Everyone knows that the official start of the cinematic year is the Sundance Film Festival. This festival gives attendees a first look at what independent cinema has to offer. The in-person festival takes place in Park City, Utah, from January 22 to February 1. Those who can’t attend in person can enjoy a selection of the program via their online platform library from January 29 to February 1. They’ll be able to see the latest from celebrated filmmakers like Greg Arrakis and watch the first films from up-and-coming talent. And this year, the 2026 Sundance Film Festival features 105 projects (90 feature films and seven episodic projects), representing 28 countries and territories. With new movies on the horizon, this festival will also be filled with goodbyes as we pay tribute to the late founder, Robert Redford, and festival-goers bid farewell to its Park City location.
“The 2026 Sundance Film Festival will be a truly pivotal and memorable moment as we celebrate artists and their visionary works, honor our Sundance Institute founder, Robert Redford, and his transformative vision, and show our gratitude to Utah by commemorating our collective journey,” said Amanda Kelso, Sundance Institute Acting CEO. “We are eager to once again foster connection and creativity as we champion and share independent storytelling with audiences. This marks an especially defining year of coming together as a community to uplift independent film and the legacy of the Festival.”
“As we prepare to gather for this landmark edition of our Festival in a cherished locale, we’re also honoring the enduring impact of our beloved founder, Robert Redford, and celebrating what he created: a dynamic home for independent, global storytelling,” said Eugene Hernandez, Director, Sundance Film Festival and Public Programming. “In announcing this year’s selection, we’ve hit a major milestone on the road to the 2026 Sundance Film Festival. With 44 days to go, we’re proud to conclude our survey of submissions from artists around the world, curating a bold selection of new voices and renowned artists alike that we invite audiences to discover next month.”
“The program for the 2026 Festival invites audiences to experience intimate character journeys, deeply human stories, and compelling explorations of stories from around the globe,” said Kim Yutani, Sundance Film Festival Director of Programming. “Each year, we have the privilege of introducing distinctive storytellers to audiences, and we are grateful to the artists who entrust us with their films at the start of the journey. The upcoming edition will be especially profound in introducing brand-new works while concurrently marking the significance of the many films we have been fortunate to present and gone on to have a long-lasting impact on independent film and culture.”
Here’s the full lineup of what this year’s Sundance Film Festival has to offer:
U.S. DRAMATIC COMPETITION
The U.S. Dramatic Competition offers Festivalgoers a first look at the world premieres of groundbreaking new voices in American independent film. Films that have premiered in this category in recent years include Sorry, Baby, Twinless, Dìdi (弟弟), A Real Pain, In The Summers, Nanny, CODA, Minari, Never Rarely Sometimes Always, The Farewell, Clemency, Eighth Grade, and Sorry to Bother You.
Bedford Park/ U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Stephanie Ahn, Producers: Gary Foster, Chris S. Lee, Nina Yang Bongiovi, Theresa Kang, Son Sukku) — Haunted by an abusive childhood, Audrey, a Korean American woman in her 30s, faces her emotional past. When her mother’s car accident brings her back to her parents’ home, she meets the man responsible for the accident. Their relationship builds, passions ignite, and they form a loving connection. Cast: Moon Choi, Son Sukku, Won Mi Kyung, Kim Eung Soo, Jefferson White. World Premiere. Available online for public.
Carousel/ U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Rachel Lambert, Producers: Alex Saks, David Lipper, Robert A. Daly Jr., Ian Gotler, Chris Pine) — A divorced doctor’s carefully constructed life in Cleveland is upended when his daughter’s debate aspirations and the unexpected return of a past love force him to confront his own choices and embrace a second chance. Cast: Chris Pine, Jenny Slate, Abby Ryder Fortson, Sam Waterston, Katey Sagal. World Premiere. Available online for public.
The Friend’s House is Here/ U.S.A., Iran (Directors, Screenwriters, and Producers: Hossein Keshavarz, Maryam Ataei) — In Tehran’s underground art scene, two young women build a blissful world of freedom and sisterhood. But when their creative circle is exposed, they must fight to save each other. Cast: Mahshad Bahram, Hana Mana, Farzad Karen, Zohreh Pirnia. World Premiere. Available online for public.
Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty!/ U.S.A. (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Josef Kubota Wladyka, Screenwriter: Nicholas Huynh, Producers: Kimberly Parker Zox, Mao Nagakura) — Haru and Luis love competing in Tokyo’s ballroom dance scene, but after tragedy strikes, Haru withdraws into isolation. When friends coax her back to the studio, she develops an infatuation with the new instructor. She must face what comes next as sparks fly. Cast: Rinko Kikuchi, Alberto Guerra, Alejandro Edda, YOU, Yoh Yoshida, Damián Alcázar. World Premiere. Available online for public.
Hot Water/ U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Ramzi Bashour, Producers: Jesse Hope, Max Walker-Silverman, Josh Peters) — After he’s kicked out of his Indiana high school, an American kid and his Lebanese mom hit the road west. Cast: Lubna Azabal, Daniel Zolghadri. World Premiere. Available online for public.
Josephine / U.S.A. (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Beth de Araújo, Producers: David Kaplan, Josh Peters, Marina Stabile, Mark H. Rapaport, Crystine Zhang) — After 8-year-old Josephine accidentally witnesses a crime in Golden Gate Park, she acts out in search of a way to regain control of her safety while adults are helpless to console her. Cast: Mason Reeves, Channing Tatum, Gemma Chan, Philip Ettinger, Syra McCarthy, Eleanore Pienta. World Premiere. Available online for public.
The Musical/ U.S.A. (Director: Giselle Bonilla, Screenwriter and Producer: Alexander Heller, Producers: Rob Lowe, Greg Lauritano, Findlay Brown, Jordan Backhus) — When a frustrated playwright and middle school theater teacher finds out his ex-girlfriend has started dating his nemesis, the school’s principal, he decides to ruin the principal’s chances of winning the Blue Ribbon of Academic Excellence. Cast: Will Brill, Gillian Jacobs, Rob Lowe. World Premiere. Available online for public.
Run Amok/ U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: NB Mager, Producers: Julie Christeas, Frank Hall Green) — A teenage girl stages an elaborate musical about the one day her high school wishes it could forget. Cast: Alyssa Marvin, Patrick Wilson, Margaret Cho, Sophia Torres, Elizabeth Marvel, Molly Ringwald. World Premiere. Available online for public.
Take Me Home/ U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Liz Sargent, Producers: Apoorva Guru Charan, Minos Papas) — Anna, a 38-year-old Korean adoptee with a cognitive disability, cares for her aging parents in a fragile balance of meeting one another’s needs. When a Florida heat wave shatters their family and Anna’s routine, her future is uncertain until she creates a world where she can thrive. Cast: Anna Sargent, Victor Slezak, Ali Ahn, Marceline Hugot, Shane Harper. World Premiere. Available online for public.
Union County/ U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Adam Meeks, Producers: Brad Becker-Parton, Stephanie Roush, Sean Weiner, Faye Tsakas, Martha Gregory) — Assigned to a county-mandated drug court program, Cody Parsons embarks on the tenuous journey toward recovery amid the opioid epidemic in rural Ohio. Cast: Will Poulter, Noah Centineo, Elise Kibler, Emily Meade, Annette Deao. World Premiere. Available online for public.
U.S. DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
The U.S. Documentary Competition offers Festivalgoers a first look at world premieres of nonfiction American films illuminating the ideas, people, and events that shape the present day. Films that have premiered in this category in recent years include The Perfect Neighbor, Selena y Los Dinos, Daughters, Sugarcane, Porcelain War, Navalny, Fire of Love, Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), Boys State, Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution, One Child Nation, American Factory, and On Her Shoulders.
American Doctor/ U.S.A., State of Palestine, Malaysia, Qatar (Director and Producer: Poh Si Teng, Producers: Kirstine Barfod, Reem Haddad) —When three American doctors — Palestinian, Jewish, and Zoroastrian — enter Gaza to save lives, they find themselves caught between medicine and politics, risking everything to expose the truth. World Premiere. Available online for public.
American Pachuco: The Legend of Luis Valdez / U.S.A. (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: David Alvarado, Producers: Lauren DeFilippo, Everett Katigbak, Amanda Pollak) — Against political resistance and industry skepticism, Luis Valdez pushes Chicano storytelling from the fields to the film screen with Zoot Suit and La Bamba, crafting iconic works that challenge, celebrate, and expand America’s story. World Premiere. Available online for public.
Barbara Forever/ U.S.A. (Director and Producer: Brydie O’Connor, Producer: Elijah Stevens) —An archive-driven exploration of the life, work, and legacy of iconic, pioneering lesbian filmmaker Barbara Hammer. World Premiere. Available online for public.
Joybubbles/ U.S.A. (Director: Rachael J. Morrison, Producer: Sarah Winshall) — Joybubbles discovers he can manipulate the telephone system by whistling a magic tone. Born blind and yearning for connection, his early obsession unwittingly lays the groundwork for a subculture that shapes the future of hacking and technology. World Premiere. Available online for public.
The Lake/ U.S.A. (Director and Producer: Abby Ellis, Producer: Fletcher Keyes) —An environmental nuclear bomb looms in Utah. Two intrepid scientists and a political insider race the clock to save their home from unprecedented catastrophe. World Premiere. Available online for public.
Nuisance Bear / U.S.A., Canada (Directors: Gabriela Osio Vanden, Jack Weisman, Producers: Michael Code, Will N. Miller, Teddy Leifer) — A polar bear is forced to navigate a human world of tourists, wildlife officers, and hunters as its ancient migration collides with modern life. When a sacred predator is branded a nuisance, it becomes unclear who truly belongs in this shared landscape. World Premiere. Available online for public.
Public Access/ U.S.A. (Director: David Shadrack Smith, Producers: Sara Crow, Anne-Marcelle Ngabirano) —An unprecedented look inside one of the greatest media experiments to hijack American screens. Rare archives from New York’s underground capture a world of creators who shattered rules, defied censors, and transformed our televisions into a free-speech battleground where anyone could be a star. World Premiere. Available online for public.
Seized / U.S.A. (Director and Producer: Sharon Liese, Producers: Sasha Alpert, Paul Matyasovsky) — When the small town of Marion, Kansas, is thrust into the international spotlight after a police raid on the Marion County Record and the death of its 98-year-old co-owner, a fierce debate ignites about the abuse of power, journalistic ethics, local journalism, and the United States Constitution. World Premiere. Available online for public.
Soul Patrol/ U.S.A. (Director and Producer: J.M. Harper, Producers: Sam Bisbee, Danielle Massie, Nasir Jones, Peter Bittenbender) — From deep behind enemy lines, a hidden chapter of American military history is uncovered, prompting the question of whether reckoning with the past can bring peace to those who lived it. The Vietnam War’s first Black special operations team reunites to tell their story. World Premiere. Available online for public.
Who Killed Alex Odeh? / U.S.A. (Directors: Jason Osder, William Lafi Youmans, Producer: Dawne Langford, William Lafi Youmans, Jason Osder, Daniel J. Chalfen) — The assassination of a beloved Palestinian American activist in Southern California ignites a 40-year quest for justice, revealing the roots of a dangerous political movement that thrives today. World Premiere. Available online for public.
WORLD CINEMA DRAMATIC COMPETITION
These narrative feature films from emerging talent around the world offer fresh perspectives and inventive styles. Films that have premiered in this category in recent years include Sabar Bonda (Cactus Pears), Girls Will Be Girls, Sujo, Scrapper, Mami Wata, Hive, The Souvenir, The Guilty, Monos, Yardie, The Nile Hilton Incident, and The Second Mother.
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 imitates the people she longs to be loved by. Cast: Ani Palmer, Rain Spencer, Noah Taylor. World Premiere. Available online for public.
How to Divorce During the War /Lithuania, Luxembourg, Ireland, Czech Republic (Director and Screenwriter: Andrius Blaževičius, Producer: Marija Razgutė) — In Vilnius in 2022, Marija has a revelation that she wants to divorce her husband, Vytas, right before Russia invades Ukraine. Forced to confront their crumbling relationship, they navigate the process of divorce as it collides with the ongoing war. Cast: Marius Repšys, Žygimantė Elena Jakštaitė, Amelija Adomaitytė, Indrė Patkauskaitė, Gintarė Parulytė. World Premiere. Available online for public.
Extra Geography /U.K. (Director: Molly Manners, Screenwriter: Miriam Battye, Producer: Sarah Brocklehurst) — In an English girls boarding school, two teenage best friends grapple with the challenges of girlhood — friendship, boys, studies, and growing up — and embark on their school project, falling in love. Cast: Marni Duggan, Galaxie Clear, Alice Englert. World Premiere. Available online for public.
Filipiñana /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 drawn to Dr. Palanca, the president of the country club where she works. However, after piecing together a violent picture of what lies beneath the club’s pristine surface, she realizes that what began as an innocent infatuation is actually rooted in a sinister shared history. Cast: Jorrybell Agoto, Carmen Castellanos, Teroy Guzman, Carlitos Siguion-Reyna, Isabel Sicat, Nour Houshmand. World Premiere. Available online for public.
HOLD ONTO ME (Κράτα Με) /Cyprus, Denmark, Greece (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Myrsini Aristidou, Producer: Monica Nicolaidou) — 11-year-old Iris learns her estranged father, Aris, is back in town for his own father’s funeral. Determined to know him, Iris tracks him down to a dilapidated shipyard, where he’s been keeping to himself. What begins as a stubborn attempt to reconnect slowly unfolds into a fragile bond. Cast: Christos Passalis, Maria Petrova. World Premiere. Available online for public.
The Huntress (La Cazadora) /Mexico, U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Suzanne Andrews Correa, Producers: Gabriela Maire, Edher Campos, Mynette Louie) — In the border city of Juárez, Mexico, where violence against women is perpetrated with impunity, an unlikely defender emerges with a desperate call for change. Inspired by true events. Cast: Adriana Paz, Teresa Sánchez, Jennifer Trejo, Eme Malafe, Guillermo Alonso. World Premiere. Available online for public.
LADY /U.K., Nigeria (Director and Screenwriter: Olive Nwosu, Producer: Alex Polunin) — In the sprawling African metropolis of Lagos, a fiercely independent young cab driver meets a band of radiantly reckless sex workers whose sisterhood pulls her into danger and joy, setting her on a journey toward her own transformation. Cast: Jessica Gabriel’s Ujah, Amanda Oruh, Tinuade Jemiseye, Binta Ayo Mogaji, Seun Kuti, Bucci Franklin. World Premiere. Available online for public.
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 equals being possessed by spiritual beings, Bayu aspires to be the shaman of a trance party so he can fundraise enough money to prevent an impending eviction. Cast: Angga Yunanda, Anggun C Sasmi, Maudy Ayunda, Bryan Domani, Chicco Kurniawan. World Premiere. Available online for public.
Shame and Money /Germany, Kosovo, Slovenia, Albania, North 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 is forced to move to the capital in pursuit of a place in a hypercapitalist society. Cast: Astrit Kabashi, Flonja Kodheli, Kumrije Hoxha, Fiona Gllavica, Alban Ukaj. World Premiere. Available online for public.
Tell Me Everything /Israel, France (Director and Screenwriter: Moshe Rosenthal, Producers: Alona Refua, Maya Fischer, Roi Kurland, Ben Giladi, Emilie Georges, Naima Abed) — Amid the late ’80s pop craze and rising HIV epidemic, 12-year-old Boaz uncovers a devastating secret about the father he idolizes that threatens to tear his family apart. Across a yearslong journey, Boaz seeks to heal the wound and reclaim the father-son bond he never stopped yearning for. Cast: Yair Mazor, Ido Tako, Assi Cohen, Keren Tzur, Mor Dimri, Neta Orbach. World Premiere. Available online for public.
WORLD CINEMA DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
These nonfiction feature films from emerging talent around the world showcase some of the most courageous and extraordinary filmmaking today. Films that have premiered in this category in recent years include Prime Minister, 2000 Meters to Andriivka, A New Kind of Wilderness, The Remarkable Life of Ibelin, The Eternal Memory, 20 Days in Mariupol, All That Breathes, Flee, Honeyland, Sea of Shadows, Shirkers, and Last Men in Aleppo.
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 wealthiest families creates a communist revolutionary base in rural Massachusetts as a means of disrupting the capitalist system he grew up in but has now come to despise. It’s the starting point of an astonishing journey. World Premiere. Available online for public.
Birds of War/ U.K., Syrian Arab Republic, Lebanon (Directors, Screenwriters, and Producers: Janay Boulos, Abd Alkader Habak, Producer: Sonja Henrici) —The love story of a London-based Lebanese journalist and a Syrian activist and cameraman as told through 13 years of personal archives across revolutions, war, and exile. World Premiere. Available online for public.
Closure/ Poland (Director and Producer: Michał Marczak, Producers: Monika Braid, Rémi Grellety, Katarzyna Szczerba, Karolina Marczak) —After his teenage son goes missing, Daniel scours the depths of the Vistula River, torn between the dread of a fatal leap and the hope that his son may still be alive. World Premiere. Available online for public.
Everybody To Kenmure Street/ U.K. (Director and Producer: Felipe Bustos Sierra, Producer: Ciara Barry) —In May 2021, a U.K. Home Office dawn raid triggers one of the most spontaneous and successful acts of civil resistance in recent memory. In Scotland’s most diverse neighborhood, hundreds of residents rush to the streets to stop the deportation of their neighbors. World Premiere. Available online for public.
Hanging by a Wire/ U.S.A., U.K., Pakistan (Director and Producer: Mohammed Ali Naqvi, Producer: Bilal Sami) —A routine school commute turns terrifying when a cable car’s wire snaps, leaving eight passengers — including six schoolboys — dangling 900 feet above a ravine in the remote Himalayan foothills. With 10 hours before the remaining cable is expected to fail, a group of rescuers races to save them. World Premiere. Available online for public.
Kikuyu Land/ Kenya (Directors and Producers: Andrew H. Brown, Bea Wangondu, Producers: Moses Bwayo, Mike Morrisroe, Joseph Njenga) —As a Nairobi journalist probes a land battle entangling the local government and a powerful multinational corporation, covered wounds are revealed and family secrets are exposed. World Premiere. Available online for public.
One In A Million/ U.K. (Directors: Itab Azzam, Jack MacInnes, Producers: Raney Aronson-Rath, Will Anderson, James Bluemel, Andrew Palmer) —Filmed over 10 years, one girl’s epic journey from Syria to Germany and back again. She and her family navigate war, exile, and heartbreak in a foreign land, illuminating the complexities of the refugee experience. World Premiere. Available online for public.
Sentient/ Australia (Director and Screenwriter: Tony Jones, Screenwriter: Rachel Grierson-Johns, Producer: Ivan O’Mahoney) —An investigation into laboratory research on animals exposes a hidden world in which it’s not just the animals getting hurt. The story of Dr. Lisa Jones Engel, a primatologist turned animal welfare advocate, asks whether harming animals and ourselves in science’s name is justified. World Premiere. Available online for public.
Silenced/ Australia (Director: Selina Miles, Producer: Blayke Hoffman) —After #MeToo broke the cultural silence on gender violence, international human rights lawyer Jennifer Robinson fights against the weaponization of defamation laws to silence survivors. World Premiere. Available online for public.
To Hold a Mountain/ Serbia, France, Montenegro, Slovenia, Croatia (Directors, Screenwriters, and Producers: Biljana Tutorov, Petar Glomazić, Producers: Quentin Laurent, Rok Biček) —In the remote highlands of Montenegro, a shepherd mother and daughter proudly defend their ancestral mountain from the threat of becoming a NATO military training ground, stirring memories of the violence that shattered their family. World Premiere. Available online for public.
NEXT
Pure, bold works distinguished by an innovative, forward-thinking approach to storytelling populate this program. Unfettered creativity promises that the films in this section will shape the greater next wave in global cinema. Films that have premiered in this category in recent years include East of Wall, Little Death, Seeking Mavis Beacon, KOKOMO CITY, A Love Song, RIOTSVILLE, USA, Searching, Skate Kitchen, A Ghost Story, and Tangerine.NEXT is presented by Adobe.
Aanikoobijigan [ancestor/great-grandparent/great-grandchild] / U.S.A., Denmark (Directors and Producers: Adam Khalil, Zack Khalil, Producers: Steve Holmgren, Grace Remington, Jacque Clark, Franny Alfano) — Trapped in museum archives, Ancestors bend time and space to find their way home. History, spirituality, and the law collide as tribal repatriation specialists fight to return and rebury Indigenous human remains, offering a revealing look at the still-pervasive worldviews that justified collecting them in the first place. World Premiere. Documentary. Available online for public.
BURN / Japan (Director and Screenwriter: Makoto Nagahisa, Producers: Yasuo Suzuki, Kazunori Seki, Takeyasu Koganezawa) — When runaway teen Ju-Ju is embraced by a tribe of misfit youths in Kabukicho, she finds belonging for the first time — until betrayal and despair twist her haven into a prison, and she’s left with one way to take back control. Cast: Nana Mori. World Premiere. Fiction. Available online for public.
Ghost in the Machine / U.S.A.(Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Valerie Veatch) — The untold origins of artificial intelligence lie not in machines but in power, revealing the fantasies behind the hype that got us here and where we go next. World Premiere. Documentary. Available online for public.
If I Go Will They Miss Me /U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Walter Thompson-Hernández, Producers: Josh Peters, Saba Zerehi, Ben Stillman) — Twelve-year-old Lil Ant struggles to connect with his father when he begins to see surreal, almost spectral visions of boys drifting around his neighborhood. Their presence reveals a link between father and son, laying bare the threads that bind family, legacy, and place. Cast: Danielle Brooks, J. Alphonse Nicholson. World Premiere. Fiction. Available online for public.
The Incomer/U.K. (Director and Screenwriter: Louis Paxton, Producers: Shirley O’Connor, Emily Gotto) — On a remote Scottish isle, siblings Isla and Sandy hunt birds and talk to mythical beings while fighting off outsiders. Their lives change when Daniel, an awkward official, arrives to relocate them. Cast: Domhnall Gleeson, Gayle Rankin, Grant O’Rourke, Emun Elliott, Michelle Gomez, John Hannah. World Premiere. Fiction. Available online for public.
Jaripeo/Mexico, U.S.A., France (Directors: Efraín Mojica, Rebecca Zweig, Producer: Sarah Strunin) — A journey to Michoacán’s hypermasculine rodeos descends into the subconscious of memory, queer desire, and longing, leading to a reckoning with the wounds and beauty of a home left behind. World Premiere. Documentary. Available online for public.
Night Nurse /U.S.A. (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Georgia Bernstein, Producers: Edwin Linker, Liane Cunje, Veronica Barbosa, Lucy Rogers) — As a series of perverse scam calls unsettles an idyllic retirement community, a starry-eyed nurse becomes entangled with her mysterious patient. Cast: Cemre Paksoy, Bruce McKenzie, Eléonore Hendricks, Colleen Rose Trundy, Mimi Rogers. World Premiere. Fiction. Available online for public.
TheyDream /U.S.A. (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: William David Caballero, Screenwriters and Producers: Erin Ploss-Campoamor, Elaine del Valle, Producer: Brad Jones) — After 20 years of chronicling his Puerto Rican family, a director and his mother face devastating losses. Through tears and laughter, they craft animations that bring their loved ones back to life, discovering that every act of creation is also an act of letting go. World Premiere. Documentary. Available online for public.
zi /U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Kogonada, Producers: Chung An, Christopher Radcliff, Benjamin Loeb, Haley Lu Richardson, Michelle Mao, Jin Ha) — In Hong Kong, a young woman haunted by visions of her future self meets a stranger who changes the course of her night — and possibly her life. Cast: Michelle Mao, Haley Lu Richardson, Jin Ha. World Premiere. Fiction. Available online for public.
PREMIERES
This showcase of world premieres presents highly anticipated films on a variety of subjects in both fiction and nonfiction. Fiction films that have screened in Premieres include Train Dreams, A Different Man, Past Lives, Passages, Promising Young Woman, Kajillionaire, The Report, The Big Sick, and Good Luck to You, Leo Grande. Past documentary films include Come See Me in the Good Light, Will & Harper, Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie, Invisible Beauty, The Dissident, Lucy and Desi, and Miss Americana.
The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist / U.S.A. (Directors: Daniel Roher, Charlie Tyrell, Producers: Daniel Kwan, Jonathan Wang, Shane Boris, Diane Becker, Ted Tremper)— A father-to-be tries to figure out what is happening with the AI insanity, exploring the existential dangers and stunning promise of this technology that humanity has created. World Premiere. Documentary.
Antiheroine/ U.K., U.S.A. (Directors: Edward Lovelace, James Hall, Producers: Julia Nottingham, Melanie Archer, Hattie Bridges Webb, Jon Lullo)— Singer, songwriter, and actor Courtney Love has long had an impact on rock and pop culture. Now sober and set to release new music for the first time in over a decade, Courtney is ready to reveal her story, unfiltered and unapologetic. World Premiere. Documentary.
The Brittney Griner Story / U.S.A. (Director and Producer: Alexandria Stapleton, Producers: Stacy Scripter, Funmi Akinyode, Megan Goedewaagen, Carolyn Hepburn)—Explores the circumstances that led to Brittney Griner playing basketball outside the U.S. despite being one of the best players in the sport, including her harrowing detainment, unwavering determination to secure her freedom, and her advocacy for the release of other wrongful detainees. World Premiere. Documentary.
Chasing Summer / U.S.A. (Director: Josephine Decker, Screenwriter and Producer: Iliza Shlesinger, Producers: Rob Guillermo, Ray Maiello, Nihaar Sinha, Houston King, Sam Pressman)—After losing both her job and boyfriend, Jamie retreats to her small Texas hometown, where friends and flings from a fateful high school summer turn her life upside down. Cast: Iliza Shlesinger, Garrett Wareing, Lola Tung, Cassidy Freeman, Tom Welling, Megan Mullally. World Premiere. Fiction. Available online for public.
THE DISCIPLE / U.S.A, U.K. (Director and Producer: Joanna Natasegara, Producers: Abigail Anketell-Jones, Lauren Dark, Vanessa Kirby)— An outsider fueled by relentless determination works his way into the inner circle of the Wu-Tang Clan, where his ambition and creativity converge in the making of an album poised to ignite global controversy. World Premiere. Documentary.
Frank & Louis / Switzerland, U.K. (Director and Screenwriter: Petra Biondina Volpe, Screenwriter: Esther Bernstorff, Producers: Reto Schaerli, Lukas Hobi)— Frank, serving a life sentence, takes a prison job caring for aging inmates with Alzheimer’s and dementia. What begins as a self-interested bid for parole becomes a profound, transformative bond with fellow inmate Louis, offering Frank a glimpse of redemption in an unforgiving place. Cast: Kingsley Ben-Adir, Rob Morgan, René Pérez Joglar, Rosalind Eleazar, Indira Varma. World Premiere. Fiction.
Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass / U.S.A. (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: David Wain, Screenwriter: Ken Marino, Producers: Anthony Bregman, Peter Cron, Ken Marino, Crystine Zhang, Charles Zhong)—Midwestern bride-to-be Gail Daughtry has a “free celebrity pass” agreement with her fiancé — who uses it. With her relationship in crisis, Gail sets out on an epic journey through Hollywood to even the scales. Cast: Zoey Deutch, Jon Hamm, John Slattery, Ken Marino, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Ben Wang.World Premiere. Fiction.
The Gallerist / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Cathy Yan, Screenwriter: James Pedersen, Producers: Ash Sarohia, Sophie Mas, Natalie Portman, Jonathan King, Tom McCarthy, Rae Baron)—A desperate gallerist conspires to sell a dead body at Art Basel Miami. Cast: Natalie Portman, Jenna Ortega, Sterling K. Brown, Zach Galifianakis, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Catherine Zeta-Jones.World Premiere. Fiction.
Give Me the Ball! / U.S.A. (Directors and Producers: Liz Garbus, Elizabeth Wolff, Producers: Dominic Crossley-Holland, Dan Cogan, Chris James, Gentry Kirby)— World champion tennis trailblazer Billie Jean King has had a game-changing impact on culture and sports. Rare archive and candid interviews with Billie Jean and those closest to her reveal how one woman put changing the world ahead of saving herself. World Premiere. Documentary.
The History of Concrete / U.S.A. (Director: John Wilson, Producers: Clark Filio, Shirel Kozak, Allie Viti) — After attending a workshop on how to write and sell a Hallmark movie, filmmaker John Wilson tries to use the same formula to sell a documentary about concrete. World Premiere. Documentary.
I Want Your Sex / U.S.A. (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Gregg Araki, Screenwriter and Producer: Karley Sciortino, Producers: Seth Caplan, Teddy Schwarzman, Michael Heimler, Courtney L. Cunniff)—When fresh-faced Elliot lands a job with artist and provocateur Erika Tracy, his fantasies come true as she taps him to become her sexual muse. But Elliot finds himself out of his depth as Erika takes him on a journey into a world of sex, obsession, power, betrayal, and murder. Cast: Olivia Wilde, Cooper Hoffman, Mason Gooding, Chase Sui Wonders, Daveed Diggs, Charli xcx.World Premiere. Fiction.
In The Blink of An Eye / U.S.A. (Director: Andrew Stanton, Screenwriter: Colby Day, Producer: Jared Ian Goldman)— Three storylines, spanning thousands of years, intersect and reflect on hope, connection, and the circle of life. Cast: Rashida Jones, Kate McKinnon, Daveed Diggs, Jorge Vargas, Tanaya Beatty. World Premiere. Fiction. 2026 Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize Winner.
The Invite / U.S.A. (Director: Olivia Wilde, Screenwriters: Rashida Jones, Will McCormack, Producers: David Permut, Ben Browning, Megan Ellison) — Joe and Angela are on thin ice, and tonight might be when it all falls apart. Unfortunately, their upstairs neighbors are about to arrive for dinner, and everything that can go wrong goes worse. Cast: Seth Rogen, Olivia Wilde, Penélope Cruz, Edward Norton. World Premiere. Fiction.
Jane Elliott Against the World / U.S.A. (Director and Producer: Judd Ehrlich, Producers: Max Powers, Elena Gaby)— A rural Iowa schoolteacher becomes a national voice against racism after leading a controversial 1968 lesson in discrimination with her all-white third-grade class. Now nearly 90, she refuses to hold back amid today’s fights about race, history, and power after a lifetime of speaking out. World Premiere. Documentary. Available online for public.
Knife: The Attempted Murder of Salman Rushdie / U.S.A. (Director and Producer: Alex Gibney, Producers: Erin Edeiken, Sruthi Pinnamaneni)— Previously unseen footage captured by Salman Rushdie’s wife, Rachel Elizabeth Griffiths, documents his journey. Following not just his physical rehabilitation, but also the restoration of his spirit and optimism. Inspired by Rushdie’s memoir Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder. World Premiere. Documentary.
The Last First: Winter K2 / U.S.A., U.K. (Director: Amir Bar-Lev, Producers: John Battsek, Sean Richard, Sarah Thomson, Howard T. Owens, Ben Silverman)— The race to grab the last great prize in mountaineering, K2 in winter, left five dead. It exposed deep fault lines in alpinism today: pressures from commercialization, toxic effects of social media, and long-brewing tensions between those who’ve been marginalized and those who’ve always basked in the sport’s glory. World Premiere. Documentary.
The Moment / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Aidan Zamiri, Screenwriter: Bertie Brandes, Producers: Charli xcx, David Hinojosa)— A rising pop star navigates the complexities of fame and industry pressure while preparing for her arena tour debut. Cast: Charli xcx, Rosanna Arquette, Kate Berlant, Jamie Demetriou, Hailey Benton Gates, Alexander Skarsgård. World Premiere. Fiction.
The Oldest Person in the World / U.S.A. (Director: Sam Green, Producers: Alison Byrne Fields, Josh Penn)— A decade-long global journey chronicles the ever-changing record holders of the title of oldest person alive. What begins as a portrait of longevity becomes a meditation on the passage of time, the randomness of fate, and the joy and profound human experience of being alive. World Premiere. Documentary.
Once Upon A Time In Harlem / U.S.A. (Directors: William Greaves, David Greaves, Producers: Liani Greaves, Anne de Mare) — A decade after his death, genre-defying filmmaker William Greaves has one last trick up his sleeve with what he considered the most important event he captured on film: a 1972 party he engineered with the living luminaries of the Harlem Renaissance. World Premiere. Documentary.
The Only Living Pickpocket in New York / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Noah Segan, Producers: Katie McNeill, Leopold Hughes, Ben LeClair)— When a theft goes awry, a veteran pickpocket is sent on a mission through New York to reclaim the stolen goods. Cast: John Turturro, Giancarlo Esposito, Will Price, Tatiana Maslany, Steve Buscemi. World Premiere. Fiction.
Paralyzed by Hope: The Maria Bamford Story/ U.S.A. (Directors and Producers: Judd Apatow, Neil Berkeley, Producers: Amanda Rohlke, David Heiman)— Blurring the line between performance and personal crisis, comedian Maria Bamford turns her mental health journey into material that’s riotously funny and ultimately inspiring. What emerges is a portrait of an artist transforming vulnerability into creative strength through honesty. World Premiere. Documentary.
Queen of Chess / U.S.A. (Director and Producer: Rory Kennedy, Screenwriters and Producers: Mark Bailey, Keven McAlester) —A Hungarian girl dreams of conquering international men’s chess. After a 15-year battle against world champion Garry Kasparov and her domineering father, Judit Polgár revolutionizes the sport’s patriarchal culture to become one of the greatest chess prodigies in history and the greatest woman chess player of all time. World Premiere. Documentary.
See You When I See You/ U.S.A. (Director and Producer: Jay Duplass, Screenwriter and Producer: Adam Cayton-Holland, Producers: Fred Bernstein, Kumail Nanjiani, Emily V. Gordon)— With the help of his family, a comedy writer battles PTSD after the tragic death of his sister. Cast: Cooper Raiff, David Duchovny, Kaitlyn Dever, Hope Davis, Lucy Boynton, Ariela Barer. World Premiere. Fiction.
The Shitheads / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Macon Blair, Producers: Alex Orr, Brandon James, Nathan Klingher, Mark Fasano, Josh Harris, Ford Corbett)—When two unqualified bozos are hired to transfer a rich teen to rehab, their straightforward gig quickly spirals into dangerous mayhem. Cast: Dave Franco, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Mason Thames, Kiernan Shipka, Nicholas Braun, Peter Dinklage. World Premiere. Fiction.
Time and Water / U.S.A., Iceland (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Sara Dosa, Screenwriters: Jocelyne Chaput, Erin Casper, Andri Snær Magnason, Producers: Shane Boris, Elijah Stevens, Jameka Autry) — Facing the death of his country’s glaciers and the loss of his beloved grandparents, Icelandic writer Andri Snær Magnason turns his archives into a time capsule to hold what is slipping away — family, memory, time, and water. World Premiere. Documentary. Available online for public.
Troublemaker / South Africa, U.S.A., U.K. (Director and Producer: Antoine Fuqua, Screenwriter: Michael Toomey Mann, Producers: Mac Maharaj, Arthur Landon, Kevin Mann, Mark Bauch, Thabang Lehobye)— The struggle against apartheid is recounted through Nelson Mandela’s own voice, drawn from recordings he made while writing his autobiography Long Walk to Freedom. World Premiere. Documentary.
The Weight/ U.S.A. (Director: Padraic McKinley, Screenwriters: Matthew Booi, Matthew Chapman, Shelby Gaines, Producers: Simon Fields, Nathan Fields, Ryan Hawke, Jonas Katzenstein, Maximilian Leo) —In Oregon in 1933, Samuel Murphy is torn from his daughter and sent to a brutal work camp. Warden Clancy tempts him with early release if he smuggles gold through deadly wilderness, but betrayal festers within the crew, and Murphy questions how far he’ll go to see his child again. Cast: Ethan Hawke, Russell Crowe, Julia Jones, Austin Amelio, Avi Nash, Sam Hazeldine. World Premiere. Fiction.
When A Witness Recants/ U.S.A. (Director and Producer: Dawn Porter, Producers: Miriam Weintraub, Jennifer Oko)— In 1983, author Ta-Nehisi Coates learned that a 14-year-old boy was murdered in his Baltimore middle school. Upon revisiting the case, he uncovers the truth: Three innocent teenagers were wrongfully convicted and spent 36 years in prison — creating a lasting impact on the accused, the witnesses, and their community. World Premiere. Documentary.
Wicker/ U.S.A. (Directors and Screenwriters: Eleanor Wilson, Alex Huston Fischer, Producers: Ed Sinclair, Tom Carver, Justin Lothrop, Brad Zimmerman, Ryan Heller, Lia Buman)— A fisherwoman asks a basketmaker to weave her a husband. Cast: Olivia Colman, Alexander Skarsgård, Peter Dinklage, Elizabeth Debicki, Marli Siu, Nabhaan Rizwan. World Premiere. Fiction.
MIDNIGHT
From horror flicks and wild comedies to chilling thrillers and works that defy any genre, these films will keep you wide-awake and on the edge of your seat. Films that have premiered in this category in recent years include Together, I Saw the TV Glow, Love Lies Bleeding, Infinity Pool, Talk to Me, FRESH, Hereditary, Mandy, Relic,and The Babadook.
The Best Summer /U.S.A, Australia, Indonesia, Thailand (Director and Producer: Tamra Davis, Producer: Shelby Meade) — Immersive POV camera footage reveals electric performances, candid interviews, and intimate backstage life with the Beastie Boys, Sonic Youth, Foo Fighters, Pavement, Rancid, Beck, The Amps, and Bikini Kill — an all-access view inside an era-defining moment in music. World Premiere. Documentary. Available online for public.
Buddy/U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Casper Kelly, Screenwriter: Jamie King, Producers: Tyler Davidson, Drew Sykes, Raphael Margules, J.D. Lifshitz, Tracy Rosenblum) — A brave girl and her friends must escape a kids television show. Cast: Cristin Milioti, Delaney Quinn, Topher Grace, Keegan-Michael Key, Michael Shannon, Patton Oswalt. World Premiere. Fiction.
Leviticus /Australia (Director and Screenwriter: Adrian Chiarella, Producers: Samantha Jennings, Kristina Ceyton, Hannah Ngo) — Two star-crossed teenage boys must escape a violent entity that takes the form of the person they desire most — each other. Cast: Joe Bird, Stacy Clausen, Mia Wasikowska, Jeremy Blewitt, Ewen Leslie, Davida McKenzie. World Premiere. Fiction.
Mum, I’m Alien Pregnant /New Zealand (Director and Screenwriter: THUNDERLIPS, Producers: Alix Whittaker, Morgan Leigh Stewart, Ilai Amar — When a messy millennial underachiever accidentally gets alien-pregnant, she must overcome skeptical doctors, a useless baby daddy, and her oversharing mum in order to survive and reclaim her life. Cast: Hannah Lynch, Yvette Parsons, Arlo Green, Jackie van Beek. World Premiere. Fiction.
Rock Springs / U.S.A., Canada (Director and Screenwriter: Vera Miao, Producers: Stephen Feder, Kiri Hart, Poppy Hanks, Greta Talia Fuentes, Jason Michael Berman, Jordan Moldo) — After the death of her father, a grieving young girl moves to an isolated house in a new town with her mother and grandmother, only to discover there is something monstrous hidden in the town’s history and the woods behind their new home. Cast: Kelly Marie Tran, Benedict Wong, Jimmy O. Yang, Aria Kim, Fiona Fu. World Premiere. Fiction. Available online for public.
Saccharine /Australia (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Natalie Erika James, Producers: Anna McLeish, Sarah Shaw) — Hana, a lovelorn medical student, becomes terrorized by a hungry ghost after taking part in an obscure weight loss craze: eating human ashes. Cast: Midori Francis, Danielle Macdonald, Madeleine Madden. World Premiere. Fiction.
undertone/Canada (Director and Screenwriter: Ian Tuason, Producers: Dan Slater, Cody Calahan) — The host of a popular paranormal podcast becomes haunted by terrifying recordings mysteriously sent her way. Cast: Nina Kiri, Adam DiMarco, Michèle Duquet, Keana Lyn Bastidas, Jeff Yung. U.S. Premiere. Fiction.
EPISODIC
Our Episodic section was created specifically for bold stories told in multiple episodes, with an emphasis on independent perspectives and innovative storytelling. Past projects that have premiered within this category include Pee-wee as Himself, Hal & Harper, Penelope, LOLLA: THE STORY OF LOLLAPALOOZA, Willie Nelson and Family, OJ: Made in America, Top of the Lake, Wild Wild Country, The Jinx, Work in Progress, State of the Union, Gentefied, Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men, and Quarter Life Poetry.
BAIT/U.K., U.S.A. (Executive Producers: Riz Ahmed, Allie Moore, Ben Karlin) — Struggling actor Shah Latif auditions for the role of a lifetime, only to see his life spiral out of control over four frenetic days. Cast: Riz Ahmed, Guz Khan, Sheeba Chaddha, Sajid Hasan, Aasiya Sha. World Premiere. Fiction. Six-episode season, screening first three episodes in person.
The Screener/ U.S.A. (Directors: Jim Cummings, PJ McCabe, Producers: Michael J. McGarry, Thomas Cross) — An independent film screener leaks from a talent agency. Cast: Shereen Lani Younes, Jon Rudnitsky, B.K. Cannon, Boni Mata, Shaun Brown, Nicolette Doke. World Premiere. Fiction. Five-episode series,screening first three episodes in person.
Fiction Pilot Showcase:
FreeLance / U.S.A. (Directors: The Turner Brothers, Executive Producers: Cynthia Turner, Stephen Love Jr., Spence Moore II, Kevin Fredericks) — A young filmmaker documents his journey toward his first movie as he moves in with a friend group of ambitious creatives, all trying to support one another’s dreams in an oversaturated market. This inexperienced crew of 20-somethings takes on unorthodox jobs to build their brand and pay rent. Cast: Spence Moore II, Lou Young, Lou Ratchett, Bernard “B Nard” Clark, René Vaca, Elijah Cooper. World Premiere. Fiction.
Soft Boil / U.S.A. (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Alec Goldberg, Producers: Camille Wormser, Hannah Connery, Clay Susick, Vivian Kerr, Don Ohmer) — Lulu takes a job as a nanny only to discover that her new boss isn’t who she expected. Cast: Camille Wormser, John Gemberling, Madison Shamoun, Vivian Kerr, Patrick Tabari. World Premiere. Fiction.
Worried /U.S.A. (Director: Nicole Holofcener; Executive Producers: Tim Foley, Michael B. Clark, Adele Romanski, Mark Ceryak, Barry Jenkins) — No one is more worried about Jules and Poppy than Jules and Poppy. Cast: Gideon Adlon, Rachel Kaly, Devon Bostick, Cora Kirk. World Premiere. Fiction.
Nonfiction Pilot Showcase:
Murder 101 /U.S.A. (Director: Stacey Lee, Executive Producers: Stephanie Lydecker, Dianne McGunigle, Jon Watts) — A case that haunted Tennessee’s best detectives for decades is cracked wide open by the most unlikely of investigators: a high school sociology class. World Premiere. Documentary.
The Oligarch and the Art Dealer/Denmark, France, U.S.A. (Director: Andreas Dalsgaard, Producers: Christoph Jörg, Miriam Norgaard) — Yves Bouvier brokers masterpieces, from da Vinci to Rothko, into the private collection of Dmitry Rybolovlev until Bouvier is accused of a billion-dollar betrayal. Rising ambitions, frayed relationships, and bruised egos fuel a decade-long all-out war between the Swiss art dealer and the elusive Russian oligarch. World Premiere. Documentary.
SPOTLIGHT
The Spotlight program is a tribute to the cinema we love, presenting films that have played throughout the world. Films that have played in this category in recent years include One to One: John & Yoko, Hit Man, Joyland, The Worst Person in the World, The Biggest Little Farm, The Rider, Ida, and The Lobster.Spotlight is presented by Audible.
Broken English /U.K. (Directors and Screenwriters: Jane Pollard, Iain Forsyth, Screenwriter: Ian Martin, Producer: Beth Earl) — A portrait of the inimitable singer, songwriter, and icon Marianne Faithfull. U.S. Premiere. Documentary.
Tuner / Canada, U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Daniel Roher, Screenwriter: Robert Ramsey, Producers: JoAnne Sellar, Lila Yacoub, Teddy Schwarzman, Michael Heimler) — A gifted piano tuner with a unique auditory condition discovers an unexpected aptitude for cracking safes, turning his life upside down. Cast: Leo Woodall, Dustin Hoffman, Havana Rose Liu, Lior Raz, Tovah Feldshuh, Jean Reno. Fiction.
FAMILY MATINEE
For over a decade, the Family Matinee section of the Festival (formerly known as KIDS) has been built for audiences of all ages, but especially for our youngest independent film fans. Films that have played in this category in recent years include The Legend of Ochi, Out of My Mind, Blueback, The Elephant Queen, Science Fair, The Eagle Huntress, and Shaun the Sheep.
Cookie Queens /U.S.A. (Director and Producer: Alysa Nahmias, Producers: Michael Dweck, Gregory Kershaw, Jennifer Sims) — It’s Girl Scout Cookie season, and four tenacious girls strive to be a top-selling “Cookie Queen,” navigating an $800 million business in which childhood and ambition collide. World Premiere. Documentary. Salt Lake City Celebration Film.
Fing! /Australia, U.K. (Director: Jeffrey Walker, Screenwriters: David Walliams, Kevin Cecil, Producers: Jo Sargent, Todd Fellman) — A demanding little girl and her parents, the Meeks, battle an outrageously entitled viscount to protect their rare, furry, one-eyed Fing from those fixated on exploiting this wondrous creature. Cast: Mia Wasikowska, Blake Harrison, David Walliams, Iona Bell, Penelope Wilton, Taika Waititi. World Premiere. Fiction.
SPECIAL SCREENINGS
One-of-a-kind moments highlight new independent works that add to the unique Festival experience.
The Story of Documentary Film/ U.K. (Director: Mark Cousins, Producer: John Archer) —Tracing the evolution of documentary film across time, examining landmark works and hidden treasures, while revealing how the form has helped us see and make sense of our world. World Premiere. Documentary.
To get tickets and more information about the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, visit their website.
Escape through Technicolor Magic in ‘Kiss of the Spider Woman’
