The 2026 Sundance Film Festival took place in Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah from January 22 to February 1, 2026.[1][2] Film premieres at the festival were held from January 22 to January 27, 2026.[1] The first selection lineup was announced on December 10, 2025.[3] The festival would be the last Sundance Film Festival held in Utah before the festival relocates to Boulder, Colorado in 2027.[2] Several films notably received standing ovations during the festival, including Fing, Josephine, Wicker, The Invite, Levitating, and Union County.[4][5][6]
Films
U.S. Dramatic Competition
World Cinema Dramatic Competition
U.S. Documentary Competition
World Cinema Documentary Competition
Premieres
Next
Midnight
Episodic
| English title
|
Director(s)
|
Production Country
|
| Bait |
Bassam Tariq |
United Kingdom
|
| Episodic Fiction Pilot Showcase |
Various |
United States
|
| Episodic Nonfiction Pilot Showcase |
Various |
United States
|
| FreeLance |
The Turner Brothers |
United States
|
| Murder 101 |
Stacy Lee |
United States
|
| The Oligarch and the Art Dealer |
Andreas Dalsgaard |
Denmark, France
|
| The Screener |
Jim Cummings and PJ McCabe |
United States
|
| Soft Boil |
|
United States
|
| Worried |
|
United States
|
Family Matinee
U.S. Fiction Short Films
| English title
|
Director(s)
|
Production Country
|
| Albatross |
Amandine Thomas |
United States
|
| Balloon Animals |
Anna Baumgarten
|
| Birdie |
Praise Odigie Paige
|
| Callback |
Matthew Puccini
|
| The Creature of Darkness |
Lisa Malloy, Ray Whitaker
|
| Crisis Actor |
Lily Platt
|
| Don't Tell Mama |
Chloe Leigh King
|
| Gender Studies |
Jamie Kiernan O’Brien
|
| The Oracle |
JJ Adler
|
| Pankaja |
Anooya Swamy |
United States, India
|
| Prime |
Meagan Coyle |
United States
|
| Radiant Frost |
Hannah Schierbeek
|
| Seniors |
Adam Curley
|
| Stairs |
Riley Donigan
|
| Taga |
Jill Marie Sachs |
United States, Philippines
|
| Together Forever |
Gregory Barnes |
United States
|
International Fiction Short Films
| English title
|
Director(s)
|
Production Country
|
| Agnes |
Leah Vlemmiks |
United Kingdom, Canada
|
| Blue Heart |
Samuel Suffren |
Haiti, France
|
| Candy Bar |
Nash Edgerton |
Australia
|
| Faux Bijoux |
Jessy Moussallem |
France, Lebanon
|
| Fruit (Buah) |
Jen Nee Lim |
Singapore
|
| How Brief |
Kelly McCormack |
Canada
|
| I'm Glad You're Dead Now |
Tawfeek Barhom |
France, Greece, Palestine
|
| Ivar |
Markus Tangre |
Norway
|
| Jazz Infernal |
Will Niava |
Canada
|
| The Liars |
Eduardo Braun Costa |
Argentina
|
| Marga en el DF |
Gabriela Ortega |
Mexico, United States
|
| Norheimsund |
Ana A. Alpizar |
Cuba, United States
|
| O’Sey Balamma |
Raman Nimmala |
India
|
| ¡PIKA! |
Alex Fischman Cárdenas |
Peru
|
| Sauna Sickness |
Malin Barr |
Sweden
|
| Without Kelly (Utan Kelly) |
Lovisa Sirén
|
| The Worm |
Tom Noakes |
Australia
|
Animated Short Films
| English title
|
Director(s)
|
Production Country
|
| 1981 |
Andy London, Carolyn London |
United States
|
| The Bird’s Placebo |
Rami Jarboui |
Tunisia
|
| Busy Bodies |
Kate Renshaw-Lewis |
United States
|
| Cabbage Daddy |
Grace An |
Canada
|
| Homemade Gatorade |
Carter Amelia Davis |
United States
|
| HUGS |
Nicolas Fong |
Belgium
|
| Living with a Visionary |
Stephen P. Neary |
United States
|
| Mangittatuarjuk (The Gnawer of Rocks) |
Louise Flaherty |
Canada
|
| Once in a Body |
María Cristina Pérez |
Colombia, United States
|
| Paper Trail |
Don Hertzfeldt |
United States
|
| Sorrow Doesn't Sleep at Night |
Josefina Montino, Martín André |
Chile
|
| UM |
Nieto |
France
|
Nonfiction Short Films
| English title
|
Director(s)
|
Production Country
|
| The Baddest Speechwriter of All |
Ben Proudfoot, Stephen Curry |
United States
|
| The Boys and the Bees |
Arielle C. Knight
|
| The Chimney Sweeper |
Jack Raese
|
| Going Sane: The Rise and Fall of the Center For Feeling Therapy |
Joey Izzo
|
| The Home of the Brave (La Tierra del Valor) |
Cristina Costantini
|
| Luigi |
Liza Mandelup
|
| Some Kind of Refuge |
Alexandra Kern
|
| Still Standing |
Victor Tadashi Suarez, Livia Albeck-Ripka
|
| Tuktuit : Caribou |
Lindsay Aksarniq McIntyre |
Canada
|
Special Screenings
To commemorate the final Sundance in Park City, the 2026 festival will include several special screenings of classic films that screened at festivals in years past, along with the 1969 film Downhill Racer as a tribute to founder Robert Redford, who died in September 2025.[7]
Awards
For the last time in Park City the following awards were given out: [8][9][10]
Grand Jury Prizes
Audience Awards
Directing, Editing, and Screenwriting Prizes
Special Jury Awards
- U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Ensemble Cast: the cast of The Friend’s House is Here
- U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Debut Feature: Bedford Park
- U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Journalistic Excellence: Who Killed Alex Odeh?
- U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Impact for Change: The Lake
- World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for Creative Vision: Filipiñana
- World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for Acting Ensemble: LADY
- World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award for Journalistic Impact: Birds of War
- World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award for Civil Resistance: Everybody To Kenmure Street
- NEXT Special Jury Award for Creative Expression: TheyDream
- Short Film Special Jury Award for Acting: Noah Roja and Filippo Carrozza for The Liars
- Short Film Special Jury Award for Creative Vision: Paper Trail
Shorts Program Awards
- U.S. Fiction: Crisis Actor (Lily Platt)
- Animation: Living with a Visionary (Stephen P. Neary)
- Nonfiction: The Boys and the Bees (Arielle C. Knight)
- International Fiction: Jazz Infernal (Will Niava)
Sundance Institute Awards
- Producers Award for Nonfiction (presented by Amazon MGM Studios): Dawne Langford for Who Killed Alex Odeh?
- NHK Award: Leo Aguirre for Verano
- Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize: Andrew Stanton In The Blink of An Eye
- Adobe Mentorship Award for Nonfiction: Flavia de Souza
- Adobe Mentorship Award for Fiction: Mollie Goldstein
Acquisitions
References
- ^ a b "What to Know About the 2026 Sundance Film Festival". Sundance Institute. July 14, 2025. Retrieved July 14, 2025.
- ^ a b McGowan, Andrew (July 14, 2025). "Sundance Film Festival Reveals Dates, Events and More for Last Hurrah In Park City". Variety. Retrieved July 14, 2025.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (December 10, 2025). "Sundance 2026 Lineup Includes Films With Jenna Ortega, Charli XCX, Seth Rogen, Russell Crowe, Ethan Hawke & More In Park City Finale". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 10, 2025.
- ^ Standing Ovations Heat Up Sundance as Audiences Rise Up for ‘Wicker,’ ‘The Invite’ and ‘Fing!’
- ^ Will Poulter and Noah Centineo Drug Recovery Drama ‘Union County’ Lands Extended Sundance Standing Ovation
- ^ Bangga! Para Perasuk Dapat Standing Ovation di Sundance Film Festival 2026
- ^ Blauvelt, Christian (October 21, 2025). "Sundance Sets Tributes to Park City and Robert Redford — Plus 'Saw,' 'Little Miss Sunshine,' and More Restorations — for Utah Farewell". IndieWire. Retrieved November 2, 2025.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (January 30, 2026). "Sundance Film Festival Awards Winners: 'Josephine' Takes U.S. Grand Jury Prize & Audience Award". Deadline. Retrieved January 31, 2026.
- ^ Kaser, Anna (January 30, 2026). "2026 Sundance Film Festival Announces Award Winners - sundance.org". Retrieved January 31, 2026.
- ^ "Congratulations to "American Pachuco"". January 31, 2026.
- ^ Lang, Brent (January 20, 2026). "Independent Film Company, Shudder Buy Supernatural Body Horror Film 'Saccharine' Ahead of Sundance Premiere (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved January 20, 2026.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (January 27, 2026). "Neon Acquires 'Leviticus' For Seven Figures; 'The Invite' Down To A24 & Focus In $10M+ Deal – Sundance – Update". Deadline. Retrieved January 27, 2026.
- ^ Rubin, Rebecca (January 27, 2026). "Olivia Wilde's 'The Invite' Sells to A24 Following Sundance Premiere". Variety. Retrieved January 28, 2026.
- ^ Lang, Brett; Donnelly, Matt (January 29, 2026). "Sundance: Sony Pictures Classics Buys Crowd-Pleasing Drama 'Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty!'". Variety. Retrieved January 29, 2026.
- ^ Jackson, Angelique (January 30, 2026). "Sony Pictures Classics Lands Stephanie Ahn's 'Bedford Park,' Sundance Prize Winner for Debut Feature". Variety. Retrieved January 31, 2026.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (February 5, 2026). "Neon Acquires U.S. On Documentary 'Once Upon A Time In Harlem' Following Sundance Premiere". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 5, 2026.
- ^ Grobar, Matt (February 5, 2026). "Apple Acquires Sundance Doc 'The Last First: Winter K2'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 5, 2026.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony; Fleming Jr, Mike (February 10, 2026). "Magnolia Seducing Deal On Sundance Buzz Title 'I Want Your Sex?' Gregg Araki-Helmed Erotically Charged Pic Stars Olivia Wilde & Cooper Hoffman". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 10, 2026.
- ^ Ramachandran, Naman (February 12, 2026). "Kino Lorber Acquires Sundance, Berlin Film 'Filipinana' for North America". Variety. Retrieved February 12, 2026.
- ^ Feinberg, Scott (February 12, 2026). "Netflix Acquires Stephen Curry and Ben Proudfoot's Sundance-Winning MLK Speechwriter Doc Short (Exclusive)". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 12, 2026.
- ^ Goodfellow, Melanie (February 14, 2026). "Sumerian Pictures Snaps Up U.S. Rights For Sundance Breakout 'Josephine'". Deadline. Retrieved February 14, 2026.
- ^ Wiseman, Andreas (February 17, 2026). "Olivia Colman & Alexander Skarsgård Fantasy Romance 'Wicker' Gets North American Deal With Black Bear". Deadline. Retrieved February 17, 2026.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (February 24, 2026). "Sony Pictures Classics Picks Up Global Rights To John Turturro Sundance Pic 'The Only Living Pickpocket In New York' From MRC & T-Street". Deadline. Retrieved February 25, 2026.
- ^ Wiseman, Andreas (February 26, 2026). "Sundance Road Trip Comedy 'The Shitheads', Starring Dave Franco & O'Shea Jackson Jr., Gets U.S. Deal With IFC". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 26, 2026.
- ^ Wiseman, Andreas (February 26, 2026). "Sumerian Makes Second Sundance Acquisition With Comedy 'The Incomer' Starring Domhnall Gleeson & Gayle Rankin". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 26, 2026.
- ^ https://www.screendaily.com/news/everybody-to-kenmure-street-north-american-sale-leads-trickle-of-sundance-deals/5214346.article
- ^ Sony Pictures Classics Continues Sundance Buying Streak With Jon Hamm, John Slattery & Zoey Deutch Pic ‘Gail Daughtry And The Celebrity Sex Pass’
- ^ Rubin, Rebecca (March 3, 2026). "'If I Go Will They Miss Me' Sells in Six-Figure Deal Following Sundance Film Festival Debut (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved March 3, 2026.
- ^ Rubin, Rebecca (March 12, 2026). "Meghan Markle and Prince Harry-Backed Doc 'Cookie Queens' Lands at Roadside Attractions". Variety. Retrieved March 12, 2026.
- ^ Carey, Matthew (March 13, 2026). "Independent Lens Acquires Sundance Hit 'Ghost In The Machine'; Deadline's Doc Talk Podcast Played Matchmaker". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 13, 2026.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (March 19, 2026). "Ethan Hawke & Russell Crowe Sundance Pic 'The Weight' Acquired By Vertical". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 19, 2026.
External links
Media related to 2026 Sundance Film Festival at Wikimedia Commons