Oscar-winning actors, pop musicians, and hip-hop icons will be in Park City, Utah, for the Sundance Film Festival's final event before moving to Colorado. The Sundance Institute revealed 90 feature films and seven episodic projects across various categories on Wednesday, including exciting films by stars like Natalie Portman, Olivia Wilde, Jon Hamm, Charli xcx, Chris Pine, and Judd Apatow. This final festival before the move to Boulder is a heartfelt goodbye to its founder, Robert Redford, and a tribute to Tammie Rosen, the festival's chief communications officer, who passed away last week.
Sundance director Eugene Hernandez shared, "Each of us has a long history with this festival in different ways, and we feel the weight and importance of that as we prepare for this year's festival — but also as we lay the foundation for what Sundance will be in 2027 and beyond."
The 11-day event runs from Thursday, January 22, to Sunday, February 1, with an online component starting on Thursday, January 29.
Hernandez added, "This is an important year for the festival, especially now, in the wake of Robert Redford's passing.
It's going to be really memorable." He mentioned familiar names like John Turturro and Nicole Holofcener, as well as new talents like Charli xcx, who audiences will discover.
The U.S. dramatic competition is led by Chris Pine's "Carousel," about a divorced doctor whose life changes when his daughter's dreams and the unexpected return of a past love force him to face his choices and embrace a second chance.
Natalie Portman returns with an indie comedy, "The Gallerist," where an art dealer tries to sell a dead body at Miami's Art Basel. Olivia Wilde brings two films: the anticipated, sexually charged Gregg Araki thriller "I Want Your Sex," co-starring Cooper Hoffman, and her own directorial work, "The Invite," a darkly funny look at a dinner party from hell between two couples written by Rashida Jones and Will McCormack. Wilde also stars opposite Seth Rogen, who invite a neighbor couple (Penelope Cruz and Ed Norton) to witness their marital issues.
Sundance senior programmer John Nein noted, "This year, comedy is really interesting.
Some films are just funny, like David Wain's film or Macon Blair's 'The Shitheads.' But what's really interesting is that some of the strongest comedic voices are exploring difficult and uneasy subject matter, like loss and grief, but in a funny way. Films like Jay Duplass's 'See You When I See You' about recovering from the death of a sibling or 'Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty!' about overcoming the loss of a partner are especially powerful."
This year, nearly half (48%) of the features were directed by filmmakers who identify as women.
In line with Redford's mission for the Sundance Institute, supporting films from underrepresented voices remains a central part of the festival's ethos. Kim Yutani, director of programming, explained, "A lot of it is baked into our process. We're looking for those voices of the underrepresented and for stories we haven't heard before. Many of these stories are based on lived experiences, so the two go hand in hand." She highlighted Beth de Araujo's film "Josephine," which shows a child struggling to process something in the adult world, with adults around her also trying to cope. "This is a really gutsy film, and her bold approach completely pays off. This is a film that really stuck with me since I saw it."
The documentary section features top talent on important topics, including Rory Kennedy's "Queen of Chess," about female chess prodigy Judit Polgár.
Director Brydie O'Connor brings "Barbara Forever," about pioneering lesbian filmmaker Barbara Hammer, and "Who Killed Alex Odeh?" explores the assassination of a beloved Palestinian American activist in Southern California, uncovering a 40-year quest for justice and revealing the origins of a dangerous political movement that's still active today.
Hernandez acknowledged that many attendees might have tight budgets, but hopes people will stay for the second half of the festival, which includes special anniversary screenings and panels.
For example, David Wain and Gregg Araki will celebrate past Sundance successes with screenings of "Wet Hot American Summer" and "Mysterious Skin."
Hernandez noted, "The festival will be celebrating a kind of culmination or crescendo in Utah this year, while also honoring its legacy, which has been so important — both the audience and the place.
We've got a really cool event planned after the awards on Friday that will be really special."
Yutani joked, "If a snowball fight tempts anybody, that's my goal for the end of the festival."
The full lineup of the 2026 Sundance Film Festival:
Gemma Chan and Channing Tatum star in "Josephine."
Greta Zozula
U.S. DRAMATIC COMPETITION
The U.S. Dramatic Competition gives viewers a first look at world premieres of new American independent films from emerging talents.
There are 10 films in this section, all of which are world premieres, and all will be available to stream online.
Bedford Park (Director and Screenwriter: Stephanie Ahn, Producers: Gary Foster, Chris S. Lee, Nina Yang Bongiovi, Theresa Kang, Son Sukku) - Audrey, a Korean American woman in her 30s who has a difficult past, returns home after her mother gets into an accident.
She meets the man who was responsible for the accident, and their relationship starts to develop. Cast: Moon Choi, Son Sukku, Won Mi Kyung, Kim Eung Soo, Jefferson White. Available online.
Carousel (Director and Screenwriter: Rachel Lambert, Producers: Alex Saks, David Lipper, Robert A. Daly Jr., Ian Gotler, Chris Pine) - A divorced doctor living in Cleveland faces a big change when his daughter wants to join a debate team and an old love comes back into his life.
This makes him think about his choices and gives him a new chance. Cast: Chris Pine, Jenny Slate, Abby Ryder Fortson, Sam Waterston, Katey Sagal. Available online.
The Friend's House Is Here (U.S.-Iran - Directors, Screenwriters, and Producers: Hossein Keshavarz, Maryam Ataei) - In Tehran's underground art scene, two young women live in a world of freedom and friendship.
But when their secret is discovered, they have to fight for each other. Cast: Mahshad Bahram, Hana Mana, Farzad Karen, Zohreh Pirnia. Available online.
Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty!
(Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Josef Kubota Wladyka, Screenwriter: Nicholas Huynh, Producers: Kimberly Parker Zox, Mao Nagakura) - Haru and Luis are competitive dancers in Tokyo. After a tragedy happens, Haru becomes isolated. Her friends encourage her to return to dancing, where she falls for a new instructor. Cast: Rinko Kikuchi, Alberto Guerra, Alejandro Edda, YOU, Yoh Yoshida, Damián Alcázár. Available online.
Hot Water (Director and Screenwriter: Ramzi Bashour, Producers: Jesse Hope, Max Walker-Silverman, Josh Peters) - After being kicked out of his high school in Indiana, a young man and his Lebanese mother travel west.
Cast: Lubna Azabal, Daniel Zolghadri. Available online.
Josephine (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Beth de Araújo, Producers: David Kaplan, Josh Peters, Marina Stabile, Mark H. Rapaport, Crystine Zhang) - After 8-year-old Josephine sees a crime in Golden Gate Park, she acts out to feel in control as adults fail to help her.
Cast: Mason Reeves, Channing Tatum, Gemma Chan, Philip Ettinger, Syra McCarthy, Eleanore Pienta. Available online.
The Musical (Director: Giselle Bonilla, Screenwriter and Producer: Alexander Heller, Producers: Rob Lowe, Greg Lauritano, Findlay Brown, Jordan Backhus) - A frustrated playwright and middle school theater teacher tries to ruin his ex's new relationship with the school principal to stop him from winning a prestigious award.
Cast: Will Brill, Gillian Jacobs, Rob Lowe. Available online.
Run Amok (Director and Screenwriter: NB Mager, Producers: Julie Christeas, Frank Hall Green) - A teenage girl creates a musical about a day she wishes she could forget at her high school.
Cast: Alyssa Marvin, Patrick Wilson, Margaret Cho, Sophia Torres, Elizabeth Marvel, Molly Ringwald. Available online.
Take Me Home (Director and Screenwriter: Liz Sargent, Producers: Apoorva Guru Charan, Minos Papas) - Anna, a 38-year-old Korean adoptee with a cognitive disability, takes care of her aging parents while balancing their needs.
A hot Florida weather event disrupts their routine and threatens her future. She creates a new world where she can thrive. Cast: Anna Sargent, Victor Slezak, Ali Ahn, Marceline Hugot, Shane Harper. Available online.
Union County (Director and Screenwriter: Adam Meeks, Producers: Brad Becker-Parton, Stephanie Roush, Sean Weiner, Faye Tsakas, Martha Gregory) - Cody Parsons is assigned to a drug court program in rural Ohio to deal with the opioid epidemic.
Cast: Will Poulter, Noah Centineo, Elise Kibler, Emily Meade, Annette Deao. Available online.
U.S. DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
The U.S. Documentary Competition features world premieres of nonfiction American films that explore the ideas, people, and events shaping today.
There are 10 films in this section, all world premieres, and all will be available to stream online.
American Doctor (U.S.-State of Palestine-Malaysia-Qatar - Director and Producer: Poh Si Teng, Producers: Kirstine Barfod, Reem Haddad) - Three American doctors, from different backgrounds, go to Gaza to help people but face political challenges and risks to uncover the truth.
Available online.
American Pachuco: The Legend of Luis Valdez (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: David Alvarado, Producers: Lauren DeFilippo, Everett Katigbak, Amanda Pollak) - Luis Valdez fights against politics and skepticism to bring Chicano storytelling to the big screen with his movies Zoot Suit and La Bamba, shaping America's story.
Available online.
Barbara Forever (Director and Producer: Brydie O'Connor, Producer: Elijah Stevens) - This film explores the life, work, and legacy of Barbara Hammer, a pioneering lesbian filmmaker.
Available online.
Joybubbles (Director: Rachael J. Morrison, Producer: Sarah Winshall) - Joybubbles is born blind but gets into a fascination with phones and discovers he can use a special tone to control them.
His early interest unknowingly starts a culture that influences future technology. Available online.
The Lake (Director and Producer: Abby Ellis, Producer: Fletcher Keyes) - A nuclear bomb threatens Utah.
Two scientists and a political insider race to prevent disaster and save their home. Available online.
Nuisance Bear (U.S.-Canada – Directors: Gabriela Osio Vanden, Jack Weisman, Producers: Michael Code, Will N. Miller, Teddy Leifer) – A polar bear is forced to deal with a human world full of tourists, wildlife officers, and hunters as its ancient migration meets modern life. When a sacred predator is labeled a nuisance, it becomes unclear who truly belongs in this shared environment. Available online.
Public Access (Director: David Shadrack Smith, Producers: Sara Crow, Anne-Marcelle Ngabirano) – An amazing look inside one of the biggest media experiments that took over American screens.
Rare archives from New York's underground show a world of creators who broke rules, challenged censors, and made television a battleground for free speech where anyone could be a star. Available online.
Seized (Director and Producer: Sharon Liese, Producers: Sasha Alpert, Paul Matyasovsky) – When the small town of Marion, Kansas, becomes the focus of international attention after a police raid on the Marion County Record and the death of its 98-year-old co-owner, a serious debate starts about the misuse of power, journalistic ethics, local news, and the United States Constitution.
Available online.
Soul Patrol (Director and Producer: J.M. Harper, Producers: Sam Bisbee, Danielle Massie, Nasir Jones, Peter Bittenbender) – From deep behind enemy lines, a hidden part of American military history is uncovered, raising the question of whether facing the past can bring peace to those who lived it.
The Vietnam War's first Black special operations team comes together to share their story. Available online.
Who Killed Alex Odeh?
(Directors: Jason Osder, William Lafi Youmans, Producer: Dawne Langford, William Lafi Youmans, Jason Osder, Daniel J. Chalfen) – The killing of a beloved Palestinian American activist in Southern California starts a 40-year search for justice, revealing the roots of a dangerous political movement that still exists today. Available online.
Jessica Gabriel and Amanda Oruh appear in 'Lady.'
WORLD CINEMA DRAMATIC COMPETITION
These narrative feature films from emerging talent around the world offer fresh perspectives and creative styles.
The 10 films in this section are all world premieres. All 10 will be available to stream online.
Big Girls Don't Cry (New Zealand – Director and Screenwriter: Paloma Schneideman, Producers: Vicky Pope, Thomas Coppell) – Over one transformative summer in rural New Zealand in 2006, 14-year-old Sid Bookman discovers desire, identity, and the internet as she tries to be like the people she wants to be loved by.
Cast: Ani Palmer, Rain Spencer, Noah Taylor. Available online.
How to Divorce During the War (Lithuania-Luxembourg-Ireland-Czech Republic – Director and Screenwriter: Andrius Blaževičius, Producer: Marija Razgutienė) – In Vilnius in 2022, Marija has a realization that she wants to divorce her husband, Vytas, right before Russia invades Ukraine.
She and Vytas face their failing relationship while dealing with the divorce process during the ongoing war. Cast: Marius Repaĩs, Šygimantas Elena Jakaitė, Amelija Adomaitytė, Indrė Patkauskaitė, Gintarė Parulytė. Available online.
Extra Geography (U.K. – Director: Molly Manners, Screenwriter: Miriam Battye, Producer: Sarah Brocklehurst) – In an English girls' boarding school, two teenage best friends deal with the challenges of girlhood—friendship, boys, studies, and growing up—and take on their school project, falling in love.
Cast: Marni Duggan, Galaxie Clear, Alice Englert. Available online.
Filipiniana (Singapore-U.K.-Philippines-France-Netherlands – Director and Screenwriter: Rafael Manuel, Producers: Jeremy Chua, Alex Polunin, Bianca Balbuena, Bradley Liew, Nadia Turincev, Omar El Kadi) – Tee girl Isabel feels strangely attracted to Dr. Palanca, the president of the country club where she works.
But after uncovering a violent secret beneath the club's perfect surface, she realizes that what started as a harmless crush is actually based on a dark shared history. Cast: Jorrybell Agoto, Carmen Castellanos, Teroy Guzman, Carlitos Siguion-Reyna, Isabel Sicat, Nour Houshmand. Available online.
Hold Onto Me (Greek – Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Myrsini Aristidou, Producer: Monica Nicolaidou) – 11-year-old Iris learns that her estranged father, Aris, is back in town for his father's funeral.
She tracks him down to a rundown shipyard where he's been living alone. What starts as an effort to reconnect slowly turns into a fragile bond. Cast: Christos Passalis, Maria Petrova. Available online.
The Huntress (La Cazadora) (Mexico-U.S. – Director and Screenwriter: Suzanne Andrews Correa, Producers: Gabriela Maire, Edher Campos, Mynette Louie) – In the border city of Juárez, Mexico, where violence against women happens without punishment, an unlikely hero rises with a desperate call for change.
Inspired by real events. Cast: Adriana Paz, Teresa Sánchez, Jennifer Trejo, Eme Malafe, Guillermo Alonso. Available online.
Lady (U.K.-Nigeria – Director and Screenwriter: Olive Nwosu, Producer: Alex Polunin) – In the big African city of Lagos, a strong-willed young taxi driver meets a group of bold sex workers whose sisterhood pulls her into danger and joy, leading her on a journey of personal change.
Cast: Jessica Gabriel’s Ujah, Amanda Oruh, Tinuade Jemiseye, Binta Ayo Mogaji, Seun Kuti, Bucci Franklin. Available online.
Levitating (Indonesia-Singapore-France – Director and Screenwriter: Wregas Bhanuteja, Screenwriters: Defi Mahendra, Alicia Angelina, Producers: Siera Tamihardja, Iman Usman, Amalia Rusdi) – In a town where pleasure is linked to being possessed by spiritual beings, Bayu wants to become the shaman of a trance party to raise money and avoid being evicted.
Cast: Angga Yunanda, Anggun C Sasmi, Maudy Ayunda, Bryan Domani, Chicco Kurniawan. Available online.
Shame and Money (Germany-Kosovo-Slovenia-Albania-N. Macedonia-Belgium – Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Visar Morina, Screenwriter: Doruntina Basha, Producers: Fabian Altenried, Sophie Ahrens, Kristof Gerega, Pia Hellenthal) – After losing their livelihood in a village, a Kosovar family moves to the capital in search of a place in a hypercapitalist society.
Cast: Astrit Kabashi, Flonja Kodheli, Kumrije Hoxha, Fiona Gllavica, Alban Ukaj. Available online.
Tell Me Everything (Israel-France – Director and Screenwriter: Moshe Rosenthal, Producers: Alona Refua, Maya Fischer, Roi Kurland, Ben Giladi, Emilie Georges, Naima Abed) – In the late 1980s, when pop music was everywhere and the HIV epidemic was growing, 12-year-old Boaz discovers a terrible secret about his father, someone he really looks up to. This secret puts his family in danger. Over several years, Boaz tries to fix things and rebuild the relationship he always wanted with his father. Cast: Yair Mazor, Ido Tako, Assi Cohen, Keren Tzur, Mor Dimri, Neta Orbach. Available online.
WORLD CINEMA DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
These are nonfiction feature films made by new talent from around the world.
They show some of the most brave and amazing filmmaking happening today. The 10 films in this section are all world premieres. All 10 will be available to stream online.
All About the Money (Ireland – Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Sinéad O'Shea, Producers: Claire McCabe, Harry Vaughn, Katie Holly, Sigrid Dyekjær) – A son of one of America's richest families starts a communist revolutionary group in rural Massachusetts to fight against the capitalist system he used to believe in but now hates.
This is the start of a surprising journey. Available online.
Birds of War (U.K.-Syrian Arab Republic-Lebanon – Directors, Screenwriters, and Producers: Janay Boulos, Abd Alkader Habak, Producer: Sonja Henrici) – This is the love story of a Lebanese journalist in London and a Syrian activist and cameraman, told through 13 years of personal memories from many wars, revolutions, and being away from home.
Available online.
Closure (Poland – Director and Producer: Michał Marczak, Producers: Monika Braid, Rémí Grellety, Katarzyna Szczerba, Karolina Marczak) – When his teenage son goes missing, Daniel searches the deep waters of the Vistula River, caught between the fear that his son jumped to his death and the hope that he might still be alive.
Available online.
Everybody to Kenmure Street (U.K. – Director and Producer: Felipe Bustos Sierra, Producer: Ciara Barry) – In May 2021, a sudden raid by the UK Home Office leads to one of the biggest and most successful acts of civil resistance in recent history.
In the most diverse neighborhood in Scotland, hundreds of people run into the streets to stop the deportation of their neighbors. Available online.
Hanging by a Wire (U.S.-U.K. – Pakistan – Director and Producer: Mohammed Ali Naqvi, Producer: Bilal Sami) – A regular school trip turns into a nightmare when a cable car's wire breaks, leaving eight people, including six schoolboys, hanging 900 feet above a deep valley in the remote Himalayan foothills.
With only 10 hours before the remaining cable fails, a team of rescuers rush to save them. Available online.
Kikuyu Land (Kenya – Directors and Producers: Andrew H. Brown, Bea Wangondu, Producers: Moses Bwayo, Mike Morrisroe, Joseph Njenga) – As a Nairobi journalist investigates a land dispute between the local government and a big international company, old wounds are uncovered and family secrets are revealed.
One in a Million (U.K. – Directors: Itab Azzam, Jack MacInnes, Producers: Raney Aronson-Rath, Will Anderson, James Bluemel, Andrew Palmer) – Filmed over a period of ten years, this film follows one girl’s incredible journey from Syria to Germany and back. She and her family go through war, being forced to leave their home, and emotional pain in a new country, showing the difficult and complex experience of being a refugee. Available online.
Sentient (Australia – Director and Screenwriter: Tony Jones, Screenwriter: Rachel Grierson-Johns, Producer: Ivan O’Mahoney) – This film looks into lab research on animals and reveals a hidden world where it's not only the animals that suffer.
It follows Dr. Lisa Jones Engel, a scientist who later becomes an animal rights activist, and explores whether hurting animals in the name of science is ever justified. Available online.
Silenced (Australia – Director: Selina Miles, Producer: Blayke Hoffman) – After the #MeToo movement opened up conversations about gender violence, international human rights lawyer Jennifer Robinson fights against laws that are used to silence people who have been victimized.
Available online.
To Hold a Mountain (Serbia-France-Montenegro-Slovenia-Croatia – Directors, Screenwriters, and Producers: Biljana Tutorov, Petar Glomazić, Producers: Quentin Laurent, Rok Biček) – In the highlands of Montenegro, a mother and daughter shepherd defend their mountain home from becoming a military training site for NATO, stirring up memories of the violence that destroyed their family.
Available online.
NEXT
This program features bold and creative films that take a fresh look at storytelling.
These films are expected to influence the next generation of global cinema. Eight of the nine films in this group are world premieres. All nine films will be available to stream online.
Aanikoobijigan [ancestor/great-grandparent/great-grandchild] (U.S.-Denmark – Directors and Producers: Adam Khalil, Zack Khalil, Producers: Steve Holmgren, Grace Remington, Jacque Clark, Franny Alfano) – Ancestors trapped in museum archives travel through time and space to find their way back home.
History, spirituality, and the law come together as tribal experts work to return Indigenous remains to their rightful resting places, showing the beliefs that allowed them to be taken in the first place. (Documentary) Available online.
Burn (Japan – Director and Screenwriter: Makoto Nagahisa, Producers: Yasuo Suzuki, Kazunori Seki, Takeyasu Koganezawa) – A runaway teen named Ju-Ju is taken in by a group of outcast youths in Kabukicho, finding the first sense of belonging she’s ever had.
But betrayal and despair change her safe place into a prison, and she has only one choice if she wants to take control again. Cast: Nana Mori. (Fiction) Available online.
Ghost in the Machine (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Valerie Veatch) – The real story behind artificial intelligence isn’t in machines, but in power.
This film uncovers the myths behind the hype that has led us to where we are today and where we might be headed. (Documentary) Available online.
If I Go Will They Miss Me (Director and Screenwriter: Walter Thompson-Hernández, Producers: Josh Peters, Saba Zerehi, Ben Stillman) – Twelve-year-old Lil Ant struggles to connect with his father as he starts seeing strange, almost ghost-like visions of boys around his neighborhood.
These visions reveal a connection between father and son, showing how family, tradition, and place tie people together. Cast: Danielle Brooks, J. Alphonse Nicholson. (Fiction) Available online.
The Incomer (U.K. – Director and Screenwriter: Louis Paxton, Producers: Shirley O’Connor, Emily Gotto) – On a remote Scottish island, siblings Isla and Sandy hunt birds and talk to mythical creatures while keeping outsiders away.
Their lives change when Daniel, an awkward government official, arrives to move them. Cast: Domhnall Gleeson, Gayle Rankin, Grant O’Rourke, Emun Elliott, Michelle Gomez, John Hannah. (Fiction) Available online.
