Collider Partners With Arby's Cinema Center for Sundance Film Festival's Final Bow in Park City

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Ryan O'Rourke is a Senior News Writer at Collider with a specific interest in all things adult animation, video game adaptations, and the work of Mike Flanagan. He is also an experienced baseball writer with over six years of articles between multiple outlets, most notably FanSided's CubbiesCrib. Whether it's taking in a baseball game, a new season of Futurama or Castlevania: Nocturne, or playing the latest From Software title, he is always finding ways to show his fandom. When it comes to gaming and anything that takes inspiration from it, he is deeply opinionated on what's going on. Outside of entertainment, he's a graduate of Eureka College with a Bachelor's in Communication where he honed his craft as a writer. Between The IV Leader at Illinois Valley Community College and The Pegasus at Eureka, he spent the majority of his college career publishing articles on everything from politics to campus happenings and, of course, entertainment for the student body. Those principles he learned covering the 2020 election, Palestine, and so much more are brought here to Collider, where he has gleefully written on everything from the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes to Nathan Lane baby-birding sewer boys.

It's that time of year again when filmmakers and actors head for the mountains for the annual Sundance Film Festival, though this iteration of the event has a bittersweet air to it. 2026 will mark the final year that the U.S.'s top indie film festival will unfold in Park City, Utah, before it departs for Boulder, Colorado, in 2027, ending an era that lasted over 40 years. To ensure this sendoff is the best it can be, the annual Cinema Center, owned and produced by Roxstar Entertainment, will be returning to the locale one last time to provide refreshments and more for the biggest stars making the trek this year. Although the hospitality center now has a new presenting sponsor in Arby's, it's "new mask, same task," with a selection of partners chosen to deliver the best experience. Collider's Media Studio will also be returning, once again conducting dozens of interviews with the talent in attendance at the center during its run from January 24 through 26.

At its core, the Cinema Center is a place for the top films and the directors, writers, producers, and actors behind them to promote and ultimately sell what they've brought to Sundance. As always, Collider will be doing its part in that, with another massive list of expected talent that includes Riz Ahmed, Charli XCX, Rob Lowe, Gillian Jacobs, Rob Lowe, Haley Lu Richardson, Molly Ringwald, Margaret Cho, Kelly Marie Tran, John Turturro, Steve Buscemi, Dave Franco, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Giancarlo Esposito, Kate McKinnon, Ethan Hawke, Gregg Araki, Midori Francis, Zoey Deutch, Will Poulter, Danielle Brooks, Tom Welling, Cooper Raiff, David Duchovny, Katilyn Dever, Kumail Nanjiani, Emily V.Gordon, and Topher Grace, among others. They'll be promoting an exciting slate that ranges from the heightened tour mockumentary The Moment to the buzzy addiction drama Union County and the sizzling age-gap erotic thriller I Want Your Sex.

A few notable films will also enjoy premiere parties as part of the Arby's Cinema Center's slate of special events. All events will feature a winter wonderland soirée that will combine "celebrity glamour, music, food, and cocktails," with support from this year's program's sponsors, including Arby's itself. The U.S.'s first nationally franchised sandwich restaurant brand will put its own spin on a film festival menu with curly fries, mozzarella sticks, and, of course, meats. Specifically, attendees will get an early taste of the restaurant chain's new limited-time Chicago-style item, the Italian Beef Dip. See the full list of exclusive events below:

WeAudition’s Actors & Influencer Festival party – annual fete hosted by the self-tape reader-on-demand app for actors, WeAudition members, media, and talent VIPs. Confirmed talent includes actor Simon Rex, and Hulu’s Secret Lives of Mormon Wives influencers Mayci Neeley, Jacob Neeley, and Taylor Paul. Others to be announced.
WICKER premiere party – starring Olivia Colman, Alexander Skarsgård, Peter Dinklage, Elizabeth Debicki, and directed by Eleanor Wilson and Alex Huston Fischer.
THE MUSICAL premiere party – starring Will Brill, Gillian Jacobs, and Rob Lowe.
GAIL DAUGHTRY AND THE CELEBRITY SEX PASS premiere party – starring Zoey Deutch, Jon Hamm, John Slattery, and Ken Marino.
WORRIED premiere party – starring Gideon Adlon, Rachel Kaly, Devon Bostick, and Cora Kirk.

Aside from Arby's, which takes the place of Rendezvous Media Ventures, this year's Cinema Center will feature a lot of returning sponsors. Sommsation is once again in charge of the wine services for the program and will greet guests at the door with sommelier-curated glasses pulled from its assortment of white and red wines sourced from its vaunted catalog of independent wineries. The premium online shop and wine experience brand has made a name for itself as the go-to for uniting top-tier sommeliers with the best smaller-production winemakers to give consumers the chance to discover drinks not available elsewhere.

For spirits, meanwhile, Hendrick's Gin will again have guests covered with a menu of specialty cocktails curated specifically with Sundance in mind. Known for their distinctly flavored, William Grant and Sons, Incorporated imported gins that mix eleven fine botanicals, including infusions of rose and cucumber, Hendrick's is also adept at crafting smooth drinks that lean into the unusual. Highlights for the 2026 selection include “Hendrick’s Fizz”, the “Hendrick’s Winter Spritz”, and the “Espresso G&T.” Rounding out the returning beverage providers will be neaū water and Peroni Nastro Azzurro, the former of which will provide drinking water while the latter will serve as the official beer partner. Neaū water took over its post for last year's event, bringing pure drinking water that goes above and beyond the competition by using its proprietary H.A.R.T. technology to create the cleanest beverage possible, free of forever chemicals. Born in 1963, the premier Italian beer brand Peroni brings its signature crisp, golden lager, which has become beloved across six continents.

Finally, in a first for the Cinema Center, fashion brand Bernier will be gifting premium, Italian-made cotton unisex canvas belts as part of its support for the program. Their belts are authentically Italian to the core, with an emphasis on craftsmanship and sustainability to create high-quality accessories that stand out. All together, these sponsors, including Collider, will look to make this final year at Park City one to remember for all the stars who pass through the Cinema Center to promote their work.

The 2026 Sundance Film Festival kicks off today, January 22, in Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah, and runs through Sunday, February 1. The Arby's Cinema Center, meanwhile, will be in full swing from January 24 through 26. Stay tuned here at Collider throughout this weekend and the entire event for in-depth interviews and reviews on the biggest titles premiering this year.