Sundance Film Festival reveals its 2024 lineup (USA)

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(Part 1)

Sundance Film Festival (Utah, USA) has unveiled the 40th anniversary edition line-up for 2024 as Steven Soderbergh makes his return as director for the first time since his 1989 breakout sex, lies and videotape, and Ian Bonhote's Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story at Warner Bros is the opening night film.

The full slate of works announced includes 82 features representing 24 countries, and 91 selections including episodic programmes. World premieres make up 94% of the entire roster, and 40% of the filmmakers are debutants.

The festival will take place January 18-28, 2024, in person in Park City and Salt Lake City, with a selection of titles available online nationwide (US only) from January 25-28, 2024.

The full selection appears below with synopses provided by the festival. All films are US and world premieres unless indicated otherwise.

US DRAMATIC COMPETITION

The US Dramatic Competition offers festival-goers 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 Fair Play, Nanny, CODA, Passing, Minari, Never Rarely Sometimes Always, The Farewell, Clemency, Eighth Grade and Sorry To Bother You.

Between The Temples
Dir. Nathan Silver
Scrs. Silver C. Mason Wells
Pdrs. Tim Headington, Theresa Steele Page, Nate Kamiya, Adam Kersh, Taylor Hess
A cantor in a crisis of faith finds his world turned upside down when his grade school music teacher reenters his life as his new adult bat mitzvah student.
Cast: Jason Schwartzman, Carol Kane, Dolly de Leon, Caroline Aaron, Robert Smigel, Madeline Weinstein.
Available online for public.

Dìdi (弟弟)
Dir-scr-pdr. Sean Wang
Pdrs: Carlos López Estrada, Josh Peters, Valerie Bush
In 2008, during the last month of summer before high school begins, an impressionable 13-year-old Taiwanese American boy learns what his family can't teach him: how to skate, how to flirt, and how to love your mum.
Cast: Izaac Wang, Joan Chen, Shirley Chen, Chang Li Hua.
Available online for public.

Exhibiting Forgiveness
Dir-scr-pdr. Titus Kaphar
Pdrs. Stephanie Allain, Derek Cianfrance, Jamie Patricof, Sean Cotton
Utilising his paintings to find freedom from his past, a Black artist on the path to success is derailed by an unexpected visit from his estranged father, a recovering addict desperate to reconcile. Together, they learn that forgetting might be a greater challenge than forgiving.
Cast: André Holland, John Earl Jelks, Andra Day, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor.
Available online for public.

Good One
Dir-scr-pdr. India Donaldson
Pdrs. Diana Irvine, Graham Mason, Wilson Cameron
On a weekend backpacking trip in the Catskills, 17-year-old Sam contends with the competing egos of her father and his oldest friend.
Cast: Lily Collias, James Le Gros, Danny McCarthy.
Available online for public.

In The Summers
Dir-scr. Alessandra Lacorazza
Pdrs. Alexander Dinelaris, Rob Quadrino, Fernando Rodriguez-Vila, Lynette Coll, Sergio Lira, Cristóbal Güell
On a journey that spans the formative years of their lives, two sisters navigate their loving but volatile father during their yearly summer visits to his home in Las Cruces, New Mexico.
Cast: René Pérez Joglar, Sasha Calle, Lío Mehiel, Leslie Grace, Emma Ramos, Sharlene Cruz. Available online for public.

Love Me
Dirs-scrs. Sam Zuchero, Andy Zuchero
Pdrs. Kevin Rowe, Luca Borghese, Ben Howe, Shivani Rawat, Julie Goldstein
Long after humanity's extinction, a buoy and a satellite meet online and fall in love.
Cast: Kristen Stewart, Steven Yeun.
Available online for public.

Ponyboi
Dir. Esteban Arango
Scr. River Gallo
Pdrs. Mark Ankner, River Gallo, Adel "Future" Nur, Trevor Wall
Unfolding over the course of Valentine's Day in New Jersey, a young intersex sex worker must run from the mob after a drug deal goes sideways, forcing him to confront his past.
Cast: River Gallo, Dylan O'Brien, Victoria Pedretti, Murray Bartlett, Indya Moore.
Available online for public.

A Real Pain (US-Pol)
Dir-scr-pdr. Jesse Eisenberg
Pdrs. Dave McCary, Ali Herting, Emma Stone, Jennifer Semler, Ewa Puszczyńska
Mismatched cousins David and Benji reunite for a tour through Poland to honour their beloved grandmother. The adventure takes a turn when the pair's old tensions resurface against the backdrop of their family history.
Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Kieran Culkin, Will Sharpe, Jennifer Grey, Kurt Egyiawan. Available online for public.

Stress Positions
Dir-scr. Theda Hammel
Pdrs. Brad Becker-Parton, John Early, Stephanie Roush, Allie Jane Compton, Greg Nobile
Terry Goon is keeping strict quarantine in his ex-husband's Brooklyn brownstone while caring for his nephew — a 19-year-old model from Morocco named Bahlul — bedridden in a full leg cast after an electric scooter accident. Unfortunately for Terry, everyone in his life wants to meet the model.
Cast: John Early, Qaher Harhash, Theda Hammel, Amy Zimmer, Faheem Ali, John Roberts. Available online for public.
Neon holds rights.

Suncoast
Dir-scr. Laura Chinn
Pdrs. Jeremy Plager, Francesca Silvestri, Kevin Chinoy, Oly Obst
A teenager who, while caring for her brother along with her audacious mother, strikes up an unlikely friendship with an eccentric activist who is protesting one of the most landmark medical cases of all time. Inspired by a semi-autobiographical story.
Cast: Laura Linney, Woody Harrelson, Nico Parker.
Available online for public.

US DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION

The US Documentary Competition offers festival-goers 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 Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project, Navalny, Fire oO Love, Summer of Soul (...Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised), Boys State, Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution, APOLLO 11, Knock Down The House, One Child Nation, American Factory, Three Identical Strangers and On Her Shoulders.

As We Speak
Dir-pdr. J.M. Harper
Pdrs. Sam Widdoes, Peter Cambor, Sam Bisbee
Bronx rap artist Kemba explores the growing weaponisation of rap lyrics in the United States criminal justice system and abroad — revealing how law enforcement has quietly used artistic creation as evidence in criminal cases for decades.
Available online for public.

Daughters
Dirs. Angela Patton, Natalie Rae
Pdrs. Lisa Mazzotta, Justin Benoliel, Mindy Goldberg, Sam Bisbee, Kathryn Everett, Laura Choi Raycroft
Four young girls prepare for a special Daddy Daughter Dance with their incarcerated fathers, as part of a unique fatherhood programme in a Washington, D.C. jail.

Every Little Thing (Australia)
Dir. Sally Aitken
Pdrs. Bettina Dalton, Oli Harbottle, Anna Godas
Amid the glamour of Hollywood, Los Angeles, a woman finds herself on a transformative journey as she nurtures wounded hummingbirds, unraveling a visually captivating and magical tale of love, fragility, healing, and the delicate beauty in tiny acts of greatness.
Available online for public.

Frida (US-Mex)
Dir. Carla Gutiérrez
Pdrs. Katia Maguire, Sara Bernstein, Justin Wilkes, Loren Hammonds, Alexandra Johnes
An intimately raw and magical journey through the life, mind, and heart of iconic artist Frida Kahlo. Told through her own words for the very first time — drawn from her diary, revealing letters, essays, and print interviews — and brought vividly to life by lyrical animation inspired by her unforgettable artwork.
Available online for public.

Gaucho Gaucho (US-Arg)
Dirs-pdrs. Michael Dweck, Gregory Kershaw
Prds. Cameron O'Reilly, Christos V. Konstantakopoulos, Matthew Perniciaro
A celebration of a community of Argentine cowboys and cowgirls, known as Gauchos, living beyond the boundaries of the modern world.
Available online for public.

Love Machina
Dir-pdr Peter Sillen
Pdr. Brendan Doyle
Futurists Martine and Bina Rothblatt commission an advanced humanoid AI named Bina48 to transfer Bina's consciousness from a human to a robot in an attempt to continue their once-in-a-galaxy love affair for the rest of time.
Available online for public.

Porcelain War (US-Ukr)
Dir-scr. Brendan Bellomo
Dir. Slava Leontyev
Pdrs-scrs. Aniela Sidorska, Paula DuPre' Pesmen
Pdrs. Camilla Mazzaferro, Olivia Ahnemann
Under roaring fighter jets and missile strikes, Ukrainian artists Slava, Anya, and Andrey choose to stay behind and fight, contending with the soldiers they have become. Defiantly finding beauty amid destruction, they show that although it's easy to make people afraid, it's hard to destroy their passion for living.
Available online for public.

Skywalkers: A Love Story
Dir-scr-pdr. Jeff Zimbalist
Pdrs. Maria Bukhonina, Tamir Ardon, Chris Smith, Nick Spicer
To save their career and relationship, a daredevil couple journey across the globe to climb the world's last super skyscraper and perform a bold acrobatic stunt on the spire.
Available online for public.

Sugarcane (US-Can)
Dir. Julian Brave NoiseCat
Dir-pdr. Emily Kassie
Pdr. Kellen Quinn
An investigation into abuse and missing children at an Indian residential school ignites a reckoning on the nearby Sugarcane Reserve.
Available online for public.

Union
Dirs. Stephen Maing, Brett Story
Pdrs. Samantha Curley, Mars Verrone
The Amazon Labor Union (ALU) — a group of current and former Amazon workers in New York City's Staten Island — takes on
one of the world's largest and most powerful companies in the fight to unionise.
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 Scrapper, Mami Wata, Brian And Charles, Hive, Luzzu, The Souvenir, The Guilty, Monos, Yardie, The Nile Hilton Incident and Second Mother.

Brief History Of A Family (China-Fr-Den-Qat)
Dir-scr. Jianjie Lin
Pdrs. Ying Lou, Yue Zheng, Yiwen Wang
A middle-class family's fate becomes intertwined with their only son's enigmatic new friend in post one-child policy China, putting unspoken secrets, unmet expectations, and untended emotions under the microscope.
Cast: Feng Zu, Keyu Guo, Xilun Sun, Muran Lin.
Available online for public.

Girls Will Be Girls (Ind-Fr-Nor)
Dir-scr-pdr. Shuchi Talati
Pdrs. Richa Chadha, Claire Chassagne
In a strict boarding school nestled in the Himalayas, 16-year-old Mira discovers desire and romance. But her sexual, rebellious awakening is disrupted by her mother who never got to come of age herself.
Cast: Preeti Panigrahi, Kani Kusruti, Kesav Binoy Kiron.
Available online for public.

Handling The Undead (Nor)
Dir-pdr Thea Hvistendahl
Scr. John Ajvide Lindqvist
Pdrs. Kristin Emblem, Guri Neby
On a hot summer day in Oslo, the newly dead awaken. Three families faced with loss try to figure out what this resurrection means and if their loved ones really are back. Based on the book by John Ajvide Lindqvist.
Cast: Renate Reinsve, Bjørn Sundquist, Bente Børsum, Anders Danielsen Lie, Bahar Pars.
Available online for public.

In The Land Of Brothers (Iran-Fr-Neth)
Dirs-scrs-pdrs. Raha Amirfazli, Alireza Ghasemi
Pdrs. Adrien Barrouillet, Frank Hoeve, Charles Meresse, Emma Binet, Arya Ghamavian
Three members of an extended Afghan family start their lives over in Iran as refugees, unaware they face a decades-long struggle ahead to be "at home".
Cast: Hamideh Jafari, Bashir Nikzad, Mohammad Hosseini.
Available online for public.

Layla (UK)
Dir-scr. Amrou Al-Kadhi
Pdr. Savannah James-Bayly
When Layla, a struggling Arab drag queen, falls in love for the first time, they lose and find themself in a transformative relationship that tests who they really are.
Cast: Bilal Hasna, Louis Greatorex, Safiyya Ingar, Darkwah, Terique Jarrett, Sarah Agha.
Available online for public.

Malu (Braz)
Dir-scr. Pedro Freire
Pdrs. Tatiana Leite, Sabrina Garcia, Leo Ribeiro, Roberto Berliner
Malu — a mercurial, unemployed actress living with her conservative mother in a precarious house in a Rio de Janeiro slum — tries to deal with her strained relationship with her own adult daughter while surviving on memories of her glorious artistic past.
Cast: Yara de Novaes, Carol Duarte, Juliana Carneiro da Cunha, Átila Bee.
Available online for public.

Reinas (Switz-Peru-Sp)
Dir-scr. Klaudia Reynicke
Scr-pdr. Diego Vega
Pdrs. Britta Rindelaub, Thomas Reichlin, Daniel Vega, Valérie Delpierre
Surrounded by social and political chaos in Lima during the summer of 1992, Lucia, Aurora, and their mother, Elena, plan to leave and seek opportunities in the United States. Their farewell involves reconnecting with their estranged father, Carlos, adding turbulence to the regrets, hopes, and fears of their emotional departure.
Cast: Abril Gjurinovic, Luana Vega, Jimena Lindo, Gonzalo Molina, Susi Sánchez.
Available online for public.

Sebastian (UK-Fin-Belg)
Dir-scr. Mikko Mäkelä
Pdr. James Watson
Max, a 25-year-old aspiring writer living in London, begins a double life as a sex worker in order to research his debut novel.
Cast: Ruaridh Mollica, Hiftu Quasem, Ingvar Sigurdsson, Jonathan Hyde, Leanne Best, Lara Rossi.
Available online for public.

Sujo (Mex-US-Fr)
Dirs-scrs-pdrs. Astrid Rondero, Fernanda Valadez
Pdrs. Diana Arcega, Jewerl Keats Ross, Virginie Devesa, Jean-Baptiste Bailly-Maitre
When a cartel gunman is killed, he leaves behind Sujo, his beloved 4-year-old son. The shadow of violence surrounds Sujo during each stage of his life in the isolated Mexican countryside. As he grows into a man, Sujo finds that fulfilling his father's destiny may be inescapable.
Cast: Juan Jesús Varela, Yadira Pérez, Alexis Varela, Sandra Lorenzano, Jairo Hernández, Kevin Aguilar.
Available online for public.

Veni Vidi Vici (Austria)
Dir-scr. Daniel Hoesl
Pdr. Ulrich Seidl
The Maynards and their children lead an almost perfect billionaire family life. Amon is a passionate hunter, but doesn't shoot animals, as the family's wealth allows them to live totally free from consequences.
Cast: Laurence Rupp, Ursina Lardi, Olivia Goschler.
Available online for public.

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(Part 2 continues)

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 The Eternal Memory, 20 Days In Mariupol, All That Breathes, Flee, Honeyland, Sea Of Shadows, Shirkers, This Is Home, Last Men In Aleppo and Hooligan Sparrow.

Agent Of Happiness (Bhu-Hun)
Dir-pdr. Arun Bhattarai
Dir. Dorottya Zurbó
Pdrs. Noémi Veronika Szakonyi, Máté Artur Vincze
Amber is one of the many agents working for the Bhutanese government to measure people's happiness levels among the remote Himalayan mountains. But will he find his own along the way?
Available online for public.

The Battle For Laikipia (Ken-US)
Dir-pdr. Daphne Matziaraki
Dir. Peter Murimi
Pdr. Toni Kamau
Unresolved historical injustices and climate change raise the stakes in a generations-old conflict between Indigenous pastoralists and white landowners in Laikipia, Kenya, a wildlife conservation haven.
Available online for public.

Black Box Diaries (Jap-US-UK)
Dir-pdr. Shiori Ito
Pdrs. Eric Nyari, Hanna Aqvilin
Journalist Shiori Ito embarks on a courageous investigation of her own sexual assault in an improbable attempt to prosecute her high-profile offender. Her quest becomes a landmark case in Japan, exposing the country's outdated judicial and societal systems.
Available online for public.

Eternal You (Ger-US)
Dirs. Hans Block, Moritz Riesewieck
Pdrs. Christian Beetz, Georg Tschurtschenthaler
Start-ups are using AI to create avatars that allow relatives to talk with their loved ones after they have died. An exploration of a profound human desire and the consequences of turning the dream of immortality into a product.
Available online for public.

Ibelin (Nor)
Dir. Benjamin Ree
Scr. Ingvil Giske
Mats Steen, a Norwegian gamer, died of a degenerative muscular disease at the age of 25. His parents mourned what they thought had been a lonely and isolated life, when they started receiving messages from online friends around the world.
Available online for public.

Igualada (Col-US-Mex)
Dir. Juan Mejía Botero
Pdrs. Juan E. Yepes, Daniela Alatorre, Sonia Serna
In one of Latin America's most unequal countries, Francia Márquez, a Black Colombian rural activist, challenges the status quo with a presidential campaign that reappropriates the derogatory term "Igualada" — someone who acts as if they deserve rights that supposedly don't correspond to them — and inspires a nation to dream.
Available online for public.

Never Look Away (NZ)
Dir-scr-pdr.: Lucy Lawless
Scrs-pdrs. Matthew Metcalfe, Tom Blackwell
New Zealand–born groundbreaking CNN camerawoman Margaret Moth risks it all to show the reality of war from inside the conflict, staring down danger and confronting those who perpetuate it.
Available online for public.

A New Kind Of Wilderness (Nor)
Dir. Silje Evensmo Jacobsen
Pdr. Mari Bakke Riise
In a forest in Norway, a family lives an isolated lifestyle in an attempt to be wild and free, but a tragic event changes everything, and they are forced to adjust to modern society.
Available online for public.

Nocturnes (India-US)
Dir-pdr. Anirban Dutta
Dir. Anupama Srinivasan
In the dense forests of the Eastern Himalayas, moths are whispering something to us. In the dark of night, two curious observers shine a light on this secret universe.
Available online for public.

Soundtrack To A Coup d'Etat (Belg-Fr-Neth)
Dir-scr. Johan Grimonprez
Pdrs. Daan Milius, Rémi Grellety
In 1960, United Nations: the Global South ignites a political earthquake, musicians Abbey Lincoln and Max Roach crash the Security Council, Nikita Khrushchev bangs his shoe denouncing America's color bar, while the U.S. dispatches jazz ambassador Louis Armstrong to the Congo to deflect attention from its first African post-colonial coup.
Available online for public.

NEXT

Pure, bold works distinguished by an innovative, forward-thinking approach to storytelling populate this programme. Unfettered creativity promises that the films in this section will shape the greater next wave in American cinema. Films that have premiered in this category in recent years include Kokomo City, A Love Song, RIOTSVILLE, USA, The Infiltrators, Searching, Skate Kitchen, A Ghost Story and Tangerine. Next is presented by Adobe.

Desire Lines
Dir-scr-pdr. Jules Rosskam
Scr. Nate Gualtieri
Pdrs. André Pérez, Amy E. Powell, Brittani Ward
Past and present collide when an Iranian American trans man time-travels through an LGBTQ+ archive on a dizzying and erotic quest to unravel his own sexual desires.
Cast: Theo Germaine, Aden Hakimi.
Documentary.
Available online for public.

Kneecap (Ire-UK)
Dir-scr. Rich Peppiatt
Pdrs. Jack Tarling, Trevor Birney
There are 80,000 native Irish speakers in Ireland. 6,000 live in the North of Ireland. Three of them became a rap group called Kneecap. This anarchic Belfast trio becomes the unlikely figurehead of a civil rights movement to save the mother tongue.
Cast: Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, Naoise Ó Cairealláin, JJ Ó Dochartaigh, Michael Fassbender, Josie Walker, Simone Kirby).
Fiction
Available online for public.

Little Death
Dir-scr.: Jack Begert
Scr. Dani Goffstein
Pdrs. Darren Aronofsky, Andy S. Cohen, Dylan Golden, Brendan Naylor, Sam Canter, Noor Alfallah
A middle-aged filmmaker on the verge of a breakthrough. Two kids in search of a lost backpack. A small dog a long way from home.
Cast: David Schwimmer, Gaby Hoffmann, Dominic Fike, Talia Ryder, Jena Malone, Sante Bentivoglio.
Fiction.
Available online for public.

Realm Of Satan
Dir-scr. Scott Cummings
Pdrs. Caitlin Mae Burke, Pacho Velez, Molly Gandour
An experiential portrait depicting Satanists in both the everyday and in the extraordinary as they fight to preserve their lifestyle: magic, mystery, and misanthropy.
Cast: Peter Gilmore, Peggy Nadramia, Blanche Barton.
Documentary.
Available online for public.

Seeking Mavis Beacon
Dir-scr. Jazmin Renée Jones
Pdr. Guetty Felin
Launched in the late '80s, educational software Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing taught millions globally, but the programme's Haitian-born cover model vanished decades ago. Two DIY investigators search for the unsung cultural icon, while questioning notions of digital security, AI, and Black representation in the digital realm.
Documentary. Neon holds US rights.
Available online for public.

Tendaberry
Dir-pdr-scr. Haley Elizabeth Anderson
Pdrs. Carlos Zozaya, Matthew Petock, Zachary Shedd, Hannah Dweck, Theodore Schaefer, Daniel Patrick Carbone
When her boyfriend goes back to Ukraine to be with his ailing father, 23-year-old Dakota anxiously navigates her precarious new reality, surviving on her own in New York City.
Cast: Kota Johan, Yuri Pleskun.
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 Past Lives, Passages, Good Luck To You, Leo Grande, Promising Young Woman, Kajillionaire,The Report, Late Night, and The Big Sick. Past documentary films include Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie, Invisible Beauty, The Dissident, Lucy And Desi, On The Record and Miss Americana.

The American Society Of Magical Negroes
Dir-scr-pdr. Kobi Libii
Pdrs. Julia Lebedev, Eddie Vaisman, Angel Lopez
A young man, Aren, is recruited into a secret society of magical Black people who dedicate their lives to a cause of utmost importance: making white people's lives easier.
Cast: Justice Smith, David Alan Grier, An-Li Bogan, Drew Tarver, Rupert Friend, Nicole Byer.
Fiction.
Focus Features holds rights.

And So It Begins (US-Phil)
Dir-scr-pdr. Ramona S. Diaz
Amidst the traditional pomp and circumstance of Filipino elections, a quirky people's movement rises to defend the nation against deepening threats to truth and democracy. In a collective act of joy as a form of resistance, hope flickers against the backdrop of increasing autocracy.
Documentary.
Available online for public.

Devo (UK-US)
Dir. Chris Smith
Pdrs. Chris Holmes, Anita Greenspan, Danny Gabai
Born in response to the Kent State massacre, new wave band Devo took their concept of "de-evolution" from cult following to near–rock star status with groundbreaking 1980 hit "Whip It" while preaching an urgent social commentary.
Documentary.

A Different Man
Dir-scr. Aaron Schimberg
Pdrs. Christine Vachon, Vanessa McDonnell, Gabriel Mayers
Aspiring actor Edward undergoes a radical medical procedure to drastically transform his appearance. But his new dream face quickly turns into a nightmare, as he loses out on the role he was born to play and becomes obsessed with reclaiming what was lost.
Cast: Sebastian Stan, Renate Reinsve, Adam Pearson.
Fiction.

Freaky Tales
Dirs-scrs-pdrs. Ryan Fleck, Anna Boden
Pdrs. Poppy Hanks, Jelani Johnson
In 1987 Oakland, a mysterious force guides The Town's underdogs in four interconnected tales: Teen punks defend their turf against Nazi skinheads, a rap duo battles for hip-hop immortality, a weary henchman gets a shot at redemption, and an NBA All-Star settles the score. Basically another day in the Bay.
Cast: Pedro Pascal, Jay Ellis, Normani Kordei Hamilton, Dominique Thorne, Ben Mendelsohn, Ji-Young Yoo.
Fiction.

Ghostlight
Dir-scr. Kelly O'Sullivan
Dir-pdr. Alex Thompson
Pdrs. Pierce Cravens, Chelsea Krant, Ian Keiser, Eddie Linker, Alex Wilson
When a construction worker unexpectedly joins a local theater's production of Romeo And Juliet, the drama onstage starts to mirror his own life.
Cast: Keith Kupferer, Dolly de Leon, Katherine Mallen Kupferer, Tara Mallen.
Fiction.

Girls State
Dirs-pdrs. Amanda McBaine, Jesse Moss
Teenage girls from wildly different backgrounds across Missouri navigate a week-long immersive experiment in American democracy, build a government from the ground up, and reimagine what it means to govern.
Documentary.
Apple holds rights.

Look Into My Eyes
Dir-pdr. Lana Wilson
Pdr. Kyle Martin
A group of New York City psychics conduct deeply intimate readings for their clients, revealing a kaleidoscope of loneliness, connection, and healing.
Documentary.

Luther: Never Too Much
Dir. Dawn Porter
Pdrs. Trish D Chetty, Ged Doherty, Jamie Foxx, Datari Turner, Leah Smith
Luther Vandross started his career supporting David Bowie, Roberta Flack, Bette Midler, and more. His undeniable talent earned platinum records and accolades, but he struggled to break out beyond the R&B charts. Intensely driven, he overcame personal and professional challenges to secure his place amongst the greatest vocalists in history.
Documentary.

My Old Ass
Dir-scr. Megan Park
Pdrs. Tom Ackerley, Margot Robbie, Josey McNamara, Steven Rales
The summer before college, bright-yet-irreverent Elliott comes face-to-face with her older self during a mushroom trip. The encounter spurs a funny and heartfelt journey of self-discovery and first love as Elliott prepares to leave her childhood home.
Cast: Maisy Stella, Percy Hynes White, Maddie Ziegler, Kerrice Brooks, Aubrey Plaza.
Fiction.

The Outrun (UK-Ger)
Dir-scr. Nora Fingscheidt
Scr. Amy Liptrot
Pdrs. Sarah Brocklehurst, Dominic Norris, Jack Lowden, Saoirse Ronan
After living life on the edge in London, Rona attempts to come to terms with her troubled past. She returns to the wild beauty of Scotland's Orkney Islands — where she grew up — hoping to heal. Adapted from the bestselling memoir by Amy Liptrot.
Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Paapa Essiedu, Stephen Dillane, Saskia Reeves. Fiction.

Power
Dir-pdr. Yance Ford
Pdrs. Sweta Vohra, Jess Devaney, Netsanet Negussie
Driven to maintain social order, policing in the United States has exploded in scope and scale over hundreds of years. Now, American policing embodies one word: power.
Documentary.

Presence
Dir. Steven Soderbergh
Scr. David Koepp
Pdrs. Julie M. Anderson, Ken Meyer
A family moves into a suburban house and becomes convinced they're not alone.
Cast: Lucy Liu, Chris Sullivan, Callina Liang, Julia Fox, Eddy Maday, West Mulholland,
Fiction.

Rob Peace
Dir-scr. Chiwetel Ejiofor
Pdrs. Antoine Fuqua, Rebecca Hobbs, Kat Samick, Jeffrey Soros, Andrea Calderwood, Alex Kurtzman.
Robert Peace grew up in an impoverished section of Newark and later graduated from Yale with degrees in molecular biophysics and biochemistry while on scholarship. Peace led a dual life in academia and research while also earning six figures selling marijuana. Based on Jeff Hobbs' bestselling biography.
Cast: Jay Will, Mary J. Blige, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Camila Cabello, Michael Kelly, Mare Winningham.
Fiction.
Available online for public.

Sasquatch Sunset
Dir-scr-pdr. David Zellner
Dir-pdr. Nathan Zellner
Pdrs. Lars Knudsen, Tyler Campellone, George Rush, Jesse Eisenberg
A year in the life of a singular family.
Cast: Riley Keough, Jesse Eisenberg, Christophe Zajac-Denek, Nathan Zellner.
Fiction.

Sue Bird: In The Clutch
Dir-pdr. Sarah Dowland
Pdrs. Emily Singer Chapman, Svetlana Zill
In her 21-year professional career, WNBA basketball legend Sue Bird has won five Olympic gold medals and become the most successful point guard to ever play the game. Alongside her fiancée, US soccer star Megan Rapinoe, Sue confronts her next challenge: retiring from the only life she's ever known.
Documentary.

Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story (UK-US)
Dir-pdr. Ian Bonhôte
Dir-scr. Peter Ettedgui
Pdrs. Lizzie Gillett, Robert Ford
Never-before-seen home movies and extraordinary personal archives reveal how Christopher Reeve went from unknown actor to iconic movie star as the ultimate screen superhero. He learned the true meaning of heroism as an activist after suffering a tragic accident that left him quadriplegic and dependent on a ventilator to breathe.
Documentary.
Salt Lake Opening Film

Thelma
Dir-scr. Josh Margolin
Pdrs. Zoë Worth, Chris Kaye, Nicholas Weinstock, Benjamin Simpson, Karl Spoerri, Viviana Vezzani
When 93-year-old Thelma Post gets duped by a phone scammer pretending to be her grandson, she sets out on a treacherous quest across the city to reclaim what was taken from her.
Cast: June Squibb, Fred Hechinger, Richard Roundtree, Parker Posey, Clark Gregg, Malcolm McDowell.
Fiction.
Available online for public.

Will & Harper
Dir-pds. Josh Greenbaum
Pdrs. Rafael Marmor, Will Ferrell, Jessica Elbaum, Christopher Leggett
When Will Ferrell finds out his close friend of 30 years is coming out as a trans woman, the two decide to embark on a cross-country road trip to process this new stage of their relationship in an intimate portrait of friendship, transition, and America.
Documentary.

Winner (US-Can)
Dir-scr-pdr. Susanna Fogel
Scr. Kerry Howley
Pdrs. Amanda Phillips, Shivani Rawat, Julie Goldstein, Scott Budnick, Ameet Shukla
Reality Winner is a brilliant young misfit from a Texas border town who finds her morals challenged while serving as an NSA contractor. A sarcastic, gun-lovin, vegan, yogi, and CrossFit fanatic, Reality is an unconventional whistleblower who ends up being prosecuted for exposing Russia's hacking of the 2016 election.
Cast: Emilia Jones, Connie Britton, Zach Galifianakis, Kathryn Newton, Danny Ramirez.
Fiction.
 
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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 Infinity Pool, Talk To Me, FRESH, Hereditary, Mandy, Relic, Assassination Nation and The Babadook.

I Saw The TV Glow
Dir-scr. Jane Schoenbrun
Pdrs: Emma Stone, Dave McCary, Ali Herting, Sam Intili, Sarah Winshall
Teenager Owen is just trying to make it through life in the suburbs when his classmate introduces him to a mysterious late-night TV show — a vision of a supernatural world beneath their own. In the pale glow of the television, Owen's view of reality begins to crack.
Cast: Justice Smith, Brigette Lundy-Paine, Ian Foreman, Helena Howard, Fred Durst, Danielle Deadwyler.
Fiction.

In A Violent Nature (Can)
Dir-scr. Chris Nash
Pdrs: Peter Kuplowsky, Shannon Hanmer
The enigmatic resurrection, rampage, and retribution of an undead monster in a remote wilderness.
Cast: Ry Barrett, Andrea Pavlovic, Lauren Taylor.
Fiction.

It's What's Inside
Dir-scr. Greg Jardin
Pdrs. William Rosenfeld, Kate Andrews, Jason Baum, Raúl Domingo
A pre-wedding party descends into an existential nightmare when an estranged friend shows up with a mysterious suitcase.
Cast: Brittany O'Grady, James Morosini, Alycia Debnam-Carey, Gavin Leatherwood, Reina Hardesty, Nina Bloomgarden.
Fiction.

Kidnapping Inc. (Hai-Fr-Can)
Dir-scr-pdr. Bruno Mourral
Scr-pdr. Gilbert Jr. Mirambeau
Scr. Jasmuel Andri
Pdrs. Samuel Chauvin, Yanick Letourneau, Gaëthan Chancy
Tasked with what appears to be a simple abduction for hire, two hapless kidnappers find out that it's anything but and end up in the middle of a political conspiracy.
Cast: Jasmuel Andri, Rolaphton Mercure, Anabel Lopez, Ashley Laraque, Gessica Geneus, Patrick Joseph.
Fiction.

Krazy House (Neth)
Dirs-scrs. Steffen Haars, Flip van der Kuil
Pdr. Maarten Swart
When Russian workers in Bernie's house turn out to be wanted criminals, Bernie has to man up and save his '90s sitcom family.
Cast: Nick Frost, Alicia Silverstone, Jan Bijvoet, Gaite Jansen, Walt Klink, Kevin Connolly.
Fiction.
Available online for public.

Love Lies Bleeding (US-UK)
Dir-scr. Rose Glass
Pdrs: Andrea Cornwell, Oliver Kassman
Reclusive gym manager Lou falls hard for Jackie, an ambitious bodybuilder headed through town to Las Vegas in pursuit of her dream. But their love ignites violence, pulling them deep into the web of Lou's criminal family.
Cast: Kristen Stewart, Katy O'Brian, Ed Harris, Dave Franco, Jena Malone, Anna Baryshnikov.
Fiction.

The Moogai (Australia)
Dir-scr. Jon Bell
Pdrs. Kristina Ceyton, Samantha Jennings, Mitchell Stanley
A young Aboriginal couple bring home their second baby. What should be a joyous time takes a sinister turn as the mother starts seeing a malevolent spirit she is convinced is trying to take her baby.
Cast: Shari Sebbens, Meyne Wyatt, Tessa Rose, Jahdeana Mary, Clarence Ryan, Bella Heathcote.
Fiction.

Your Monster
Dir-scr-pdr. Caroline Lindy
Pdrs. Kayla Foster, Shannon Reilly, Melanie Donkers, Kira Carstensen
After her life falls apart, soft-spoken actress Laura Franco finds her voice again when she meets a terrifying, yet weirdly charming, monster living in her closet.
Cast: Melissa Barrera, Tommy Dewey, Meghann Fahy, Edmund Donovan, Kayla Foster.
Fiction.

EPISODIC

The festival's 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 Willie Nelson And Family, OJ: Made In America, Wild Wild Country, The Jinx, Bring On The Dancing Horses, Work In Progress, State Of The Union, Gentefied, Wu Tang Clan: Of Mics And Men and Quarter Life Poetry.

Better Angels: The Gospel According To Tammy Faye
Dir-scr. Dana Adam Shapiro
EPs. Elton John, David Furnish, Danny Gabai, Alexander Moore, Hellen Rollins, Peter Rollins, Screenwriter: Helen Rollins
As told by her family, friends, and enemies, the meteoric rise, scandalous fall, and unlikely resurrection of Tammy Faye, the "First Lady of the Electric Church," poses an increasingly relevant question: How did we get the story so wrong?
Documentary.
Four-part limited series, screening parts one and two.

Conbody Vs Everybody
Dir. EP. Debra Granik
EPs. Anne Rosellini, Victoria Stewart, Jeff Skoll, Diane Weyermann, Joslyn Barnes, Jonathan Scheuer
Taking place over eight years, Coss Marte builds ConBody, a gym inspired by workouts he developed while in prison. Committed to employing trainers who were formerly incarcerated, Coss creates a community fighting to break the cycle of recidivism while navigating society's many obstacles to reentry.
Documentary.
Six-part limited series, screening two episodes.
Available online for public.

God Save Texas
Three directors offer their unique and personal perspectives on their home state of Texas, creating vivid portraits of a state that mirrors the United States' past, present, and future. Inspired by the book God Save Texas: A Journey Into The Soul Of The Lone Star State by Lawrence Wright.
Documentary.
Anthology series.

God Save Texas: Hometown Prison
Dir-EP. Richard Linklater
EPs. Lawrence Wright, Alex Gibney, Peter Berg, Michael Lombardo, Elizabeth Rogers
Huntsville, Texas, known as "Prison City," sits at the heart of an expansive prison industrial complex. Yet, for many residents, these prisons exist in another realm, disconnected from their lives. Richard Linklater revisits his hometown to explore its diverse inhabitants, painting a vibrant portrait that encapsulates the essence of Texas.

God Save Texas: The Price Of Oil
Dir. Alex Stapleton
EPs. Lawrence Wright, Alex Gibney, Richard Linklater, Peter Berg, Michael Lombardo, Stacey Offman
As the world's energy capital, Houston is a city that manufactures both its prominence and demise. Alex Stapleton explores the industry's impact on her family, who arrived as enslaved people in the 1830's, built thriving communities, and now must cope with the human costs of Texas' biggest money-maker.

God Save Texas: La Frontera
Dir. Iliana Sosa
EPs. Lawrence Wright, Alex Gibney, Richard Linklater, Peter Berg, Michael Lombardo, Richard Perello
Iliana Sosa examines how "nepantla," an embrace of in-betweenness, characterises relations to both her Mexican heritage and her hometown of El Paso, Texas. An exploration revealing how the city's humanity and unique hybridity catalysed unity, nurturing healing in the aftermath of a devastating mass shooting in 2019.

LOLLA: THE STORY OF LOLLAPALOOZA
Dir-pdr. Michael John Warren
Pdrs. James Lee Hernandez, Brian Lazarte, Brian Levy, Mat Whittington, Daniel Gibbs
In the summer of '91, the Lollapalooza music festival was born. What started as a farewell tour for the band Jane's Addiction rose from the underground to launch a cultural movement and change music forever.
Documentary.
Three-part limited series, screening parts one and two.
Available online for public.
Paramount+ holds rights.

The Synanon Fix
Dir-pdr. Rory Kennedy
Pdr-scr. Mark Bailey
Pdrs. Alexandra Korba, Keven McAlester, Screenwriter: Jeff Swimmer
Exploring the rise and fall of the Synanon organisation — through the eyes of the members who lived it — from its early days as a groundbreaking drug rehabilitation programme to its later descent into what many consider a cult.
Documentary.
Four-part series, screening parts one and two.

Episodic Pilot Showcase:

Me/We
Dir-EP. Nzingha Stewart
EPs-scrs. Rob McElhenney, Keyonna Taylor
EPs. Jackie Cohn, Nick Frenkel, Jermaine Johnson
Amaria "Yaya'' Jones, an argumentative teenager with a passion for dance, must plead her case to her overprotective brother in hopes of winning his blessing to walk to school with her first crush. Yaya's story is a celebration of life.
Cast: Camryn Jones, Victor Musoni, Anji White, Travis Wolfe Jr., Nadirah Bost, Mike Sampson.
Fiction.

La Mesías (Sp)
Dirs-scrs-EPs. Javier Calvo, Javier Ambrossi
EPs. Domingo Corral, Susana Herreras, Fran Araújo
Siblings Enric and Irene have a dark childhood, unbearable memories, and a toxic relationship with their mother. They live outside their family sect and are now far from the reach of their mother, yet not completely free.
Cast: Roger Casamajor, Macarena García, Lofla Dueñas, Carmen Machi, Ana Rujas, Albert Pla, Amaia, Biel Rossell, Cecilia Roth. International Premiere.
Fiction.

Penelope
Dir-scr-EP. Mel Eslyn
Scr-EP. Mark Duplass
EPs. Jay Duplass, Shuli Harel
Feeling out of place in modern society, a 16-year-old is drawn into the unknown wilderness, where she begins forming a new life for herself.
Cast: Megan Stott, Austin Abrams.
Fiction.

SPOTLIGHT

The Spotlight section is a tribute to the cinema Sundance programmers love, presenting films that have played throughout the world. Films that have played in this category in recent years include Joyland, The Worst Person In The World, The Biggest Little Farm, Birds Of Passage, The Rider, Ida, and The Lobster. Spotlight is presented by Audible.

àma Gloria (Fr)
Dir-scr. Marie Amachoukeli
Pdr. Bénédicte Couvreur
Six-year-old Cléo loves her nanny, Gloria, more than anything. When Gloria must return to Cape Verde to care for her own children, the two must make the most of their last summer together.
Cast: Louise Mauroy-Panzani, Ilça Moreno Zego, Abnara Gomes Varela, Fredy Gomes Tavares, Arnaud Rebotini, Domingos Borges Almeida.
US premiere.
Fiction.

Hit Man
Dir-scr-pdr. Richard Linklater
Pdr-scr. Glen Powell
Pdrs. Mike Blizzard, Jason Bateman, Michael Costigan
A strait-laced professor discovers his hidden talent as a fake hit man. He meets his match in a client who steals his heart and ignites a powder keg of deception, delight, and mixed-up identities. Inspired by an unbelievable true story.
Cast: Glen Powell, Adria Arjona, Austin Amelio, Retta, Sanjay Rao. Fiction.

How To Have Sex (UK)
Dir-scr. Molly Manning Walker
Pdrs. Ivana MacKinnon, Emily Leo, Konstantinos Kontovrakis
Three British teenage girls go on a rite-of-passage holiday, drinking, clubbing, and hooking up in what should be the best summer of their lives. As they dance their way across the sun-drenched streets of Malia, they find themselves navigating the complexities of sex, consent, and self-discovery.
Cast: Mia McKenna-Bruce, Samuel Bottomley, Shaun Thomas, Lara Peake, Enva Lewis, Laura Ambler.
US premiere.
Fiction.
Mubi holds rights.

The Mother Of All Lies (Mor-Egy-Saudi-Qat)
Dir-pdr. Asmae El Moudir
On a handmade set recreating her Casablanca neighborhood, a young Moroccan filmmaker enlists family and friends to help unearth the troubling lies built into her childhood.
Documentary.
Available online for public.

FAMILY MATINEE

Geared towards the festival's youngest independent-film fans, this section is programmed for children and adolescents. Films that have played in this category in recent years include Blueback, The Elephant Queen, Science Fair, My Life As AZucchini, The Eagle Huntress, and Shaun The Sheep.

Out Of My Mind
Dir. Amber Sealey,
Scr. Daniel Stiepleman
Pdrs. Peter Saraf, Robert Kessel, Dan Angel, Michael B. Clark
Melody Brooks is navigating sixth grade as a nonverbal wheelchair user who has cerebral palsy. With the help of some assistive technology and her devoted, exuberant allies, Melody shows that what she has to say is more important than how she says it.
Cast: Phoebe-Rae Taylor, Rosemarie DeWitt, Luke Kirby, Michael Chernus, Courtney Taylor, Judith Light.
Fiction.

10 Lives (UK)
Dir-scr. Christopher Jenkins
Scrs. Karen Wengrod, Ken Cinnamon
Prds. Guy Collins, Sean Feeney, Yann Zenou, Adrian Politowski, Martin Metz
A pampered cat takes for granted the lucky hand he has been dealt after he is rescued and loved by Rose, a kind-hearted and passionate student. When he loses his ninth life, fate steps in to set him on a transformative journey.
Cast: Mo Gilligan, Simone Ashley, Sophie Okonedo, Dylan Llewellyn, Zayn Malik, Bill Nighy.
Fiction.

SPECIAL SCREENINGS

One-of-a-kind moments highlight new independent works that add to the festival experience.

War Game
Dir-pdr. Jesse Moss, Director: Tony Gerber
Pdrs. Todd Lubin, Jack Turner, Mark DiCristofaro, Jessica Grimshaw, Nick Shumaker
A bipartisan group of US defense, intelligence, and elected policymakers spanning five presidential administrations participate in an unscripted role-play exercise in which they confront a political coup backed by rogue members of the US military, in the wake of a contested presidential election.
Documentary.

NEW FRONTIER

New Frontier champions artists practicing at the crossroads of film, art, performance, and new media technology. This year, the section focuses on the powerful rise of AI, the role of artists on the rapidly changing landscape of technologies, and empowering narrative agency and sustainable creative practice through design.

Being (the Digital Griot)
Lead Artist: Rashaad Newsome
In this innovative participatory experience, Being, an artificial intelligence digital griot, asks the audience to engage in unifying and challenging discussions. It features a soundscape and movement informed by a dataset from Black communities, theorists, poets, and activists, including bell hooks, Paulo Freire, Dazié Grego-Sykes, and Cornel West.

Eno (USA-UK)
Dir. Gary Hustwit
Visionary musician and artist Brian Eno — known for producing David Bowie, U2, Talking Heads, among many others; pioneering the genre of ambient music; and releasing over 40 solo and collaboration albums — reveals his creative processes in this groundbreaking generative documentary: a film that's different every time it's shown.