They are less than 400 miles apart. They both take place in former mining towns converted into ritzy ski destinations. They both draw thousands of film fanatics and celebrities.

So why are the Sundance Film Festival and the Telluride Film Festival so different?

That was the topic for conversation Monday at the International Film Festival Summit in Las Vegas. At a panel discussion moderated by Daily Variety's Anne Thompson (and written up in Variety's festival blog, The Circuit), Sundance senior programmer Trevor Groth and Telluride co-director Gary Meyer talked about the differences.

Telluride doesn't have a competition, like Sundance does, but Telluride has become a launching pad for movies angling for Oscars. In past years, "Brokeback Mountain," "Walk the Line" and "Capote" all debuted at Telluride - and Meyer said those movies "really transformed" Telluride.

Groth said Sundance founder Robert Redford "would be happy not to have a film competition," but foreign filmmakers were attracted by the chance to compete. Groth said some smaller, riskier films - he cited "The Blair Witch Project" as an example - do better in the non-competitive programs (like Park City at Midnight, or Spectrum) then in the high-pressure competition slates.

One thing both festivals have in common: Complaints last year from industry execs that there wasn't enough marketable product.