The Sundance Film Festival as we’ve known it since 1981 is coming to an end. The Park City era is over, and the festival co-founded by the late great Robert Redford will pick up and move to Boulder, Colorado, beginning in 2027. But if you think this year is going to coast on by, don’t bet on it. Today, Sundance revealed its full lineup for the upcoming event, and it sees a return of star-powered films and major premieres from acclaimed filmmakers.
According to the press release, “the lineup announced today includes 90 feature-length films representing 28 countries and territories. The 2026 program is composed of 36 of 90 (40%) feature film directors who are first-time feature filmmakers. 14 of the feature films and projects selected were supported by Sundance Institute in development through direct granting or residency labs. This year the film and episodic slate includes 94 (or 97%) world premieres.”
The 2026 Sundance Film Festival will be held from January 22–February 1, 2026, in person in Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah, with the at-home program available online from January 29–February 1, 2026.
Below are a few first looks at some of the most anticipated selections from the 2026 Sundance slate. The full slate can be found here.
The Shitheads / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Macon Blair, Producers: Alex Orr, Brandon James, Dave Franco, Nathan Klingher, Mark Fasano, Josh Harris, Ford Corbett)—When two unqualified bozos are hired to transfer a rich teen to rehab, their straightforward gig quickly spirals into dangerous mayhem. Cast: Dave Franco, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Mason Thames, Kiernan Shipka, Nicholas Braun, Peter Dinklage. World Premiere. Fiction.
The Gallerist / U.S.A., France (Director and Screenwriter: Cathy Yan, Screenwriter: James Pedersen, Producers: Ash Sarohia, Sophie Mas, Natalie Portman, Jonathan King, Tom McCarthy, Rae Baron)—A desperate gallerist conspires to sell a dead body at Art Basel Miami. Cast: Natalie Portman, Jenna Ortega, Sterling K. Brown, Zach Galifianakis, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Catherine Zeta-Jones. World Premiere. Fiction.
I Want Your Sex / U.S.A. (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Gregg Araki, Screenwriter and Producer: Karley Sciortino, Producers: Seth Caplan, Teddy Schwarzman, Michael Heimler, Courtney L. Cunniff)—When fresh-faced Elliot lands a job with artist and provocateur Erika Tracy, his fantasies come true as she taps him to become her sexual muse. But Elliot finds himself out of his depth as Erika takes him on a journey into a world of sex, obsession, power, betrayal, and murder. Cast: Olivia Wilde, Cooper Hoffman, Mason Gooding, Chase Sui Wonders, Daveed Diggs, Charli xcx. World Premiere. Fiction.
zi /U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Kogonada, Producers: Chung An, Christopher Radcliff, Benjamin Loeb, Haley Lu Richardson, Michelle Mao, Jin Ha) — In Hong Kong, a young woman haunted by visions of her future self meets a stranger who changes the course of her night — and possibly her life. Cast: Michelle Mao, Haley Lu Richardson, Jin Ha. World Premiere. Fiction. Available online for public.
Chasing Summer / U.S.A. (Director: Josephine Decker, Screenwriter and Producer: Iliza Shlesinger, Producers: Rob Guillermo, Ray Maiello, Nihaar Sinha, Houston King, Sam Pressman)—After losing both her job and boyfriend, Jamie retreats to her small Texas hometown, where friends and flings from a fateful high school summer turn her life upside down. Cast: Iliza Shlesinger, Garrett Wareing, Lola Tung, Cassidy Freeman, Tom Welling, Megan Mullally. World Premiere. Fiction. Available online for public.
The Moment / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Aidan Zamiri, Screenwriter: Bertie Brandes, Producers: Charli xcx, David Hinojosa)— A rising pop star navigates the complexities of fame and industry pressure while preparing for her arena tour debut. Cast: Charli xcx, Rosanna Arquette, Kate Berlant, Jamie Demetriou, Hailey Benton Gates, Alexander Skarsgård. World Premiere. Fiction.
Carousel / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Rachel Lambert, Producers: Alex Saks, David Lipper, Robert A. Daly Jr., Ian Gotler, Chris Pine) — A divorced doctor’s carefully constructed life in Cleveland is upended when his daughter’s debate aspirations and the unexpected return of a past love force him to confront his own choices and embrace a second chance. Cast: Chris Pine, Jenny Slate, Abby Ryder Fortson, Sam Waterston, Katey Sagal. World Premiere. Available online for public.
The Weight / U.S.A. (Director: Padraic McKinley, Screenwriters: Matthew Booi, Matthew Chapman, Shelby Gaines, Producers: Simon Fields, Nathan Fields, Ryan Hawke, Jonas Katzenstein, Maximilian Leo) —In Oregon in 1933, Samuel Murphy is torn from his daughter and sent to a brutal work camp. Warden Clancy tempts him with early release if he smuggles gold through deadly wilderness, but betrayal festers within the crew, and Murphy questions how far he’ll go to see his child again. Cast: Ethan Hawke, Russell Crowe, Julia Jones, Austin Amelio, Avi Nash, Sam Hazeldine. World Premiere. Fiction.
Wicker / U.S.A. (Directors and Screenwriters: Eleanor Wilson, Alex Huston Fischer, Producers: Ed Sinclair, Tom Carver, Justin Lothrop, Brad Zimmerman, Ryan Heller, Lia Buman)— A fisherwoman asks a basketmaker to weave her a husband. Cast: Olivia Colman, Alexander Skarsgård, Peter Dinklage, Elizabeth Debicki, Marli Siu, Nabhaan Rizwan. World Premiere. Fiction.
Union County / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Adam Meeks, Producers: Brad Becker-Parton, Stephanie Roush, Sean Weiner, Faye Tsakas, Martha Gregory) — Assigned to a county-mandated drug court program, Cody Parsons embarks on the tenuous journey toward recovery amid the opioid epidemic in rural Ohio. Cast: Will Poulter, Noah Centineo, Elise Kibler, Emily Meade, Annette Deao. World Premiere. Available online for public.
Josephine / U.S.A. (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Beth de Araújo, Producers: David Kaplan, Josh Peters, Marina Stabile, Mark H. Rapaport, Crystine Zhang) –– After 8-year-old Josephine accidentally witnesses a crime in Golden Gate Park, she acts out in search of a way to regain control of her safety while adults are helpless to console her. Cast: Mason Reeves, Channing Tatum, Gemma Chan, Philip Ettinger, Syra McCarthy, Eleanore Pienta. World Premiere. Available online for public.
Rock Springs / U.S.A., Canada (Director and Screenwriter: Vera Miao, Producers: Stephen Feder, Kiri Hart, Poppy Hanks, Greta Talia Fuentes, Jason Michael Berman, Jordan Moldo) — After the death of her father, a grieving young girl moves to an isolated house in a new town with her mother and grandmother, only to discover there is something monstrous hidden in the town’s history and the woods behind their new home. Cast: Kelly Marie Tran, Benedict Wong, Jimmy O. Yang, Aria Kim, Fiona Fu. World Premiere. Fiction. Available online for public.
