I’ve always loved the creative energy of the Sundance Film Festival. Returning from Park City, I’m reminded of how far I’ve come as a filmmaker—from walking those snowy streets years ago as a dreamer, to now sharing the stage and my work with fellow creators. It hasn’t been an easy journey. I’ve spent countless hours away from my family, missing milestones while chasing this dream. Every artist carries those struggles, pouring their lives into the work they believe in.
This year, the conversations felt different. Discussions around AI and generative tools brought both excitement and fear—fear of change, of what this technology means for our craft. But here’s the thing: technology has always been a part of filmmaking. With every innovation—sound, color, CGI—there’s been resistance. It’s human to want to protect what we’ve built.
When filmmakers asked, “What do we do?” I told them this: We have to own the technology, not let it own us. AI hasn’t lived your life, felt your pain, or loved like you have. Your craft, your perspective, your stories—those are irreplaceable. AI is just another tool in your kit, like a camera or editing suite. It’s not a replacement—it’s an amplifier.
As independent filmmakers, AI can be an incredible tool for development, pre-production, and actual production, helping you explore worlds, characters and bring your vision to life with clarity and precision. It’s a game-changer when explaining your ideas to potential investors, producers, distributors, or even your crew. With AI, you can previsualize and postvisualize your shots, saving time and money while ensuring you get exactly what you need for production.
But more than that, AI allows you to iterate and refine your ideas endlessly, exploring the full spectrum of your imagination without taking your budget in the wrong direction. Creativity. Imagination. That’s what AI can do—not replace you, but empower you and your team to bring your vision to life with greater confidence and efficiency.
To my fellow artists: embrace the unknown. Experiment, explore, and be curious. Yes, change can be uncomfortable, but it’s in those moments of discomfort that the greatest opportunities are born. Sundance reminded me that, as filmmakers, we often stand at the intersection of fear and possibility. If we can move past the fear, we unlock endless potential. Storytelling will always matter because it’s deeply rooted in what makes us human—our capacity to connect, inspire, and create.
The future is ours to shape. Let’s make it extraordinary together.
—Dave Clark
Filmmaker & Co-Founder of Promise