Fandom on TikTok is more powerful than ever, with communities like #FilmTok driving conversation and connection around entertainment. In 2025 alone, an average of 6.5 million posts about film and TV were shared every day on TikTok, a reflection of how deeply fans engage with entertainment content on the platform. Throughout the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, we are excited to bring together creators, filmmakers, and industry leaders to explore fandom and storytelling.
Conversations Shaping the Future of Film
As the film world gathers in Park City for Sundance 2026, TikTok will be on the ground with creators, spotlighting the next generation of filmmakers and giving audiences an authentic, behind-the-scenes look at the festival.
To kick off the festival, TikTok will host a creator welcome event celebrating Sundance’s final year in Park City. The event with A24 will feature a special integration with The Moment, a meta-mockumentary starring Charli xcx, with Charli in attendance to spotlight TikTok’s role in shaping pop culture narratives. Dawn Yang, TikTok’s Global Head of Entertainment Partnerships, will join a Variety panel at Adobe House on the future of audience engagement, examining how platforms are shaping discovery, fandom, and connection around film. She will also moderate a conversation exploring how creators and fans are redefining film culture and storytelling today, featuring TikTok creators @cvnela and @moviesaretherapy and Erica Elson of the Sundance Institute.
TikTok Entertainment Ad Solutions
Beyond on-the-ground moments at festivals like Sundance, TikTok fuels discovery and engagement directly on the platform, shaping entertainment trends, culture, and viewership. 4 in 5 users say TikTok inspires their streaming choices and encourages them to explore more content (1) and 167% of TikTok users are more likely to maintain a streaming service subscription to participate in online discourse. (2) To help entertainment advertisers reach this community of highly engaged fans, we are launching TikTok Streaming Ads and New Title Launch.
Powered by Smart+, Streaming Ads are a performance ad solution that seamlessly converts viewers into new subscribers. Streaming Ads deliver personalized ad experiences to users who have shown interest in entertainment specific content and shows them the most relevant shows in an advertiser's catalog — whether it be horror, comedy, or unscripted. Built specifically for streaming platforms, the ads showcase multiple titles within a single ad experience with two creative formats:
- Multi-Show Experience: a video carousel that shows four video tiles delivered from a streaming service catalog.
- Media Card: an interactive add-on that highlights multiple titles from a streaming service catalog.
For entertainment advertisers' biggest moments — like new season premieres, franchise drops, big sports games or any marquee release — we are also announcing New Title Launch, TikTok's performance solution built to turn tentpole moments into subscription and ticket sales. New Title Launch Ads allows advertisers to reach high-intent users using specific signals, such as users' favorite movie genre or pricing sensitivity, to turn fandom into sales.
"Entertainment advertisers are increasingly turning to TikTok as a powerful audience-building engine," said Tao Baecklund, Global Head of Content & Services Ads at TikTok. "We're listening to their evolving needs and are continuously developing new tools that allow them to reach high-intent viewers and drive key business results like subscriptions and ticket sales - all while delivering a more personalized, engaging experience for our users."
Creators on the Ground at Sundance 2026
From red carpets and cast interviews to attending world premieres for Josephine, Rock Springs, and more, these creators will produce real-time content, helping audiences explore behind-the-scenes moments of the festival and inspiring their audiences' next watch:
- @cvnela (Los Angeles, CA): Monse Gutierrez is a TV and movie expert known for discussing scary stories and horror films. Whether her deep-dives are through video essays or interviews with stars and directors ahead of their films' release, she continues to share her love of horror through her content.
- @dani_apples (New York, NY): Daniela Manzano is a NYC-based cinephile and film creator known for her celebrity interviews, film deep dives, and breaking entertainment news. Her content blends pop culture news with thoughtful analysis, crafting engaging stories that resonate with film lovers and creatives of all backgrounds.
- @durafest2 (Los Angeles, CA): Durafest is a hilariously fun comedic duo consisting of Alex Maystrik and Pablo Hernandez based in Los Angeles, CA. They’re known for their in-sync movie monologue recreations which have been reposted by E! News and People Magazine. They love performing and are excited to write and perform their comedy in front of live audiences. Their passions include acting, improv, comedy sketch writing, and possibly becoming professional wedding dancers.
- @itsshannonburns (Toronto, Canada): Shannon Burns is a host and content creator based in Toronto, offering an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at life alongside celebrities. With a knack for creative and engaging interviews, she’s connected with some of the biggest names in film and music, including Taylor Swift, Timothee Chalamet, Tom Hanks, Ryan Gosling and Miley Cyrus. Shannon brings her love for pop culture to TikTok, where she shares celebrity news and a behind-the-scenes glimpse into life at a major radio station. With a sharp eye for pop culture, she delivers insightful commentary while fostering connection and representation within the LGBTQ+ community.
- @laurenashleybeck (Los Angeles, CA): Dubbed "The Queen of Stream," Lauren was a strong strategic and social player on Survivor: Island of the Idols, who has since remained highly relevant in the pop culture ecosystem as a host, red carpet interview correspondent, cultural commentator and overall entertainment content creator.
- @louislevanti (Los Angeles, CA): Louis Levanti is a social and digital media enthusiast who has a passion for the entertainment world including celebrities, music, television, movies and award shows. Louis started his content career as a Digital Producer for Paramount. He’s worked with brands such as MTV, Comedy Central, and Nickelodeon, and now is a producer and host for AwesomenessTV. On social media, he has an audience of 4M+ followers across TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and Snapchat with his videos spanning from Celebrity and Pop Culture News to LGBTQ relationship content, food and drink, fashion, lifestyle and so much more. He's the internet's brutally honest best friend, a lover of dogs, a huge foodie, and if he had to define his niche he would say "I am my niche."
- @mandykayschendel (Seattle, WA): Pop culture and entertainment reporter, Mandy Schendel, has carved out a powerful digital presence using witty commentary on TV, film, and music that keeps audiences hooked and conversations buzzing. An actress and former Miss Washington (Top 10 at Miss America), she brings charisma and polish to every on-camera moment, blending her performance roots with journalistic savvy. Backed by a master’s in business management, Mandy’s career has spanned high-profile PR moments—from Super Bowl 50 VIP events to celebrity crisis management—giving her a rare insider’s edge. Today, as a sought-after content creator and live host, she collaborates with the entertainment industry to spotlight standout stories that get audiences excited and invested in what’s coming next.
- @moviesaretherapy (Kentucky): Kit Lazer talks about movies and TV all over the internet as often as he can. As someone in recovery, he believes that stories have saved his life and lives to create and hopes to create for a living.
- @toureshow (New York, New York): Touré Neblett is a content creator, author, journalist, cultural critic, podcaster, and television personality known for co-hosting MSNBC's The Cycle. He is also the author of several books, including the Prince biography "I Would Die 4 You," and has written for publications like Rolling Stone, The New Yorker, and The New York Times. His career also includes roles as a correspondent for CNN and hosting shows on Fuse and BET.
Redefining Fandom
With over 3 million combined posts and a 54% increase in posts in 2025, #FilmTok and #MovieTok continue to shape how film culture is discovered, discussed, and celebrated.
TikTok doesn’t just surface new releases; it also brings forgotten favorites back into the spotlight. A recent Ipsos study found that nearly half of users (46%) discover old movies or TV shows they wouldn’t have otherwise known about, and 38% re-watch content they hadn’t seen in a while. (3) Tools like TikTok Spotlight help amplify these discoveries, connecting audiences to trending titles, fan content, and official film accounts. This culture of discovery and engagement puts TikTok at the center of the biggest entertainment moments, from the Oscars to Cannes to Sundance.
#FilmTok has become a hub for film conversation and creativity, and we’re excited to see the community at Sundance 2026. Explore #Sundance2026 in the app or visit the in-app Sundance search hub to discover official Sundance content and join the conversation.
Sources:
- Source: TikTok Marketing Science US Custom Streaming Subscribers Survey via AYTM, June 2024. [Q3] (n=500)
- Source: TikTok Marketing Science US Custom Streaming Subscribers Survey via AYTM, June 2024.
- Source: TikTok Entertainment Messaging Research, commissioned by TikTok in collaboration with Ipsos, Global results, September 2025