We got a chance to catch some of the talented directors and producers in the NEXT category during Sundance. Watch the video below to hear their thoughts on what it means to be a NEXT category filmmaker. Congratulations to all of the filmmakers for their nominations, and a special congratulations to the category winner, Mike Birbiglia, for “Sleepwalk with Me.“

Watch the highlights below, and the full panel here.

We were proud to sponsor the NEXT category of films at the Sundance Film Festival, which recognizes and honors impactful films created with limited resources. The films in the NEXT category truly embody the spirit of independent filmmaking, and we’re thrilled to have had the opportunity to sponsor the category.

Congratulations to ALL of the contestants on a job well done. We got to speak to a few contestants during our time at the festival, and will be sharing a highlights video in the coming days here. Stay tuned for more!

We wrapped up our last day with a deep dive, titled “Modern Storytelling,” with Vincent Laforet. Not only did Vincent share some of his greatest photographs and commercials with an engaged audience, but he also gave candid explanations of stories behind each piece of work, tips on tools, best mobile apps to use for photography, and editing techniques. He shared behind-the-scenes making videos of a few commercials, his techniques and learnings, and lastly, how it all come together in the final product. Thanks to Vincent for his valuable time. You can see more of his work here.

Sundance, it’s been fun. Thanks to all of you who followed our journey along with us on social media. We’ll share a few more videos with you in the coming days, so stay tuned.

Until next year…!

In addition, we have a few special congratulations to shout:

• Julia Pott, an Adobe Design Achievement Award (ADAA) 2011 Animation Finalist, was accepted into the 2012 Sundance Film Festival Short Film Program for her work, “Belly.” Julia has created an exceptional coming-of-age animated film. Julia, the Adobe teams wish you the very best at your screening during the festival!
• Also congratulations to Columbia University and UCLA on the acceptance of their alumni, student and faculty films to Sundance. Columbia has an amazing 14 films from their alumni, students and faculty screening at Sundance. Three of the films are part of the Adobe sponsored NEXT Category.

Next up for Adobe at Sundance: a case study on Wednesday with Vincent Laforet on modern storytelling. Stay tuned here as we’ll provide a recap.

Then we made our way over to Eccles Theatre for the Day 1 Screening of The Queen of Versailles where the crowd was buzzing with excitement. Robert Redford kicked off the screening,  noting his vision for Sundance and support for independent filmmakers. The documentary itself was fascinating, capturing David Siegel and Jacqueline Siegel’s story of riches to “rags.”

We ended our night at the Day 1 Party, bumping to some good music and meeting some fun fellow attendees.

We put together this teaser video of what you can expect to see over the next few days – check back tomorrow. It’s Friday morning, snowing a ton, and word on the street is that today is the real kick-off. Come back daily for the next episode, yes?

We’re uploading all of our photos over at Facebook, so be sure to check back in regularly. Hopefully we’ll have some cool celeb sightings to share!

Adobe is a proud sponsor of the Sundance Film Festival, and a driving force changing the way we engage with digital experiences; thus why we have an affinity for the filmmakers at Sundance who are creating amazing work. The talent, passion, and risk-taking that Sundance stands for inspires our folks to create movie making tools that help directors and editors make the next best celluloid (and/or digital) masterpiece.

We’ll be hosting two panels at the festival (and recording for those who won’t be there in person):

• How Technology is Influencing Storytelling and Film: A panel with digital mavericks like Academy-award winning VFX Supervisor Rob Legato (Hugo, Titanic), and filmmakers/directors Vincent Laforet (Revelry, Mobius), and Jacob Rosenberg (Act of Valor) who are changing the world of filmmaking. Moderated by Sharlto Copley (District 9), these folks will discuss how they take advantage of digital advances in filmmaking technology and innovative techniques to create engaging, thought-provoking work on any budget.
• Modern Storytelling, a Case Study by Vincent Laforet. Vincent Laforet will present on his work, which fits multiple categories, yet defies categorization. A three-time winner at the prestigious Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival and Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer, Laforet breaks new ground telling stories with still and moving images. Hear how he approaches storytelling, and how modern tools have changed the filmmaking landscape.

We’ll be live-tweeting during the panel, and may ask some questions from the community following the conversations. Stay tuned to this space for more details and be sure to follow @Adobe.

In addition to the sessions, Adobe is sponsoring the NEXT < = > (less than equals greater than) category of films. NEXT films stretch limited resources to create impactful art. Although these films share a Festival category, there is nothing categorical about them. By nature they embody the spirit of independent filmmaking.

We hope to get some interviews with some of these NEXT filmmakers, as well as the panelists, and highlight them here! We’ll have a video crew on the ground who will grab footage from artists and fans. We’ll put together daily updates Thursday, January 19 through Sunday, January 22, including end-of-day video recaps as well as cool pictures. Plus, we want your input! Let us know in the comments below some questions we should ask the young filmmakers and fans we’ll interview…We expect it all to be very entertaining (if not downright informative) with a dusting of celeb sightings.

Lastly, if you haven’t connected with us, follow us on Twitter and join the conversation with #futureofdigital. Like us on Facebook too as we’ll post pics there as well as this blog. For those who will be at Sundance, follow us on Foursquare to keep tabs on where we are for a chance to win some Adobe merch.

Visit our Sundance page for more details and stay tuned for all the action!