It’s that time of year: Hollywood is hauling their heavy winter coats out of storage and getting ready to head to the mountains of Utah for the Sundance Film Festival. This year’s iteration already has a bittersweet feeling, as this will be the first festival since the passing of its founder Robert Redford, and it will also be the final year that it will be held in Park City. In 2027, the festival will move to Boulder, Colorado, marking the first time it has taken place outside of the Park City area since it began in 1978.
Next Best Picture will be represented in-person at the festival by myself, Daniel Howat, and Matt Neglia, while Sara Clements, Nadia Dalimonte, and Ema Sasic will be joining for the online portion of the festival. Before we all head to the preeminent showcase of independent film in America, we wanted to highlight some of our most anticipated titles.
“The AI Doc: Or How I Became An Apocaloptimist”
PLOT: A father-to-be tries to figure out what is happening with all this AI insanity.
DIRECTORS/WRITERS: Daniel Roher & Charlie Tyrell
CAST: N/A
SECTION: Premieres
WHY WE’RE EXCITED: Daniel Roher stunned all of us a few years ago with his shocking, thrilling, and Oscar-winning documentary “Navalny,” and from that moment on, I became excited to watch whatever he would put out next. Not only does he have his narrative feature directorial debut resurface at Sundance with “Tuner,” but “The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist,” co-directed with Charlie Tyrell, seems to tap into Roher’s very real anxiety about the future of artificial intelligence. Timely and deeply personal, the framing of the story through the eyes of a father-to-be suggests an emotional grounding that could elevate the discourse beyond abstract theory, while the mixture of expert interviews, home videos, and animation hints at a creative, human-centered approach in the face of one of the most inhumane things threatening our very way of living. Rather than offering easy answers, “The AI Doc” seems to invite conversation and unease in equal measure, making it one of the more urgent watches on my list for this year’s Sundance.
“Buddy”
PLOT: A brave girl and her friends must escape a kids’ television show.
DIRECTOR: Casper Kelly
WRITERS: Casper Kelly & Jamie King
CAST: Cristin Milioti, Delaney Quinn, Topher Grace, Keegan-Michael Key, Michael Shannon & Patton Oswalt
SECTION: Midnight
WHY WE’RE EXCITED: If you had Casper Kelly’s surreal Adult Swim short “Too Many Cooks” buried deep into your subconscious, count on Sundance to make that viral earworm resurface this year. Kelly has made three features since then (“Adult Swim Yule Log,” its sequel “Branchin’ Out,” and “V/H/S/Halloween”). It’s only fitting that Kelly’s latest, “Buddy,” will premiere in the festival’s Midnight section. The fun, spooky premise sounds like something that would play on a sci-fi channel during the wee hours of the morning. With a star-studded cast, a nightmarish concept, and a still of a unicorn wielding an axe as the only visual to go by, it’s easy to anticipate that this could be an entertaining ride.
“Carousel”
PLOT: 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.
DIRECTOR/WRITER: Rachel Lambert
CAST: Chris Pine, Jenny Slate, Abby Ryder Fortson, Sam Waterston & Katey Sagal
SECTION: U.S. Dramatic Competition
WHY WE’RE EXCITED: Chris Pine and Jenny Slate star in “Carousel” – need we say any more? Well, if we must, it appears as though we’ll all be falling head over heels for their turns as high school sweethearts who reunite years later and try to give love another shot. These two performers have given us plenty of great performances over the years, so there’s no doubt that they’ll tug at our heartstrings and make us believe in love once again. It’ll be interesting to see how director/writer Rachel Lambert crafts up a new romance following her thought-provoking and quirky rom-com “Sometimes I Think About Dying.” While “Carousel” seems like more of a mainstream love story on the surface, perhaps her unusual flair for the macabre will come out once again.
- Ema Sasic
“Chasing Summer”
PLOT: 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.
DIRECTOR: Josephine Decker
WRITER: Iliza Shlesinger
SECTION: Premieres
WHY WE’RE EXCITED: The real magic of film festivals is in the discoveries. It’s exciting when a film that wasn’t on everyone’s radar takes an audience by storm, and we get to witness a distinctive voice emerge into clearer view. After the 2018 Sundance premiere of “Madeline’s Madeline,” Josephine Decker instantly became one of the most exciting filmmakers to watch. Decker, who since directed “Shirley” and “The Sky is Everywhere,” returns with “Chasing Summer,” continuing a thread of women-led stories about self-discovery. It will be interesting to see how Decker’s improvisational style meshes with her film’s writer, producer, and star, comedian Iliza Schlesinger.
“Extra Geography”
PLOT: 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.
DIRECTOR/WRITER: Molly Manners
CAST: Marni Duggan, Galaxie Clear, Alice Englert & Aoife Riddell
SECTION: World Cinema Dramatic Competition
WHY WE’RE EXCITED: Filmmakers love coming-of-age stories, and movie fans love watching them and reminiscing on all the awkward phases of adolescence. Molly Manners’ debut feature, “Extra Geography,” focuses on just that as two teenage besties have to grapple with friendship, boys, love, school, and growing up. We’ve been spoiled with many wonderful directorial debuts from female filmmakers who have focused on this genre – Greta Gerwig (“Lady Bird”), Kelly Fremon Craig (“The Edge of Seventeen”), and Gina Prince-Bythewood (“Love & Basketball”), for starters – so there are high hopes for Manners to join this club. Several performers in the film will also have their acting debuts, so who knows what kind of magic will be found in this film.
- Ema Sasic
“Frank & Louis”
PLOT: Frank, who’s 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.
DIRECTOR: Petra Biondina Volpe
WRITERS: Petra Biondina Volpe & Esther Bernstorff
CAST: Kingsley Ben-Adir, Rob Morgan, René Pérez Joglar, Rosalind Eleazar & Indira Varma
SECTION: Premieres
WHY WE’RE EXCITED: After landing on this year’s International Feature shortlist with the acclaimed “Late Shift,” Petra Volpe will debut her first English-language feature at Sundance. “Frank & Louis” follows an inmate, played by Kingsley Ben-Adir, serving a life sentence for murder, who takes a job helping to care for fellow inmates with dementia. He makes an unforgettable connection with one of the patients, played by Rob Morgan. Over the last few years, Ben-Adir has proved himself to be one of the more underrated performers working today, while Morgan has quietly carved out stunning supporting turns, waiting on the right film to propel him to the next level. We’ve had our fair share of prison dramas as of late, but Volpe is sure to bring deep empathy and humanity to “Frank & Louis.”
- Daniel Howat
“Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass”
PLOT: 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.
DIRECTOR: David Wain
WRITERS: David Wain & Ken Marino
CAST: Zoey Deutch, Jon Hamm, John Slattery, Ken Marino, Miles Gutierrez-Riley & Ben Wang
SECTION: Premieres
WHY WE’RE EXCITED: Director David Wain has had a handful of successes premiering his comedies at Sundance, including the ultra-funny “Wet Hot American Summer” and “They Came Together.” After Zoey Deutch’s recent well-lauded turn in “Nouvelle Vague,” getting the chance to see her lead a film (albeit a very different one) is intriguing. With another excellent ensemble cast and ridiculous concept, hopefully, Wain and co-writer Ken Marino’s absurd sense of humor yields another hilarious hit.
- Cody Dericks
“The Gallerist”
PLOT: A desperate gallerist conspires to sell a dead body at Art Basel Miami.
DIRECTOR: Cathy Yan
WRITERS: Cathy Yan & James Pedersen
CAST: Natalie Portman, Jenna Ortega, Sterling K. Brown, Zach Galifianakis, Da’Vine Joy Randolph & Catherine Zeta-Jones
SECTION: Premieres
WHY WE’RE EXCITED: After last being seen on the big screen with the superhero tentpole “Birds of Prey,” director Cathy Yan returns to Sundance, where she premiered her debut feature “Dead Pigs.” And wow, look at that cast! Yan’s newest has a fascinating concept that would attract curiosity on its own, but the stellar, award-winning roster of stars makes it a must-see.
- Cody Dericks
“Hanging by a Wire”
PLOT: 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.
DIRECTOR: Mohammed Ali Naqvi
SECTION: World Cinema Documentary Competition
WHY WE’RE EXCITED: As mentioned more than once in this piece, Sundance’s documentary showcase consistently provides the festival’s most impressive narratives, and “Hanging By a Wire” sounds like a riveting addition. While its premise — six schoolboys and two adults dangling 900 feet above a Himalayan ravine — possesses the white-knuckle tension of an action thriller, director Mohammed Ali Naqvi moves beyond the adrenaline to examine dialogue around class systems. Using drone footage and reenactments featuring the actual participants, it sounds like we will be on the edge of our seats.
“The History of Concrete”
PLOT: 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.
DIRECTOR: John Wilson
SECTION: Premieres
WHY WE’RE EXCITED: The non-fiction TV series “How To With John Wilson” was a hilarious, ridiculous journey that explored both the quirks of New York City and the pathways of the titular filmmaker’s unique mind. Fans of his show will be unsurprised but intrigued by the odd pitch for his documentary feature debut; clearly, his completely singular perspective will remain intact on the big screen.
- Cody Dericks
“In the Blink of an Eye”
PLOT: Three storylines, spanning thousands of years, intersect and reflect on hope, connection, and the circle of life.
DIRECTOR: Andrew Stanton
WRITER: Colby Day
CAST: Rashida Jones, Daveed Diggs & Kate McKinnon
SECTION: Premieres
WHY WE’RE EXCITED: After he directed two of the greatest animated films ever made, “Finding Nemo” and “WALL-E,” I’ll always be seated for whatever Andrew Stanton has got. This year, Stanton will become the first filmmaker to premiere a film at Sundance and release a Pixar film in the same year. It’s a unique distinction, which is why “In the Blink of an Eye” will be worth catching at Sundance. Stanton’s sci-fi flick spans three storylines across thousands of years, each a poetic reflection on time, mortality, and connection to humanity, starring Rashida Jones, Daveed Diggs, and Kate McKinnon. While Stanton’s live-action debut, “John Carter,” didn’t go over well, he has honed his live-action directing skills through directing episodes of television for shows like “Better Call Saul,” “Stranger Things,” and “For All Mankind.” For what it’s worth, “In the Blink of an Eye” will debut on Hulu on February 27th, only a month after it premieres at Sundance, which doesn’t bode well. Nevertheless, I’ll be there rooting for Stanton’s success all along the way.
- Daniel Howat
“The Invite”
PLOT: 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.
DIRECTOR: Olivia Wilde
WRITERS: Rashida Jones & Will McCormack
CAST: Seth Rogen, Olivia Wilde, Penélope Cruz & Edward Norton
SECTION: Premieres
WHY WE’RE EXCITED: Consider our invites accepted for the premiere of a new Olivia Wilde film. Wilde brings Seth Rogen on board for her third feature after appearing as herself alongside Rogen in his TV satire, “The Studio.” “The Invite” is all about double dates and double returns. It has been four years since Wilde directed and starred in a film (2022’s “Don’t Worry Darling”). We’re ready to crash the dinner party in “The Invite,” especially when the guest list includes Penélope Cruz and Edward Norton. Plus, we’ll have another film penned by screenwriting duo Rashida Jones and Will McCormack following their relationship rom-com, “Celeste & Jesse Forever.”
“I Want Your Sex”
PLOT: 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.
DIRECTOR: Gregg Araki
WRITERS: Gregg Araki & Karley Sciortino
CAST: Olivia Wilde, Cooper Hoffman, Mason Gooding, Chase Sui Wonders, Daveed Diggs & Charli xcx
SECTION: Premieres
WHY WE’RE EXCITED: Rejoice, fans of the New Queer Cinema movement: Gregg Araki is back! His first feature film in over a decade, this also marks the return to Sundance for the provocative filmmaker, where a handful of his previous films premiered. The plot sounds like it’s made up of everything Araki does best: sexual intrigue, shocking violence, and unconventional relationships. Couple the titillating logline with an incredible cast, and this is undoubtedly one of the festival’s biggest premieres.
“Josephine”
PLOT: 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.
DIRECTOR/WRITER: Beth de Araújo
CAST: Mason Reeves, Channing Tatum, Gemma Chan, Philip Ettinger, Syra McCarthy & Eleanore Pienta
SECTION: U.S. Dramatic Competition
WHY WE’RE EXCITED: How do you help a child who has been exposed to something unimaginable and you’re not equipped to handle it all? That’s what Beth de Araújo’s drama “Josephine” attempts to explore as a young girl accidentally witnesses a crime and begins acting out as a way to regain control in her life, all while her parents struggle with the situation themselves. While de Araújo’s directorial debut “Soft & Quiet” received mixed reviews, it’ll be interesting to see how she handles this tense drama and all its emotions. Seeing Channing Tatum and Gemma Chan in the cast gives me a lot of hope that this story is in capable hands, and this could be a major moment for Mason Reeves, who plays the titular role.
- Ema Sasic
“Lady”
PLOT: 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.
DIRECTOR/WRITER: Olive Nwosu
SECTION: World Cinema Dramatic Competition
WHY WE’RE EXCITED: What immediately draws your attention to “Lady” is its magnetic premise and its exploration of sisterhood. Set in the pulsing sprawl of Lagos, Nigeria, director Olive Nwosu’s debut film follows a cab driver who undergoes a journey of transformation when she begins driving for a group of sex workers. The dynamics at play as these women navigate a man’s world with resilience will be interesting to see unfold.
“The Moment”
PLOT: A rising pop star navigates the complexities of fame and industry pressure while preparing for her arena tour debut.
DIRECTOR: Aidan Zamiri
WRITERS: Aidan Zamiri & Bertie Brandes
CAST: Charli xcx, Rosanna Arquette, Kate Berlant, Jamie Demetriou, Hailey Gates & Alexander Skarsgård
SECTION: Premieres
WHY WE’RE EXCITED: Brat Summer in the winter? Charli xcx ruled the world when her genre-changing album “Brat” was released in 2024. Somehow, while juggling two back-to-back tours, numerous bonus releases, and unending obligations that came with having the biggest album in the world, she found the time to star in a movie. Made by her music video director, Aidan Zamiri, the film looks to be a bizarre semi-fictional pseudo-documentary. If Charli’s artistic output and online presence are any indication, this will be exciting, unconventional, and totally original.
“The Musical”
PLOT: When a frustrated playwright/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.
DIRECTOR: Giselle Bonilla
WRITER: Alexander Heller
CAST: Will Brill, Gillian Jacobs & Rob Lowe
SECTION: U.S. Dramatic Competition
WHY WE’RE EXCITED: On paper, “The Musical” promises a wickedly entertaining blend of ambition, ego, and revenge set against the surprisingly cutthroat world of middle school theater. As a former theater kid myself, I’m tickled by what Director Giselle Bonilla’s colorful and supposedly surprising feature debut has in store, as it’s said to be a darkly funny satire of public school performance culture and the politics of the theater world. Anchored by Alexander Heller’s sharp, witty screenplay, with a captivating lead performance from Will Brill, strong supporting turns from Rob Lowe, Gillian Jacobs, and an energetic young ensemble, all aided by Alexander Heller’s sharp, witty screenplay, “The Musical” feels primed to be both incisive and wildly fun.
“Nuisance Bear”
PLOT: 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.
DIRECTORS: Gabriela Osio Vanden & Jack Weisman
SECTION: U.S. Documentary Competition
WHY WE’RE EXCITED: This documentary has the potential to be the most depressing and heartwrenching one at the festival, as it deals with our ever-changing world and the impacts it has on nature. In Gabriela Osio Vanden and Jack Weisman’s film, they explore the fraught coexistence between polar bears and humans, especially when these animals find themselves among tourists, wildlife officers, and hunters. It’s a film that will likely drive home the dire state of the planet and how innocent animals are being hurt most of all, which will certainly make viewers feel all kinds of emotions, but we aspire to see a bit of hope to find in “Nuisance Bear” as well.
- Ema Sasic
“One in a Million”
PLOT: 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.
DIRECTORS: Itab Azzam & Jack MacInnes
SECTION: World Cinema Documentary Competition
WHY WE’RE EXCITED: Drawing an inevitable comparison to “Boyhood” in its longitudinal experiment, “One in a Million” was filmed over 10 years and looks at the passage of time through the lens of displacement. This documentary follows a Syrian refugee, Isra’a, and her family from the ruins of Aleppo to a new life in Germany. It looks to be a real epic journey, touching on a family’s navigation of war, exile, tradition, and freedom. We could have an Oscar contender on our hands.
“Rock Springs”
PLOT: 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.
DIRECTOR/WRITER: Vera Miao
CAST: Kelly Marie Tran, Benedict Wong, Jimmy O. Yang, Aria Kim & Fiona Fu
SECTION: Midnight
WHY WE’RE EXCITED: “Get Out,” “Hereditary,” and “The Witch” are just a few horror films made by debut directors, and are lauded as some of the genre’s best. Horror has always been a breeding ground for exceptional talent, and “Rock Springs” may turn out to be another debut heater. Writer-director Vera Miao looks to use the genre’s lens to excavate the legacy of immigration, racism, and inherited trauma through a story following a grieving girl who moves to an isolated house with something monstrous lurking outside. By weaving real-life events with Chinese beliefs about the afterlife, and with Kelly Marie Tran and Benedict Wong as leads, this sounds like one not to be missed.
“Run Amok”
PLOT: A teenage girl stages an elaborate musical about the one day her high school wishes it could forget.
DIRECTOR/WRITER: NB Mager
CAST: Alyssa Marvin, Patrick Wilson, Margaret Cho, Sophia Torres, Elizabeth Marvel & Molly Ringwald
SECTION: U.S. Dramatic Competition
WHY WE’RE EXCITED: NB Mager’s debut feature sounds just crazy enough to work. Adapting Mager’s acclaimed short film of the same name, “Run Amok” follows a high school student’s attempts to stage a full musical reenactment of the shooting that happened at her school a decade ago. Starring Alyssa Marvin alongside Patrick Wilson, Molly Ringwald, Bill Camp, and more, “Run Amok” blends dark humor with the unavoidable realities of schools in America today. It’s certainly a risk to search for any humor in such dark events, but those are often the stories that can highlight the absurdity of it all. It might be a miracle if Mager can pull off the right tonal balance here, but if she does, we’re in for something special.
- Daniel Howat
“See You When I See You”
PLOT: With the help of his family, a comedy writer battles PTSD after the tragic death of his sister.
DIRECTOR: Jay Duplass
WRITER: Adam Cayton-Holland
CAST: Cooper Raiff, David Duchovny, Kaitlyn Dever, Hope Davis, Lucy Boynton & Ariela Barer
SECTION: Premieres
WHY WE’RE EXCITED: Jay Duplass is a Sundance veteran, but this year’s “See You When I See You” is only his second solo directorial feature, following last year’s charming “The Baltimorons.” Written by comedian Aaron Cayton-Holland and based on his memoir “Tragedy Plus Time,” “See You When I See You” follows a young comedy writer, Aaron, played by Cooper Raiff, coming to terms with the death of his sister, played by Kaitlyn Dever. This marks Raiff’s first acting role outside his own directorial projects, but the tone sounds right in line with his work, blending comedy, drama, and tragedy to great emotional effect. The rest of the cast is pretty stunning too: Kumail Nanjiani, Hope Davis, Lucy Boynton, and David Duchovny round out Aaron’s family. All the pieces of Duplass’s film seem to be in just the right places.
- Daniel Howat
“Seized”
PLOT: 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.
DIRECTOR: Sharon Liese
SECTION: U.S. Documentary Competition
WHY WE’RE EXCITED: Another year, another documentary focused on the importance of local journalism and holding people accountable, and for good measure. Journalists continue to face scrutiny, dwindling resources, and a lack of trust among the public at a time when their work is needed most. Those issues and more are brought to the forefront in Sharon Liese’s documentary “Seized,” which covers quite a tumultuous moment for a small town newspaper after police officers raid the newsroom and its elderly co-owner dies. This sets up a battlefield debate about the abuse of power, journalistic ethics, local journalism, and the Constitution, something journalists all around the country can understand. “Seized” could be a big one in the documentary section.
- Ema Sasic
“The Shitheads”
PLOT: When two unqualified bozos are hired to transfer a rich teen to rehab, their straightforward gig quickly spirals into dangerous mayhem.
DIRECTOR/WRITER: Macon Blair
CAST: Dave Franco, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Mason Thames, Kiernan Shipka, Nicholas Braun & Peter Dinklage
SECTION: Premieres
WHY WE’RE EXCITED: Despite winning the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance in 2017 with “I Don’t Feel at Home in the World Anymore,” Macon Blair’s directing career seemed to stall with the rocky road of his follow-up film, “The Toxic Avenger.” That film was finally released in 2025, four years after wrapping production. Now, Blair is back at Sundance with “The Shitheads,” starring Dave Franco, O’Shea Jackson Jr., and Mason Thames. This comedy follows two down-on-their-luck guys, Franco and Jackson, who must transport a rich teen, Thames, to rehab. It’s a simple premise, but it seems like the perfect fit for Blair’s propensity for dark comedy infused with bumbling, grimy action. Franco has been on a stellar run as of late, and he and Jackson could make a great comedic team. All signs point to “The Shitheads” being a hit.
- Daniel Howat
“The Story of Documentary Film”
PLOT: 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.
DIRECTOR: Mark Cousins
SECTION: Special Screenings
WHY WE’RE EXCITED: Sundance has long showcased some of cinema’s best non-fiction storytelling, so having a documentary about the history of the medium on its slate this year feels most fitting, and one to keep an eye on. In “The Story of Documentary Film,” filmmaker Mark Cousins brings the same analytical depth found in “The Story of Film: An Odyssey” to the evolution of documentary cinema. Across 16 hours, Cousins surveys the form from its birth to the digital age. Through landmark works and hidden treasures, he explores how the genre enables us to navigate and make sense of our complex world.
“Time And Water”
PLOT: An Icelandic writer preserves vanishing glaciers, departed grandparents, family memories, and flowing time in his personal archives, transforming loss into a time capsule.
DIRECTOR: Sara Dosa
WRITERS: Sara Dosa, Jocelyne Chaput, Erin Casper & Andri Snær Magnason
CAST: N/A
SECTION: Premieres
WHY WE’RE EXCITED: We were all big fans of Sara Dosa’s last documentary feature, “Fire of Love,” which was an automatic reason to include her latest on this list, as “Time And Water” appears to blend the personal and the planetary, using Icelandic writer Andri Snær Magnason’s reckoning with disappearing glaciers and aging family members to explore how time itself is recorded, remembered, and erased. With its use of photographs, home movies, myths, and folk tales, “Time and Water” feels poised to be both an elegy for what’s already been lost and a quietly powerful attempt to hold onto meaning before it slips away.
“Union Country”
PLOT: Assigned to a county-mandated drug court program, Cody Parsons embarks on the tenuous journey toward recovery amidst the opioid epidemic in rural Ohio.
DIRECTOR/WRITER: Adam Meeks
CAST: Will Poulter, Noah Centineo, Elise Kibler, Emily Meade & Annette Deao
SECTION: U.S. Dramatic Competition
WHY WE’RE EXCITED: “Union County,” to me, sounds like a deeply grounded and compassionate portrait of recovery starring one of the hottest and most exciting actors working today, Will Poulter. Set against the rarely dramatized realities of the opioid epidemic in rural America, from what’s been described, filmmaker Adam Meeks’ decision to tell this story in his hometown suggests an intimacy and authenticity that could give the film a decent amount of emotional weight many addiction dramas struggle to achieve. “Union County” feels poised to offer an unvarnished, human look at survival, dignity, and the hard work of choosing to live.
“The Weight”
PLOT: Desperate to save what is left of his family, during the height of the Great Depression a battle-scarred veteran is hired to help smuggle a fortune in gold across 100 miles of impenetrable wilderness.
DIRECTOR: Padraic McKinley
WRITERS: Matthew Booi, Matthew Chapman & Shelby Gaines
CAST: Ethan Hawke, Russell Crowe, Julia Jones, Austin Amelio, Avi Nash & Sam Hazeldine
SECTION: Premieres
WHY WE’RE EXCITED: Anyone who knows me knows I love historical dramas, particularly epics, and “The Weight” sounds like a gripping, character-driven survival drama that uses its Depression-era setting to explore themes of desperation, loyalty, and the moral cost of survival. Former Editor, Producer, and Television director Padraic McKinley makes his feature directorial debut with a tense journey through the unforgiving wilderness of the stark Oregon landscape, an intense mix of gritty survival set pieces and thoughtful, dialogue-driven character work. Add in one of the greatest actors of our lifetime in Ethan Hawke and a newly invigorated Russell Crowe squaring off in morally complex roles, along with Julia Jones, and all the makings of a dark thriller we would’ve seen in the 70’s, “The Weight” looks like it could be one of the breakout hits of the festival.
“Wicker”
PLOT: A fisherwoman asks a basketmaker to weave her a husband.
DIRECTORS/WRITERS: Eleanor Wilson & Alex Huston Fischer
CAST: Olivia Colman, Alexander Skarsgård, Peter Dinklage, Elizabeth Debicki, Marli Siu, & Nabhaan Rizwan
SECTION: Premieres
WHY WE’RE EXCITED: It has been six years since Eleanor Wilson and Alex Huston Fischer released a film. Their indie rom-com “Save Yourselves!” premiered at Sundance in 2020, a fitting year for an apocalyptic survival story. The pair’s latest film, “Wicker”, sounds like another genre-weaving oddity. Olivia Colman (no questions asked, we’re already in) plays an outcast fisherwoman who commissions a husband made out of wicker. The film is based on intriguing material (the short story “The Wicker Husband” by Ursula Wills-Jones), and features a stacked cast including Alexander Skarsgård and Elizabeth Debicki. Plus, we’ll keep our eyes peeled for the cinematography by Oscar winner Lol Crawley, who won for his work on “The Brutalist” last year. Talk about a genre shift.
“zi”
PLOT: 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.
DIRECTOR/WRITER: Kogonada
CAST: Michelle Mao, Haley Lu Richardson, & Jin Ha
SECTION: NEXT
WHY WE’RE EXCITED: There’s a new Kogonada film premiering at Sundance, and that’s all the information we need to anticipate “zi.” Kogonada’s indie follow-up to “A Big Bold Beautiful Journey” reunites him with Haley Lu Richardson, a familiar face across his beautiful work (including “Columbus” and “After Yang”). The premise of “zi” sounds more along the lines of those latter two poetic films. “zi” also stars Michelle Mao (who appeared in “A Big Bold Beautiful Journey”) and Jin Ha (who starred in “Pachinko,” for which Kogonada directed four episodes). Some filmmakers make cinematic poetry. Kogonada is certainly one of them, and we’re excited for another verse.
What are you most looking forward to watching at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival? Please let us know in the comments below or on Next Best Picture’s X account, and be sure to follow myself, Daniel, Ema, Matt, Nadia, and Sara as we cover Sundance for you over the next few days.
