Three years have passed since the film industry came together to participate in theSundance-Dinner-Festivalpersonally, though that didn't stop a handful of international filmmakers from traveling to Utah last year instead of canceling their tickets.
After the COVID pandemic forced the previous two editions to go virtual, the team at the helm announced 99 roster appearances for a hybrid edition taking place January 19-29 in Park City, with a larger presence in Salt Lake City. . The online component starts on the 24th of January. (All competing films will be available online, while titles in other categories will be able to opt for the streaming platform.)
more than variety
The discovery-focused festival hosts some big names, includingNicole Holofcenter("You Hurt My Feelings"), Sophie Barthes ("The Pod Generation"), Ira Sachs ("Passages"), Sebastian Silva ("Rotting in the Sun") and Justin Chon ("Jamojaya"), but otherwise well largely focused on providing a platform for new talent. Among them are some who may already be on the public's radar for other reasons, like Jane Campion's daughter Alice Englert ("Bad Behaviour") and "Blockbuster" star Randall Park ("Failures"). Actress Molly Gordon stars in Theater Camp, which she also co-wrote and directed.
"I think the movies we're showing really speak to the moment," says Kim Yutani, Sundance's director of programming. "There are apparently political stories related to Ukraine, like '20 Days in Mariupol' and 'Iron Butterfly', but another interesting thing that came out this year was the Iranian voices." Yutani's team selected three films: "Version Persian", "Joonam" and "Shayda", led by women of Iranian descent.
While the filmmakers may not be as well known, many of the projects showcase talent that audiences will recognize and should build anticipation for the in-person event. Cynthia Erivo performs Anthony Chen's "Drift"; Thomasin McKenzie and Anne Hathaway co-star in Eileen; Tiffany Haddish stars in Cory Finley's "Landscape With Invisible Hand"; Gael García Bernal plays a gay fighter in Roger Ross Williams' Cassandro; and Emilia Clarke and Chiwetel Ejiofor pioneer future pregnancies in The Pod Generation.
The documentary 'Starry' features portraits of America's favorite young novelist ('Judy Blume Forever'), a young adult sex symbol ('Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields') and the popular 'Back to the Future' star who developed Parkinson's was diagnosed at an early age ("Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie").
“After the pandemic, we see a lot of films that explore how we are now reevaluating our place and reconnecting,” says Yutani, who has noticed a creative surge after filmmakers figured out how to navigate COVID lockdowns and navigate protocols. . . “Our presentations are ready. They are at an all-time high of nearly 16,000. After these past two years, it has not been what we expected. Of those submissions, the feature categories saw a record 4,061.
32 of the 115 directors are making their film debuts, 20 of them women. Sundance is one of the few major film festivals to meet and surpass the 5050 x 2020 promise of gender equality announced at Cannes in 2016, despite having been well ahead of this front of the curve for years: a decade earlier, in 2013 , Sundance featured a drama competition schedule in the United States in which half of the films were directed by women. The statistics have increased this year: eight of the 13 helmsmen in this category identify as female; one of them, "Mutt" director Vuk Lungulov-Klotz, is transgender.
While founder Robert Redford may be the face of the organization, the Sundance Institute is led by women, including new CEO Joana Vicente, a veteran of the Toronto International Film Festival. “Doing this for the first time, I had the incredible privilege of seeing the curatorial team in action,” says Vicente. “It was amazing to see that they didn't come with an agenda. It's organic. It's part of the spirit of how the best films rise to the level where they are discussed."
The complete lineup:
US DRAMATIC COMPETITION
The 12 films in this section are world premieres. All 12 can be streamed online.
The Accidental Getaway Driver(Director and Screenplay: Sing J. Lee, Screenplay: Christopher Chen, Producers: Kimberly Steward, Basil Iwanyk, Andy Sorgie, Brendon Boyea, Joseph Hiếu) – In a routine pickup truck, an elderly Vietnamese taxi driver is taken hostage shortly before of hijacking a Pistol of three recently escaped Orange County convicts. Based on a true story. Cast: Hiệp Trần Nghĩa, Dustin Nguyen, Dali Benssalah, Phi Vũ, Gabrielle Chan.
All dirt roads taste like salt(Writer/Director: Raven Jackson, Producers: Maria Altamirano, Barry Jenkins, Adele Romanski, Mark Ceryak) - A decades-long exploration of a Mississippi woman's life and an ode to generations of amazing people, places and moments that shape us. Cast: Charleen McClure, Moses Ingram, Kaylee Nicole Johnson, Reginald Helms Jr., Sheila Atim, Chris Chalk.
Fair play(Writer/Director: Chloe Domont, Producers: Leopold Hughes, Ben LeClair, Tim White, Trevor White, Allan Mandelbaum) - An unexpected promotion at a ruthless hedge fund brings a young couple's relationship to the brink of collapse and threatens it greatly. more than his to end a recent engagement. Cast: Phoebe Dynevor, Alden Ehrenreich, Eddie Marsan.
elegant dance(Director, Writer, Producer: Erica Tremblay, Writer: Miciana Alise, Producers: Deidre Backs, Heather Rae, Nina Yang Bongiovi, Tommy Oliver) – After her sister goes missing, a Native American con artist kidnaps her little girl from her white grandparents. and heads to the statewide powwow in hopes of keeping his family's remains intact. Cast: Lily Gladstone, Isabel Deroy-Olson, Ryan Begay, Shea Whigham, Audrey Wasilewski.
magazine dreams(Writer/Director: Elijah Bynum, Producers: Jennifer Fox, Dan Gilroy, Jeffrey Soros, Simon Horsman) - An amateur bodybuilder struggles to connect while his relentless need for approval marginalizes him. Cast: Jonathan Majors, Haley Bennett, Taylor Paige, Mike O'Hearn, Harrison Page, Harriet Sansom Harris.
Me at(Director, Writer, Producer: Vuk Lungulov-Klotz, Producers: Alexander Stegmaier, Stephen Scott Scarpulla, Jennifer Kuczaj, Joel Michaely) - Over the course of a single busy day in New York City, three people from Feña's past return to their life . Having lost touch since transitioning from female to male, she navigates the new dynamics of old relationships while facing the daily challenges of in-between life. Cast: Lio Mehiel, Cole Doman, MiMi Ryder, Alejandro Goic.
the persian version(Director, Writer, Producer: Maryam Keshavarz, Producers: Anne Carey, Ben Howe, Luca Borghese, Peter Block, Corey Nelson) — When a large Iranian-American family gathers for the patriarch's heart transplant, a family secret is revealed. uncovered. the burgeoning story catapults the estranged mother and daughter into an exploration of the past. Shuffling back and forth between the United States and Iran for decades, mother and daughter discover they are more alike than they realize. Cast: Layla Mohammadi, Niousha Noor, Kamand Shafieisabet, Bella Warda, Bijan Daneshmand, Shervin Alenabi.
defects(Director: Randall Park, Writer: Adrian Tomine, Producers: Margot Hand, Randall Park, Hieu Ho, Jennifer Berman, Howard Cohen, Eric d'Arbeloff) - Follow Ben, Miko and Alice in a variety of interpersonal relationships and journeys around the country in search of the ideal connection. Cast: Justin H.Min, Sherry Cola, Ally Maki, Debby Ryan, Tavi Gevinson, Sonoya Mizuno.
sometimes i think about dying(Director: Rachel Lambert, Writers: Kevin Armento, Stefanie Abel Horowitz, Katy Wright-Mead, Producers: Alex Saks, Daisy Ridley, Dori Rath, Lauren Beveridge, Brett Beveridge) — Fran likes to think about dying. She brings feeling to your calm life. Making the new guy at work laugh leads to more: a date, a piece of cake, a conversation, a spark. The only thing standing in her way is Fran Cast herself: Daisy Ridley, Dave Merheje, Parvesh Cheena, Marcia DeBonis, Meg Stalter, Brittany O'Grady.DAY ONE
the star girl(Writer/Director: Laurel Akira Parmet, Producers: Kevin Rowe, Kara Durrett) — 17-year-old Jem Starling struggles for her place in her fundamentalist Christian congregation, but everything changes when her attractive teen pastor, Owen, returns to her church . Cast: Eliza Scanlen, Lewis Pullman, Jimmi Simpson, Wrenn Schmidt, Austin Abrams, Jessamine Burgum.
Theatrelager(Directors and Writers: Molly Gordon, Nick Lieberman, Writers: Noah Galvin, Ben Platt, Producers: Erik Feig, Samie Kim Falvey, Julia Hammer, Ryan Heller, Will Ferrell, Jessica Elbaum) - As the beloved founder of a theater camp As New York State slides into a coma, the eccentric workforce must team up with the founder's cryptographic son to keep the camp going. Cast: Molly Gordon, Ben Platt, Noah Galvin, Jimmy Tatro, Patti Harrison, Ayo Edebiri.
a thousand and one(Writer/Director: A.V. Rockwell, Producers: Eddie Vaisman, Julia Lebedev, Lena Waithe, Rishi Rajani, Brad Weston) - Convinced this is one last necessary crime on the path to redemption, the uncompromising and free-spirited Inez kidnaps a 6 year old girl. old terry from the foster care system. Maintaining their mystery and each other, mother and son set out to reclaim their sense of home, identity and stability in New York City. Cast: Teyana Taylor, Will Catlett, Josiah Cross, Aven Courtney, Aaron Kingsley Adetola.
US DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
The 11 films in this section are world premieres. All 11 can be streamed online.
AUM: The Cult of the End of the World(Directors and Producers: Ben Braun, Chiaki Yanagimoto, Producers: Dan Braun, Josh Braun, Rick Brookwell) - On the morning of March 20, 1995, a deadly nerve gas attack on the Tokyo subway system threw the nation and its people to pieces. in chaos. This exploration by Aum Shinrikyo, the cult responsible for the attack, includes input from those who witnessed the horror as it unfolded.
bad press(Directors: Rebecca Landsberry-Baker, Joe Peeler, Producers: Conrad Beilharz, Garrett F. Baker, Tyler Graim) — When the Muscogee Nation suddenly begins censoring its free press, a rogue reporter struggles to stop his government's corruption in a historic struggle. have repercussions across India.
The Disappearance of Shere Hite(Director and Producer: Nicole Newnham, Producers: Molly O'Brien, R.J. Cutler, Elise Pearlstein, Kimberley Ferdinando, Trevor Smith) — Shere Hite's 1976 bestseller, The Hite Report, unleashed the female orgasm by revealing the most needy than thousands. of anonymous respondents. Her discoveries rocked the American establishment and foreshadowed current discussions about gender, sexuality and bodily autonomy. So how did Shere Hite disappear?
Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project(Directors and Producers: Joe Brewster, Michèle Stephenson, Producer: Tommy Oliver) - Vérité's intimate, archival imagery and visually innovative treatments of poetry take us on a journey through the dreamscape of legendary poet Nikki Giovanni as she discusses her life and his legacy reflects. .
Go to university in Mariachi(Directors: Alejandra Vasquez, Sam Osborn, Producers: James Lawler, Luis A. Miranda, Jr., Julia Pontecorvo) - In the competitive world of high school mariachis, pioneering musicians from South Texas reign supreme. Led by head coach Abel Acuña, the teen captains of Edinburgh North High School's acclaimed squad must turn a tight budget and diverse roster of fledgling musicians into state champions.
Joonam(Director: Sierra Urich, Producer: Keith Wilson) - Spurred by a provocative family memory and a life of separation from the land her mother left behind, a young filmmaker delves into the complicated past of her mother and grandmother and her own fractured Iranian. A identity.
Little Richard: I am everything(Director and Producer: Lisa Cortés, Producers: Robert Friedman, Liz Yale Marsh, Caryn Capotosto) - This celebration of Little Richard reveals rock 'n' roll's queer black origins and ultimately shatters the whitewashed canon of American popular music. The revolutionary icon's life with all its setbacks and contradictions unfolds through archival recordings and performances.DAY ONE
Nam June Paik: Moon is the oldest TV(Director and Producer: Amanda Kim, Producers: Amy Hobby, David Koh, Mariko Munro, Jennifer Stockman, Jesse Wann) - The adventurous journey of Nam June Paik, one of the most famous Asian artists of the 20th century who revolutionized the use of technology as an artistic canvas and prophesied fascist tendencies and the cross-cultural understanding that would emerge from the interconnected metaverse of today's world.
a small calm voice(Director and Producer: Luke Lorentzen, Producer: Kellen Quinn) - A future hospital chaplain begins a year-long chaplaincy internship, only to discover she must look deep within herself to successfully care for her patients.
the walk(Directors: Kristen Lovell, Zackary Drucker, Producer: Matt Wolf) - The story of New York's Meatpacking District told from the perspective of the transgender sex workers who lived and worked there. Filmmaker Kristen Lovell, who has walked The Stroll for a decade, brings her community together to tell about the violence, surveillance, homelessness and gentrification they have overcome to build a movement for transgender rights.
victim/suspect(Director/Producer: Nancy Schwartzman, Producers: Julie Goldman, Christopher Clements, Alice Henty, Rachel de Leon, Amanda Pike) - Investigative journalist Rae de Leon travels across the country to uncover and investigate a shocking pattern: young women tell police stories that they have been sexually assaulted, but instead of finding justice, they are accused of the crime of false reporting, arrested and even jailed by the system they believed would protect them.
WORLD DRAMATIC FILM COMPETITION
The 12 films in this section are world premieres. All 12 can be streamed online.
the animal(France-Morocco-Qatar - Director and Screenwriter: Sofia Alaoui, Producers: Margaux Lorier, Toufik Ayadi, Christophe Barral) - A young pregnant woman finds emancipation when foreigners land in Morocco. Cast: Oumaïma Barid, Mehdi Dehbi, Fouad Oughaou.
transgression(New Zealand - Director and Writer: Alice Englert, Producers: Molly Hallam, Desray Armstrong) - Lucy, a former child actress, seeks enlightenment at a retreat led by her spiritual guide Elon while abandoning her close but tumultuous relationship with her dual masters. daughter Dylan. Cast: Jennifer Connelly, Ben Whishaw, Alice Englert, Ana Scotney, Dasha Nekrasova, Marlon Williams.
chica(UK - Directed and Written by: Adura Onashile, Producers: Rosie Crerar, Ciara Barry) - Eleven-year-old Ama and her mother Grace find solace in the kind but isolated world they compulsively create. Ama's growth threatens the limits of her tenderness, forcing Grace to face a past she is trying to forget. Cast: Deborah Lukumuena, Danny Sapani, Le'Shantey Bonsu, Liana Turner.
Heroic(Mexico-Sweden – Director, Screenwriter and Producer: David Zonana, Producers: Michel Franco, Eréndira Núñez Larios) – Luis, an 18-year-old young man of indigenous descent, enters the Colégio Militar Heroico with the hope of a better future. There he encounters a rigid, institutionally violent system designed to make him the perfect soldier. Cast: Santiago Sandoval Carbajal, Fernando Cuautle, Monica del Carmen, Esteban Caicedo, Carlos Gerardo Garcia, Isabel Yudice. Available.
mamacruz(Spain – Direction and screenplay by Patricia Ortega, Screenplay: José Ortuño, Producer: Olmo Figueredo) — A devout grandmother learns to use the Internet with the help of her recently immigrated daughter. However, a chance encounter with pornography puts him in a quandary. Cast: Kiti Manver.
Mutter Mond(Nigeria - Director & Writer: C.J. "Fiery" Obasi, Producer: Oge Obasi) - When a village's harmony is threatened by outside forces, two sisters must fight to save their village and restore the glory of a mermaid goddess to the land. . . . . Starring: Evelyne Ily, Uzoamaka Aniunoh, Kelechi Udegbe, Emeka Amakeze, Rita Edochie, Tough Bone.
aquarium(Puerto Rico-Spain – Director, Writer and Producer: Glorimar Marrero Sánchez, Producers: Amaya Izquierdo, José Esteban Alenda) – As her cancer spreads, Noelia's final decision is to return to her native Vieques, Puerto Rico , and claim your support for freedom financially. to decide her own fate. He is reunited with his friends and family who, after sixty years of military practice, are still fighting the contamination of the US Navy. Cast: Isel Rodríguez, Modesto Lacen, Magali Carrasquillo, Maximiliano Rivas, Anamín Santiago, Idenisse Salamán.
bully(United Kingdom - Directed and written by: Charlotte Regan, Producer: Theo Barrowclough) - Georgie is a dreamy 12 year old girl who lives happily alone in her London flat, filling it with magic. Her estranged father appears out of nowhere and forces her to face reality. Cast: Harris Dickinson, Lola Campbell, Alin Uzun, Ambreen Razia, Olivia Brady, Aylin Tezel.
the thing(Australia - Director, Writer and Producer: Noora Niasari, Producer: Vincent Sheehan) - Shayda, a courageous Iranian mother, finds refuge in an Australian women's shelter with her 6-year-old daughter. During the Persian New Year, they find solace in Nowruz rituals and new beginnings, but when her ex-husband reappears in their lives, Shayda's path to freedom is compromised. Cast: Zar Amir Ebrahimi, Osamah Sami, Leah Purcell, Jillian Nguyen, Mojean Aria, Selina Zahednia.DAY ONE
Is(Lithuania-Spain-Sweden - Director & Screenwriter: Marija Kavtaradze, Producer: Marija Razgute) - Dancer Elena and sign language interpreter Dovydas meet and form a wonderful bond. As they delve into a new relationship, they must figure out how to create their own brand of intimacy. Cast: Greta Grinevičiūtė, Kęstutis Cicėnas.
witchcraft(Chile-Mexico-Germany – Director and Screenwriter: Christopher Murray, Screenwriter: Pablo Paredes, Producers: Juan de Dios Larraín, Pablo Larraín, Rocío Jadue, Nicolás Celis) — On the remote island of Chiloé at the end of the 19th century, an indigenous man girl named Rosa lives and works with her father on a farm. When the foreman brutally attacks Rosa's father, Rosa goes to court and seeks the king's help from a powerful organization of sorcerers. Cast: Valentina Véliz, Daniel Antivilo, Sebastián Hulk, Daniel Muñoz.
when it melts(Belgium – Director and Screenplay: Veerle Baetens, Screenplay: Maarten Loix, Producers: Bart Van Langendonck, Ellen Havenith, Jacques-Henri Bronckart) — Many years after a hot summer has gotten out of hand, Eva returns to the village where she grew up. with a block of ice in the back of your car. In the middle of winter he faces his past and his tormentors. Cast: Charlotte De Bruyne, Rosa Marchant.
WORLD DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
The 12 films in this section are world premieres. All 12 can be streamed online.
5 seasons of the revolution(Germany-Syria-Netherlands-Norway - Director: Lina, Producer: Diana El Jeiroudi) - An aspiring video journalist in her 20s is confronted. Born in Damascus, Syria, Lina begins to report the events around her until she is forced to become a war reporter and later the unexpected narrator of her own destiny.
20 days in Mariupol(Ukraine – Director and Producer: Mstyslav Chernov, Producers: Michelle Mizner, Raney Aronson-Rath, Derl McCrudden) – At the dawn of the Russian invasion, a team of Ukrainian journalists trapped in the besieged city of Mariupol struggle to document their continuing war work. atrocities. Available.
against the sea(India – Director and Producer: Sarvnik Kaur, Producer: Koval Bhatia) – Two friends, both local fishermen, are desperate for a dying sea. Their friendship begins to unravel as they take very different paths to support their struggling families. Available.
the eternal memory(Chile - Directed and Produced by Maite Alberdi, Producers: Juan de Dios Larrain, Pablo Larrain, Dew Jadue) - Augusto and Paulina have been together for 25 years. Eight years ago, he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Both fear the day when he won't recognize them anymore.
fantastic machine(Sweden-Denmark - Directors and Producers: Axel Danielson, Maximilien Van Aertryck) - From the first camera to the 45 billion cameras worldwide today, visual sociological filmmakers are expanding their lens to capture humanity's unique obsession with the camera image and also to discover the social consequences that are presented.
iron butterflies(Ukraine-Germany – Director: Roman Liubyi, Producers: Andrii Kotliar, Volodymyr Tykhyy, David Armati Lechner, Isabelle Bertolone, Trini Götze) — In the summer of 2014, sunflower fields and coal mines in eastern Ukraine turned into a crime of 12 square kilometers scene. A multifaceted investigation into the crash of flight MH17, which found butterfly-shaped shrapnel in the pilot's body, has blamed the state for a war crime that went unpunished.
is there anyone there(UK - Director: Ella Glendining, Producer: Janine Marmot) - As she deals with daily discrimination, a filmmaker who inhabits and loves her unusual body searches the world for another person like her and explores what it takes to create herself despite the much-loved spread of capacitism
the longest goodbye(Israel-Canada - Director and Producer: Ido Mizrahy, Producers: Nir Sa'ar, Paul Cadieux) - Social isolation affects millions of people, including astronauts traveling to Mars. An experienced NASA psychologist is tasked with protecting these daring explorers.DAY ONE
love exists(South Africa - Director and Writer: Milisuthando Bongela, Producer: Marion Isaacs) - Set in the past, present and future of South Africa - an invitation to a poetic and memory-based exploration of love, intimacy, race and belonging on the part of of the filmmaker who lived during Apartheid grew up, but didn't know it was happening until the end.
Piano(Poland – Conductor: Jakub Piątek, Producer: Maciej Kubicki) — Young pianists participate in the legendary Chopin International Piano Competition. A unique opportunity, filmed backstage and to the sound of Chopin's music.
Brotherhood of the Smoke Sauna(Estonia-France-Iceland - Director: Anna Hints, Producer: Marianne Ostrat) - In the darkness of a smoky sauna, women share their most intimate secrets and intimate experiences, expelling the shame trapped in their bodies and reclaiming their power through a sense of communion
town twice(Greenland-Denmark-Canada - Director: Lin Alluna, Producers: Emile Hertling Péronard, Alethea Arnaquq-Baril, Stacey Aglok MacDonald, Bob Moore) - Renowned Inuit advocate Aaju Peter has long fought for the rights of her people. When her son suddenly dies, Aaju embarks on a journey to reclaim her language and culture after a lifetime of cover-up and forced assimilation. But can she change the world and heal her own wounds?
NEXT
The nine films in this section are world premieres. Everything can be streamed online.
Well done, Burkina Faso!(Director, Screenwriter and Producer: Walé Oyéjidé, Producers: Giulia Alagna, Heather Barnes) — A Burkinabé boy runs away from his village and emigrates to Italy. Disillusioned with a broken heart and haunted by memories of home, he travels back in time in hopes of regaining all he has lost. Cast: Alain Tiendrebeogo, Mousty Mbaye, Noel Minougou, Aissata Deme, Afissatou Coulibaly. (Fiction.)
divinity(Director, Writer, Producer: Eddie Alcazar, Producer: Steven Soderbergh) - Two mysterious brothers kidnap a tycoon in their quest for immortality. Meanwhile, a seductive woman helps them embark on a journey of self-discovery. Cast: Stephen Dorff, Moises Arias, Jason Genao, Karrueche Tran, Bella Thorne, Scott Bakula. (Fiction.)
Fremont(Director and Screenwriter: Babak Jalali, Screenwriter: Carolina Cavalli, Producers: Marjaneh Moghimi, Sudnya Shroff, Rachael Fung, George Rush, Chris Martin, Laura Wagner) – Donya works for a Chinese fortune cookie factory in San Francisco. A former US Army translator in Afghanistan, she struggles to get her life together. In a moment of sudden revelation, she decides to send a special message in a cookie. Cast: Anaita Wali Zada, Jeremy Allen White, Gregg Turkington. (Fiction.)
Kim's video(Directors, Writers and Producers: David Redmon, Ashley Sabin, Producers: Deborah Smith, Dale Smith, Francesco Galavotti, Rebecca Tabasky) Lost videos of 55,000 films in Sicily. (Documentation.)DAY ONE
coal king(Director and Producer: Elaine McMillion Sheldon, Producers: Shane Boris, Diane Becker, Peggy Drexler) – The cultural roots of coal continue to permeate the rituals of everyday Appalachian life even as its economic power declines. The journey of a mining company's daughter as she explores the dreams and myths of the region, uncovering the pain and beauty as her community stands on the cusp of great change. (Documentation.)
kokomo city(Director and Producer: D. Smith, Producers: Harris Doran, Bill Butler) - Four black transgender sex workers explore the dichotomy between themselves and the black community while confronting issues long avoided. (Documentation.)
live and die and live(Director, Writer, Producer: Qasim Basir, Producers: Nina Yang Bongiovi, Forest Whitaker, Amin Joseph, Dana Offenbach, Samantha Basir) – Muhammad returns to Detroit to bury his stepfather and is forced to settle his score, but Muhammad struggles with the depression and addiction can wear you down before the task is completed. Starring: Amin Joseph, Skye P. Marshall, Omari Hardwick, Cory Hardrict, Dana Gourrier, Maryam Basir. (Fiction.)
the tuba thieves(Director, Writer, Producer: Alison O'Daniel, Producer: Rachel Nederveld, Wendy Ettinger, Maida Lynn, Su Kim, Maya E. Rudolph) — Between 2011 and 2013, tubes were stolen from Los Angeles high schools. This is not a tale of thieves or lost pipes. Instead, ask what it means to listen. (Documentation.)
Young. Wild. For free.(Director: Thembi L. Banks, Writers: Juel Taylor, Tony Rettenmaier, Producers: Charles D. King, James Lopez, Poppy Hanks, Tommy Oliver, Baron Davis, Tracy "Twinkie" Byrd) - High School Brandon Drowns in Responsibility , when his world is turned upside down after the girl of his dreams steals him away at gunpoint. Cast: Algee Smith, Sanaa Lathan, Sierra Capri, Mike Epps. (Fiction.)
MIDNIGHT
The six films in this section are world premieres.
birth/rebirth(Writer/Director: Laura Moss, Screenplay: Brendan J. O'Brien, Producers: Mali Elfman, David Grove Churchill Wears) - A single mother and childless morgue technician ties into her relationship with a girl she raised from the dead. Marin Ireland, Judy Reis, A.J. Lister, Wool Breeda. (Fiction.)DAY ONE
In my mother's skin(Philippines - Directed and Written by: Kenneth Dagatan, Producers: Bradley Liew, Bianca Balbuena, Huang Junxiang, Stefano Centini) - A girl trapped in the Philippines during World War II discovers that her duty to care for her dying mother protects, is complicated for his misguided trust in a seductive, carnivorous fairy. Cast: Beauty Gonzalez, Felicity Kyle Napuli, Jasmine Curtis-Smith, James Mavie Estrella, Angeli Bayani. (Fiction). Available.
Infinity pool(Canada - Director & Writer: Brandon Cronenberg, Producers: Karen Harnisch, Andrew Cividino, Christian Piovesan, Noah Segal, Rob Cotterill, Anita Juka) - James and Em enjoy an all-inclusive beach vacation when a fatal accident exposes the evil property from the resort. Subculture of hedonistic tourism, relentless violence and surreal horrors. Cast: Alexander Skarsgard, Mia Goth, Cleopatra Coleman. (Fiction.)
my animal(Canada - Directed by Jacqueline Castel, Written by Jae Matthews, Produced by Andrew Bronfman, Michael Solomon) - Heather, an outcast teenage security guard in a small northern town, falls in love with newcomer Jonny, a handsome but troubled figure skater . As their relationship deepens, Heather's growing desires collide with her darkest secret, forcing her to control the animal within her. Cast: Bobbi Salvor Menuez, Amandla Stenberg, Stephen McHattie, Heidi von Palleske, Cory Lipman, Joe Apollonio. (Fiction.)
Onyx the chance and talisman of souls(Director, Writer, Producer: Andrew Bowser, Producers: Clark Baker, Michael Mobley, Olivia Taylor Dudley) - Onyx joins a group of other occultists to participate in a dark ritual at the mansion of his idol Bartok. Suspecting Bartok's nefarious intentions, Onyx is suddenly plunged into a world of monsters, mystery and chaos. Cast: Andrew Bowser, Olivia Taylor Dudley, Jeffrey Combs, Ralph Ineson, Rivkah Reyes, T.C. Car. (Fiction). Available.
polite company(UK - Directed and Written by Nida Manzoor, Producers: Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Olivier Kaempfer, John Pocock) - Aspiring martial artist Ria Khan feels she needs to save her older sister Lena from her impending marriage. With the help of her friends, Ria attempts the most ambitious of wedding heists in the name of independence and sisterhood. Cast: Priya Kansara, Ritu Arya, Nimra Bucha, Akshay Khanna, Seraphina Beh, Ella Bruccoleri. (Fiction.)
run rabbit run(Australia - Director: Daina Reid, Writers: Hannah Kent, Producers: Sarah Shaw, Anna McLeish) — As a fertility doctor, Sarah has a deep understanding of the life cycle. However, when she is forced to come to terms with her daughter's increasingly strange behavior, Sarah must question her own beliefs and confront a ghost from her past. Cast: Sarah Snook, Lily LaTorre, Damon Herriman, Greta Scacchi. (Fiction). Available.DAY ONE
tell me(Australia – Director and Screenwriter: Danny Philippou, Director: Michael Philippou, Screenplay: Bill Hinzman, Producers: Samantha Jennings, Kristina Ceyton) – When a group of friends discover how to summon spirits with an ancient embalmed hand, they are eager to try new ones. Emotion. Until one of them goes too far and opens the door to the spirit world. Cast: Sophie Wilde, Miranda Otto, Alexandra Jensen, Joe Bird, Zoe Terakes, Otis Dhanji. International premiere. (Fiction.)
PREMIERE
The 24 films in this section, a mixture of features and documentaries, are world premieres.
Kassandro(Director and Screenwriter: Roger Ross Williams, Writers: David Teague, Julián Herbert, Producers: Gerardo Gatica, Todd Black, David Bloomfield, Ted Hope, Julie Goldman) — Saúl Armendáriz, an amateur gay wrestler from El Paso rises to international fame creating Cassandro's character, the "Wrestling Liberation". In doing so, he not only changes the world of men's wrestling, but his own life as well. Cast: Gael García Bernal, Roberta Colindrez, Perla De La Rosa, Joaquín Cosío, Raúl Castillo. (Fiction.)
cat lover(France-USA – Director: Susanna Fogel, Screenwriter: Michelle Ashford, Producers: Helen Estabrook, Jeremy Steckler) — College student Margot meets 33-year-old Robert at the cinema where he works. After some casual flirting at the diner, they begin texting. When their perceptions collide, events spiral out of control. Based on the New York short story by Kristen Roupenian. Cast: Emilia Jones, Nicholas Braun, Geraldine Viswanathan, Hope Davis, Fred Melamed, Isabella Rossellini. (Fiction). Available.
deep elevation(Director and Producer: Matthieu Rytz) — The fate of the planet's last desert, the depths of the ocean, approaches when a secret organization authorizes the massive mining of metals from the deep sea in an attempt to deal with the global energy crisis. Narrated by Jason Momoa. (Documentation.)
the deepest breath(UK-Ireland - Directed and Written by Laura McGann, Produced by: John Battsek, Sarah Thomson, Jamie D'Alton, Anne McLoughlin) - A champion freediver and an experienced safety diver, despite their different paths, seemed destined to find themselves at the forefront of rediscovering the freediving world. A look at the exciting rewards - and inevitable risks - of chasing your dreams in the depths of the ocean. (Documentation.)
Drift(France-Greece-Greece – Director and Producer: Anthony Chen, Writers: Susanne Farrell, Alexander Maksik, Producers: Peter Spears, Emilie Georges, Naima Abed, Cynthia Erivo, Solome Williams) – Jacqueline, a young refugee, ends up alone and without a penny on a Greek island where he tries to survive and then come to terms with his past. As she gains strength, she strikes up a friendship with a helpless tour guide, and together, they find the strength to carry on. Cast: Cynthia Erivo, Alia Shawkat, Ibrahima Ba, Honor Swinton Byrne, Zainab Jah, Suzy Bemba. (Fiction.)
yesterday(Director and Producer: William Oldroyd, Writers and Producers: Luke Goebel, Ottessa Moshfegh, Producers: Anthony Bregman, Stefanie Azpiazu, Peter Cron) - During a harsh Massachusetts winter in 1964, young secretary Eileen falls for a glamorous new consultant at the prison where he works. Their friendship takes an unexpected turn when Rebecca reveals a dark secret: she sets Eileen on a sinister path. Based on the award-winning novel by Ottessa Moshfegh. Cast: Thomasin McKenzie, Anne Hathaway, Shea Whigham, Marin Ireland, Owen Teague. (Fiction.)
fairyland(Director, Writer, Producer: Andrew Durham, Producers: Sofia Coppola, Megan Carlson, Siena Oberman, Greg Lauritano, Laure Sudreau) – The Chronicles is a father-daughter story set against San Francisco's vibrant cultural scene in the 1970s and 1980s Relationship that evolves from an era of bohemian decadence to a devastating AIDS crisis. Based on the bestselling memoir Fairyland: A Memoir of My Father by Alysia Abbott. Cast: Scoot McNairy, Emilia Jones, Geena Davis, Cody Fern, Adam Lambert, Maria Bakalova. (Fiction.)
food and country(Director and Producer: Laura Gabbert, Producers: Ruth Reichl, Paula P. Manzanedo, Caroline Libresco) - The American policy of producing cheap food at all costs has long harmed small farmers, ranchers and independent cooks. Concerned with her survival, pioneering food writer Ruth Reichl crosses political and social divides to expose the country's flawed food system and the innovators who risk everything to change it. (Documentary.) Available online.
invisible beauty(Directors: Bethann Hardison, Frédéric Tcheng, Producer: Lisa Cortés) - Fashion revolutionary Bethann Hardison looks back on her career as a pioneering black model, model agent, and activist, and illuminates an untold chapter in the fight for racial diversity. (Documentation.)
After all, it's just life(Director and Producer: Alexandria Bombach, Producers: Kathlyn Horan, Jess Devaney, Anya Rous) — Amy Ray and Emily Saliers' moving reflection on iconic folk-rock combines 40 years of home video, archive footage and the intimate vérité of the gift Indigo Double for girl. A contemporary look at the obstacles, activism and life lessons of two queer friends who never expected to survive. (Documentation.)DAY ONE
Jamojaya(Director, Writer and Producer: Justin Chon, Writer: Maegan Houang, Producers: Alan Pao, David Matheny, Joseph Dang, Alex Chi, Yama Cibulka, Shaun Sanghani) – A father-son relationship is tested when one at the crossroads of his career , the rapper decides to dump his manager, who is also his father. This decision forces them to confront the past and discover what they want from each other. Cast: Brian Imanuel, Yayu A.W. Unru, Kate Lyn Sheil, Henry Ian Cusick, Anthony Kiedis. (Fiction). Available.
judy bloom forever(Directors and Producers: Davina Pardo, Leah Wolchok, Producers: Sara Bernstein, Justin Wilkes, Marcella Steingart) — The radical honesty of young adult fiction pioneer Judy Blume's books has transformed the way millions of readers see themselves, their sexuality and... understood what it meant to grow up, but it also led to critical struggles with censorship and book bans. (Documentation.)
Landscape with an invisible hand(Writer/Director: Cory Finley, Producers: Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner) — When the aliens who control the economy take over the Earth, a teenage couple hatch a plan to save their families. Cast: Tiffany Haddish, Asante Blackk, Kylie Rogers, Josh Hamilton, Michael Gandolfini, William Jackson Harper. (Fiction.)
a little prayer(Director, Writer, Producer: Angus MacLachlan, Producers: Lauren Vilchik, Max A. Butler) - In the South, a man tests the limits of patriarchal interference to protect his daughter-in-law when he discovers his son is having an affair. . . Cast: David Strathairn, Jane Levy, Celia Weston, Will Pullen, Anna Camp, Dasha Polanco. (Fiction). Available.
Mord am Big Horn(Director and Producer: Razelle Benally, Director: Matthew Galkin, Producers: Ivan Macdonald, Ivy Macdonald) – The deaths of a group of Native American women in rural Montana take center stage when families, journalists and local law enforcement uncover a violent crisis that is affecting began almost 200 years ago. (Documentary.) Available online.
tickets(France – Director and Writer: Ira Sachs, Writer: Mauricio Zacharias, Producers: Saïd Ben Saïd, Michel Merkt) – An intimate exploration of attraction and emotional abuse between men and women. Cast: Franz Rogowski, Ben Whishaw, Adele Exarchopoulos. (Fiction.)
Plano C(Director and Producer: Tracy Droz Tragos) - A grassroots occult organization fights doggedly to expand access to abortion pills in the United States, raising awareness during a global pandemic and the fall of Roe v. Wade. (Documentation.)
The pod generation(Belgium-France-United Kingdom - Direction and Screenplay: Sophie Barthes, Production: Geneviève Lemal, Yann Zenou, Nadia Kamlichi, Martin Metz) — In the not too distant future, in the midst of a society madly in love with technology, giant technology Die Pegazus offers couples the opportunity to share their pregnancies through uteruses or removable artificial capsules. And so begins Rachel and Alvy's wild journey to parenthood in this brave new world. Cast: Emilia Clarke, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rosalie Craig, Vinette Robinson, Jean-Marc Barr. (Fiction.)DAY ONE
Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields(Director: Lana Wilson, Producers: Christine O'Malley, Jack Turner) - A moving look at actress, model and icon Brooke Shields as she transforms from a sexualized young woman into a woman discovering her power. Holding up the mirror to a society that objectifies women and girls, her story reveals the perils and triumphs of gaining influence in a hostile world. (Documentation.)
radicals(Writer/Director: Christopher Zalla, Producers: Ben Odell, Eugenio Derbez, Joshua Davis) – In a Mexican border town plagued by neglect, corruption and violence, a frustrated teacher tries a radical new method to end the apathy and fear of your students . It unleashes your curiosity, your potential... and maybe even your genius. Based on a true story. Cast: Eugenio Derbez, Daniel Haddad, Jennifer Trejo, Mia Fernanda Solis, Danilo Guardiola. (Fiction.)DAY ONE
rot in the sun(Director and Screenwriter: Sebastián Silva, Screenwriter: Pedro Peirano, Producer: Jacob Wasserman) — After filmmaker Sebastián Silva goes missing in Mexico City, social media star Jordan Firstman begins a search for him, suspecting that Ms. it has something to do with her disappearance. Cast: Jordan Firstman, Catalina Saavedra, Sebastian Silva. (Fiction.)
Roggengasse(UK - Director: Raine Allen-Miller, Writers: Nathan Bryon, Tom Melia, Producers: Yvonne Isimeme Ibazebo, Damian Jones) - Two twenty-somethings plagued by a bad breakup must deal with their ex-nightmares, and over the course of a busy day of south london adventure. Cast: David Johnson, Vivian Oparah. (Fiction.)
Frame: A film by Michael J. Fox(Director and Producer: Davis Guggenheim, Producers: Jonathan King, Annetta Marion, Will Cohen) - The unlikely story of a young man from a Canadian military base who becomes a Hollywood darling in the 1980s only to discover that the course of his life was changed by a shocking diagnosis. What happens when an incurable optimist is faced with an incurable disease? (Documentation.)
you hurt my feelings(Writer/Director: Nicole Holofcener, Producers: Stefanie Azpiazu, Anthony Bregman) -- A writer's long-term marriage is suddenly turned upside down when she hears her husband give his candid reaction to her latest book. Cast: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Tobias Menzies, Michaela Watkins, Owen Teague, Arian Moayed. (Fiction.)
NEW LIMIT
According to Sundance, “New Frontier is currently undergoing a re-imagining process. This year, we're going back to our roots to deliver a lineup of immersive, experimental films."
a common order(Directors and Producers: Mary Helena Clark and Mike Gibisser, Producer: Graciela Guerrero-Reyes) - An interconnected look at tradition, colonialism, property, belief and science through labor practices that associate a salamander with mass-produced apples at risk is the evolving fields of genomics and machine learning. (Documentary.) Available online.
Hundred(Director, Writer and Producer: Fox Maxy) - An embodied reflection on male and female power, healing and haunting, all in an apocalyptic world. A transformation that leads through unknown horrors to untamed collective joy. Cast: Michel Sayegh, Ruth Fish, Sergio Mejia, Littlebear Sanchez, No'aash Iswut Peltier, Suavitel Paper. (Fiction). Available.
Latest news Portugal, France(Director, Screenwriter and Producer: Deborah Stratman, Producers: Anže Peržin, Gaëlle Boucand) - Evolution and Extinction as Seen by the Rocks. A wet view of minerals where sci-fi meets sci-fi. The geobiosphere is a site of evolutionary opportunity where humans are disappearing but life persists. (Documentary.) Available online.
STAND OUT
This section presents a collection of films that have premiered at other festivals.
The Eight Mountains(Italy-Belgium - Directors and Writers: Felix van Groeningen, Charlotte Vandermeersch, Producers: Mario Gianani, Lorenzo Gangarossa) - Pietro spends his childhood summers in the same isolated village in the Italian mountains where Bruno grew up, where they form a family of decades friendship . Over the years, they grow apart, Bruno remains faithful to the mountain and Pietro comes and goes from the city. Cast: Luca Marinelli, Alessandro Borghi, Filippo Timi, Elena Lietti. (Fiction). Available.
the immensity(Italy – Director and Screenwriter: Emanuele Crialese, Screenwriter: Francesca Manieri, Vittorio Moroni, Producer: Lorenzo Gangarossa, Mario Gianani – Clara has moved to Rome with Felice and their three children. From her new apartment, Clara sees a city in transition : An old society being swept away by a rising middle class The color is fresh, the gadgets are new, but expectations of family, desire and gender remain as traditional as ever Starring: Penelope Cruz, Vincenzo Amato, Luana Giuliani, Patrizio Francioni , Maria Chiara Gorett, Penelope Nieto Conti, North American Premiere (Fiction.) Available online.DAY ONE
land of joy(Pakistan - Director & Writer: Saim Sadiq, Producers: Apoorva Guru Charan, Sarmad Sultan Khoosat, Sabiha Sumar, Lauren Mann) - Like the Ranas, a patriarchally happy family, they yearn for the birth of a baby to continue the family lineage. , his youngest son secretly joins a lap dance theater and falls in love with an aspiring trans star. Their impossible love story sheds light on the whole family's desire for sexual rebellion. Cast: Ali Junejo, Rasti Farooq, Alina Khan, Sarwat Gilani, Sania Saeed, Salmaan Peerzada. (Fiction). Available.
other people's children(France - Director and Screenwriter: Rebecca Zlotowski, Producers: Frederic Jouve, Marie Lecoq - Rachel is 40 years old and has no children. She loves her life: her students, her friends, her guitar lessons. When she falls in love with Ali, develops a bond with daughter Leila, age 4. He loves her as if she were his own, but loving other people's children is risky Cast: Virginie Efira, Roschdy Zem, Chiara Mastroianni, Callie Ferreira-Goncalves, Yamée Couture, Michel Zlotowski US - Publication (Fiction) Available online.
squaring the circle(The Story of Hipgnosis) (UK - Director: Anton Corbijn, Writer & Producer: Trish D. Chetty, Producers: Ged Doherty, Colin Firth) - An inside look at the studio responsible for some of the most iconic and recognizable album covers of all the time. From Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon to Led Zeppelin's Houses of the Holy, the Studio Ruled the '70s (documentary.) Available online.
KINDER
Two of the three films in this section have already been screened at other festivals.
Aliens kidnapped my parents and now I feel a little left out(Directed and Produced by Jake Van Wagoner, Written and Produced by Austin Everett, Producers: Micah Merrill, Maclain Nelson, Jeremy Prusso) - Itsy is new in town and her life seems to be over until she meets her dog-obsessed neighbor Calvin. space believes his parents were abducted by aliens. Itsy, an aspiring journalist, decides to write a story about Calvin, but ends up learning much more. Cast: Emma Tremblay, Jacob Buster, Will Forte, Elizabeth Mitchell, Kenneth Cummins, Matt Biedel. Available.
The amazing Mauritius(Germany-UK - Director: Toby Genkel, Screenplay: Terry Rossio, Producers: Emely Christians, Andrew Baker, Robert Chandler) - A stray cat and her gang of rats come up with the perfect plan to make money. Based on the novel The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents by Sir Terry Pratchett. Cast: Hugh Laurie, Emilia Clarke, Himesh Patel, Gemma Arterton. Available.
blue back(Australia - Director, Writer and Producer: Robert Connolly, Producers: Liz Kearney, James Grandison) - The women's deep desire to protect the inhabitants of the blue oceans of the Australian coast where they live creates a heartfelt bond between mother and daughter. . Adapted from the critically acclaimed bestselling novel by Tim Winton. Cast: Mia Wasikowska, Eric Bana, Radha Mitchell, Ilsa Fogg, Liz Alexander, Ariel Donoghue.SALT LAKE CITY FILM OPENING NIGHT
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