Hollywood looks back as Sundance's final night looms, prompting distributors to revive all-night bidding battles

The air in Park City feels charged with memory as the festival that once turned a sleepy mountain town into a cinematic pilgrimage draws to a close. Over the years, the late-night scramble for rights has become as much a part of the event's mythology as the films themselves, a ritual that once lit the town's streets with the glow of endless phone calls and frantic negotiations. This year, as the industry watches the final screenings, many studios see an opportunity to honor that tradition, re-engaging in the marathon deals that once defined Sundance's commercial heartbeat. By reviving those all-night bidding wars, distributors hope to remind both creators and audiences that the festival's influence stretches beyond the marquee, echoing the restless energy that first put independent cinema on the map.