This year at the Sundance Film Festival has been physically colder than in years past, but the deals have been hotter. Amazon is living the Sundance dream right now. It bought Manchester by the Sea there last year, and now it's an Oscar contender for best picture. This year, Amazon spent $12 million on the Michael Showalter comedy The Big Sick. And while filmmakers like that Amazon allows for a theatrical window, whereas Netflix does not, Netflix can offer a truly worldwide release on a massive platform. Since Amazon and Netflix are now so active at the festivals, the competition has heated up, as have the prices.
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