Mon Feb 03 16:40:00 UTC 2025: ## Sundance Pulls Award-Winning Film “Twinless” Due to Piracy

**Park City, UT** – The Sundance Film Festival has removed the critically acclaimed film “Twinless” from its online streaming platform due to widespread piracy. This marks the second film pulled from the festival’s portal this year, following the removal of the award-winning documentary “Selena y Los Dinos” after it leaked onto platforms like TikTok.

“Twinless,” starring Dylan O’Brien and directed by James Sweeney, garnered significant attention at Sundance, achieving a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and winning both the Audience Award for U.S. Dramatic and a Special Jury Award for O’Brien’s acting. The film, a bromance dramedy featuring intimate scenes, was reportedly leaked online, including spoiler-heavy content.

Sundance, which has offered online streaming since the COVID-19 pandemic, stated that it made the decision to remove “Twinless” in partnership with the filmmakers to protect their intellectual property. The festival plans to provide online ticket holders with vouchers to select alternative films. They emphasized their commitment to combating piracy and stated their intention to cooperate with law enforcement.

The incident highlights the ongoing challenges faced by film festivals utilizing online streaming platforms. While offering wider access, such platforms have proven vulnerable to piracy, a concern previously noted by the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), which discontinued its online streaming program.

Despite the setback, “Twinless” continues to attract interest from distributors, with sources indicating strong acquisition interest. The film, produced by Republic Pictures for a low budget, is expected to find a wider release soon.

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