After sifting through more than 16,000 submissions, programmers have whittled the Sundance Film Festival’s final run in Utah down to a star-studded lineup of 90 feature films that highlight everything from four tenacious girls’ quests to become a top-selling “Cookie Queen” during Girl Scout Cookie season to an “environmental nuclear bomb” looming in the Beehive State.
The selected films also cover legendary sports and music figures, current world conflicts and the rise of AI. Of the 90 movies that made the cut, 36 (40%) come from first-time feature filmmakers.
“We always want to have a very high number of films that are from either first-time directors or, in many cases even if it’s a second or third feature, it’s not necessarily someone who has become well known or whose work has seen a lot of visibility,” John Nein, who has been a Sundance Film Festival programmer for over 20 years, previously told the Deseret News. “It’s about … really shining a light on people whose work hasn’t really had that visibility yet.”
But the festival — which will run in Park City and Salt Lake City from Jan. 22-Feb. 1 (there will be an online presence during the latter half) — will also see works from several established writers and directors, like Rory Kennedy and Judd Apatow.
The celebrities starring in the 2026 Sundance films will likely generate a lot of excitement for festivalgoers — to name just a few, the list includes pop star Charli xcx (who is actually featured in two films), Rob Lowe, Channing Tatum, Olivia Wilde, Seth Rogen, Russell Crowe, Dustin Hoffman, “Wednesday” stars Catherine Zeta-Jones and Jenna Ortega, Natalie Portman, Taika Waititi and Ethan Hawke.
As people sift through the program and consider purchasing tickets for films, which go on sale Jan. 14, Nein has one piece of advice.
“I just encourage people to take a risk on watching something that doesn’t feel like a sure thing — the same way that those filmmakers took a risk making it,” he told the Deseret News ahead of last year’s festival.
Here’s a brief look at some of the highlights from the 2026 festival lineup.
2026 Sundance Film Festival highlights
‘Cookie Queens’
This documentary chronicling four girls’ efforts to become a top-selling “Cookie Queen” during Girl Scout season — highlighting the tug and pull between childhood and ambition — serves as the Salt Lake City Celebration Film and will have its premiere at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center on Jan. 24.
‘The Lake’
In this documentary close to Sundance’s home, filmmaker Abby Ellis dives into the plight of the Great Salt Lake: “An environmental nuclear bomb looms in Utah. Two intrepid scientists and a political insider race the clock to save their home from unprecedented catastrophe,“ reads the film’s description.
‘In the Blink of An Eye’
Directed by Andrew Stanton (“Finding Nemo,” “WAll-E” and “Finding Dory”), “In the Blink of An Eye” explores three intersecting storylines that span thousands of years and “reflect on hope, connection and the circle of life,” per the film’s description. The film, starring Rashida Jones (“Parks and Rec”), Kate McKinnon (“SNL”) and Daveed Diggs (“Hamilton”), has won the 2026 Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize for its depiction of science and technology.
‘The Brittney Griner Story’
This documentary explores the circumstances that led to WNBA star Brittney Griner playing basketball outside the U.S. — highlighting her detainment in Russia, the battle for her freedom and her advocacy for the release of wrongful detainees, per a description for the film.
‘Run Amok’
In this dark comedy/horror film starring Molly Ringwald and Patrick Wilson, “a teenage girl stages an elaborate musical about the one day her high school wishes it could forget.”
‘Give Me the Ball!’
“Give Me the Ball!” documents tennis trailblazer Billie Jean King’s game-changing influence on culture and sports through rare archive and interviews with King and those closest to her.
‘The History of Concrete’
Filmmaker John Wilson attends a workshop on how to write and sell a Hallmark movie, and then attempts to apply the formula to a documentary about concrete.
‘American Doctor’
Three American doctors — Palestinian, Jewish, and Zoroastrian — enter Gaza and “find themselves caught between medicine and politics,“ reads a description of the documentary.
‘The Gallerist’
“The Gallerist” boasts a star-studded cast that includes a reunion between “Wednesday” stars Jenna Ortega and Catherine Zeta-Jones, as well as Natalie Portman, Sterling K. Brown, Zach Galifianakis and Da’Vine Joy Randolph. The thriller film is about a “desperate gallerist who conspires to sell a dead body at Art Basel Miami.”
‘The Moment’
Starring Charli xcx, “The Moment” tells the story of a rising pop star who navigates fame and the pressure of the music industry while preparing for her arena tour debut.
‘Queen of Chess’
This documentary from director Rory Kennedy chronicles the rise of Hungary’s Judit Polgar, who as a young girl dreamed of conquering international men’s chess and went on to become one of the greatest chess prodigies in history and the best female chess player of all time, according to a description.
‘American Pachuco: The Legend of Luis Valdez’
This documentary shows how Luis Valdez brought Chicano storytelling to the big screen with “Zoot Suit” and “La Bamba.”
‘Buddy’
In this horror film starring comedians Patton Oswalt and Keegan-Michael Key, a brave girl and her friends must escape a kids TV show.
‘Frank and Louis’
In this film, Frank, who is serving a life sentence, takes a prison job caring for inmates with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. What starts as a self-interested attempt at parole transforms into a bond with Louis.
‘Antiheroine’
“Antiheroine” explores the life of singer/songwriter/actor Courtney Love, who is now sober and releasing new music for the first time in over a decade.
‘Troublemaker’
Drawn from recordings he made while writing his autobiography, “Troublemaker” delves into Nelson Mandela’s fight against apartheid.
For more information about the lineup and festival schedule, visit festival.sundance.org.
What else to expect from the 2026 Sundance Film Festival
A couple of months ago, the Sundance Film Festival shared its plans to honor late founder Robert Redford with a screening of “Downhill Racer,” a 1969 film that was pivotal in understanding Redford as an artist, and his mission in creating the Sundance Institute.
“The struggle to make that film was really a catalyst for the institute and the festival itself,” Eugene Hernandez, the festival’s director, previously told the Deseret News. “That experience of struggling to make that film ... I think was an important window and a real grounding moment for Robert Redford, as he looked at how you work independent outside of a traditional, big studio system.”
Several gatherings throughout the 2026 festival — including the directors brunch at Sundance Mountain Resort and “Celebrating Sundance Institute: A Tribute to Founder Robert Redford” — will honor the late actor, who died on Sept. 16 at 89.
The festival will also screen seven defining films from years past as part of its Park City Legacy program, which runs Jan. 27-30 and provides a snapshot of Sundance’s 40-plus-year history, as the Deseret News reported.
“We want to take the opportunity to honor and salute and celebrate the legacy of the festival in Utah,” Hernandez previously told the Deseret News. “It really all goes back to that founding vision that comes from Robert Redford. It created a new energy for and vitality for independent filmmaking in this country and across the world.”
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