2026 Sundance Film Festival

Taking place in Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah, the Festival once again brings together original storytellers and curious audiences for one of the most influential showcases of independent cinema in the world. True to Sundance tradition, most film screenings are followed by live Q&A sessions with directors and cast members, offering rare, intimate insight into the creative process behind the work.

The 2026 Festival features a robust and diverse lineup spanning fiction, nonfiction, shorts, and episodic storytelling. At its core are the U.S. Dramatic Competition and U.S. Documentary Competition, which spotlight world premieres from bold American voices exploring the stories, ideas, and social forces shaping our present moment. International perspectives take center stage in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition and World Cinema Documentary Competition, highlighting emerging filmmakers from around the globe with inventive styles and urgent narratives.

Beyond the competition sections, Sundance 2026 offers a wide-ranging slate designed to surprise and engage audiences. Premieres showcase highly anticipated new works across genres, while Midnight delivers boundary-pushing horror, thrillers, and dark comedies. NEXT, presented by Adobe, focuses on formally adventurous films that signal the future of American storytelling. Spotlight, presented by Audible, celebrates acclaimed films from the global festival circuit, and Special Screenings create one-of-a-kind moments unique to the Festival experience. The Episodic program continues to elevate independent voices working in serialized storytelling, while the Short Film Program, presented by Ketel One Vodka, remains a launchpad for some of the most original new filmmakers working today.

Family-friendly storytelling and Festival heritage are also central to the 2026 program. The long-running Family Matineesection welcomes audiences of all ages—especially younger viewers—into the world of independent film, while Park City Legacy honors Sundance’s history through archival screenings of iconic films that have helped define both the Festival and independent cinema itself. Rounding out the experience, Beyond Film serves as a vibrant community hub with filmmaker conversations, panels, and audience discussions that extend the impact of the films beyond the screen.

Since its founding in 1985, the Sundance Film Festival—presented by the nonprofit Sundance Institute—has launched hundreds of films that have gone on to shape global culture, from sex, lies, and videotape and Reservoir Dogs to CODA, Get Out, Past Lives, and Summer of Soul. As a year-round champion of independent artists, the Sundance Institute supports filmmakers through labs, grants, mentorship, and its global digital platform Sundance Collab. Together, the Festival and Institute continue to provide a vital space for bold storytelling, creative risk-taking, and the discovery of new voices—making the 2026 Sundance Film Festival a defining moment on the cultural calendar as it begins next week.