million‑dollar markets that influenced industries well beyond cinema—from Hollywood to fashion and beyond.
A similar inflection point is here. This time, the catalyst isn’t cheap cameras, it’s generative AI.
Barriers are collapsing as a laptop, AI model, and imagination can now produce short cinema-like work. Talent pipelines are shifting, with students, indie creators, and startups reshaping industries from film to gaming. Most importantly, the business impact is real, as generative AI could add A$115 billion annually to Australia’s economy by 2030.
