Category Archives: Sundance Film Festival

Horror Film “The Ugly Stepsister” Premieres At Sundance 2025

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Director Emilie Blichfeldt

2025 comedy horror film “The Ugly Stepsister” premiered on Thurs, Jan 23, 2025, day one of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival.

Co-written and directed by Emilie Blichfeldt in her directorial debut, the film reimagines the Cinderella fairytale.

The film’s synopsis says: “In a fairy-tale kingdom where beauty is a brutal business, Elvira battles to compete with her incredibly beautiful stepsister, and she will go to any length to catch the prince’s eye.”

Leading to its premiere, the “tongue-in-cheek body horror” has been one of the festival’s buzziest titles.

The film’s cast includes Lea Myren, Thea Sofie Loch Næss, Ane Dahl Torp, Flo Fagerli, Isac Calmroth, and Malte Gårdinger.

Photos: aipimaging.com

 

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Trailer For “The Ballad Of Wallis Island”: Focus Features’ Sundance Movie

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theballadThe Carey Mulligan starrer is set to premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, before it hits select US theaters.

The film tells the of Charles, an eccentric lottery winner who lives alone on a remote island and dreams of getting his favorite musicians, Mortimer-McGwyer back together, says the official synopsis.

“His fantasy quickly turns into reality when the bandmates and former lovers accept his invitation to play a private show at his home on Wallis Island. Old tensions resurface as Charles tries desperately to salvage his dream gig.”

Carey Mulligan, Tom Basden, Tim Key, Sian Clifford, Akemnji Ndifornyen

“The Ballad of Wallis Island” is set to premiere on March 28 in limited theaters. Check out the trailer below.

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Sundance 2025: Psychological Horror Film “Rabbit Trap” Premiere

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Psychological horror film “Rabbit Trap” premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on Jan 24, 2025 in the Midnight section, with producer Elijah Wood, writer-director Bryn Chainey and cast and crew in attendance.

Logline says: “When a musician and her husband move to a remote house in Wales, the music they make disturbs local ancient folk magic, bringing a nameless child to their door who is intent on infiltrating their lives.”

Photos: aipimaging.com
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Sundance News: Documentary “The Librarian” To Receive Subject Matter Grant At Sundance Film Festival

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thelibrarianSubject Matter announced their first grants of 2025 today, awarding $25,000 to Kim A. Snyder’s film The Librarians which will world premiere in the Premieres category at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. In addition, a $25,000 grant will go to PEN America, a 103-year-old writers’ organization that defends free expression.

As an unprecedented wave of book banning is sparked in Texas, Florida, and beyond, librarians under siege join forces as unlikely defenders fighting for intellectual freedom on the front lines of democracy in Kim A. Snyder’s The Librarians.

PEN America has documented the rise of book bans and educational gag orders erasing subject matter in public schools since 2021. The organization has documented more than 15,000 instances of book bans during these years, censorship not seen since the Red Scare period of the 1950s. The most frequently targeted books are those that have long fought for a place on shelves–books by authors of color, LGBTQ+ authors, and women, which examine racism, sexuality, gender, and the history of marginalized groups. PEN America has mobilized the public against this censorship and the intolerance and exclusion that undergird it.

Subject Matter’s grant will help PEN America leverage its expertise to connect, support, and protect brave librarians fighting for intellectual freedom.

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New Trailer For Sundance Favorite “Kidnapping Inc.” Gets Release Date

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kidnapping-incKidnapping Inc., the explosive film from director Bruno Mourral, unveils a brand-new trailer ahead of its release on February 7th, 2025 from Dark Star Pictures. The film held its world premiere at Sundance 2024 to critical acclaim, with Mourral reuniting with collaborators Jasmuel Andri and Rolapthon Mercure, as well as co-writer Gilbert Jr. Mirambeau, for the high-octane, action comedy-thriller.

Anabel Lopez (Emilia Pérez) and Gessica Geneus (Freda) co-star alongside lead actors Andri and Mercure as Doc and Zoe, two hapless kidnappers who are plunged into a high-speed misadventure through the perilous streets of Port-au-Prince, where they discover a political conspiracy that transforms their seemingly simple abduction job into a deadly serious, darkly funny thriller that exposes the rampant corruption, class inequality, and insecurity in Haitian society.

See the new trailer below:

 

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2025 Sundance Film Festival Announces Jury Members

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Top Row L–R: Kaniehtiio Horn, Vinnie Malhotra, Celine Song, Sam and Andy Zuchero, Kevin Macdonald, Wanuri Kahiu Second Row L–R: Nicholas Ma, Arian Moayed, Daniel Kaluuya, Elijah Wood, Nia Imara, Michael Almereyda Third Row L–R: Dr. Monica Lopez, Maggie Mackay, Marcia Smith, Reinaldo Marcus Green, Daniela Alatorre, Ava Cahen Bottom Row L–R: Steven Bognar, Kibwe Tavares, Laura Kim

The nonprofit Sundance Institute announced today the 16 jurors granting awards honoring excellence in cinematic and artistic achievement at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, along with the five jury members who present the Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize. The 2025 Festival will kick off on Thursday, January 23, with premieres in Park City every day through the end of Tuesday, January 28. Additional showings will take place in Park City and Salt Lake City throughout the Festival until Sunday, February 2. Over 11 days, world debuts of projects across program categories will highlight fresh voices, entertaining stories, and groundbreaking works.

Select awarded films in competition will be screened in person from February 1–2. Single Film Tickets for in-person and online screenings go on sale Thursday, January 16, at 10 a.m. MT. Visit the Sundance Film Festival website for more information: festival.sundance.org.

The 16 jury members, reflecting a range of diverse and influential perspectives, will select the winners to be announced during the Awards Ceremony held at The Ray Theatre on Friday, January 31. The 2025 Sundance Film Festival jury includes: Reinaldo Marcus Green, Arian Moayed, and Celine Song for the U.S. Dramatic Competition; Steven Bognar, Vinnie Malhotra, and Marcia Smith for the U.S. Documentary Competition; Ava Cahen, Wanuri Kahiu, and Daniel Kaluuya for the World Cinema Dramatic Competition; Daniela Alatorre, Laura Kim, and Kevin Macdonald for the World Cinema Documentary Competition; Kaniehtiio Horn, Maggie Mackay, and Kibwe Tavares for the Short Film Program Competition; and Elijah Wood for the NEXT section.
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Sundance 2025: “Hold Me Close” Documentary Short Film by Aurora Brachman & LaTajh Simmons-Weaver

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“Hold Me Close” will have its world premiere in the Documentary Short Film category at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival.

Directed by Emmy Award-winner Aurora Brachman (2020 Sundance Ignite x Adobe Fellowship) & LaTajh Simmons-Weaver, Hold Me Close is “a chronicle of the power and complexity of the relationship between Corinne and Tiana, two Queer Black womxn who experience cycles of life’s joys and pains together in the home they share”

Watch the “Meet The Artist” feature below:

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2025 Sundance Film Festival Unveils Short Film Program Presented by Vimeo

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Top L–R: View From the Floor, THE LILY (เดอะลิลลี่), Grandma Nai Who Played Favorites, Hold Me Close
Center Row L-R: Azi, Debaters, Platanero, Sweetheart
Bottom L–R: Somebody Cares, Hoops, Hopes & Dreams, Entre le Feu et le Clair de Lune, Inkwo for When the Starving Return

Today the nonprofit Sundance Institute announced the 57 short films being presented at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. These shorts will screen as part of eight curated Short Film Programs presented by Vimeo that will include fiction, nonfiction, and animated titles from the U.S. and globally. The Festival will take place from January 23–February 2, 2025, in person in Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah, with a selection of titles available online from January 30–February 2, 2025, for audiences across the country to discover bold independent storytelling. Access to watch almost all the short films on-demand (January 30–February 2) is available by purchasing a Short Films Pass: Online, now on sale. Single Film Tickets for in-person and online go on sale January 16 at 10 a.m. MT. Members have access to a Single Film Ticket pre-sale. Visit the Sundance Film Festival site for more information: festival.sundance.org.

“Our program would never be complete without a curation of outstanding short films, and we’re excited to share the 2025 Sundance Film Festival Short Film Program today,” said Kim Yutani, Sundance Film Festival Director of Programming. “These projects are varied in style and substance, but across all categories they represent the power of short-form storytelling beautifully.”

“Our Short Film Program celebrates fresh styles and unique stories. The short run time encourages innovation,” said Mike Plante, Senior Programmer, Short Film. “Audiences will find much of the next generation of film talent here, with raw, exciting and inspired filmmaking from around the world in each of our eight programs.”

The 57 short films selected for the 2025 Sundance Film Festival were chosen from 11,153 submissions. Of these submissions, 4,909 were from the U.S. and 6,244 were international. Work from 28 countries and territories represented in this upcoming year’s program.
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2025 Sundance Film Festival Features & Episodic Lineup Announced

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Top L–R: The Legend of Ochi, Rabbit Trap, East of Wall, Seeds Center Row L–R: Rebuilding, Together, Love, Brooklyn, Jimpa Bottom L–R: Hal & Harper, Selena y Los Dinos, The Dating Game, Brides

Today the nonprofit Sundance Institute announced the 87 feature films and six episodic projects selected for the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, revealing a lineup full of bold independent storytelling. The Festival will take place from January 23–February 2, 2025, in person in Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah, with all of the competition films and more available online from January 30–February 2, 2025, for audiences across the country. Single Film Tickets for in-person and online screenings go on sale January 16 at 10 a.m. MT. Members have access to a Single Film Ticket pre-sale, and limited quantities of passes and packages remain on sale. Visit the Sundance Film Festival site for more information: festival.sundance.org.

The 2025 Festival will kick off on Thursday, January 23, with premieres in Park City every day through the end of Tuesday, January 28. Additional showings will take place in Park City and Salt Lake City throughout the Festival until Sunday, February 2. Over 11 days, world debuts of projects across program categories will highlight fresh voices, entertaining stories, and groundbreaking works.

Beginning January 30, more than half the feature program will be available online for audiences nationwide to watch from home at festival.sundance.org. The curated online program will include all competition titles (U.S. Dramatic, U.S. Documentary, World Cinema Dramatic, World Cinema Documentary, and NEXT presented by Adobe), as well as additional selections from the feature, episodic, and Short Film Program presented by Vimeo.

“The Sundance Film Festival remains steadfast in its commitment to elevating unique and urgent voices in independent storytelling. Audiences can expect a 2025 program that showcases varied and vibrant filmmaking globally,” said Robert Redford, Sundance Institute Founder and President.
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2024 Sundance Institute Latine Fellowship & Collab Scholarship Artists Selected

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sundance-latine-fellowshipThe nonprofit Sundance Institute announced today the storytellers selected for the 2024 Latine Fellowship and Collab Scholarship. Now in its third year, the program aims to expand Latine representation in independent media meaningfully by providing artist development through fellowships and mentorships to10 early career Latine artists. This year’s cohort will receive an intentional immersion in a community of like-minded creatives where both professional and creative growth is nurtured through professional and creative development support, networking opportunities, access to Sundance Collab and ELEVATE.

“This year’s Latine Fellowship and Scholarship recipients come from diverse disciplines, all united by their shared goals of growth and increasing representation for a wide range of Latine voices,” said Hajnal Molnar-Szakacs, Director of Sundance Institute’s Artist Accelerator and Women at Sundance. “We are thrilled to welcome them into this Program and look forward to seeing how creative and financial support will help them advance these goals.”

The Sundance Institute Latine Fellowship will uplift five early career Latine artists working in film or television with a yearlong fellowship experience. Each fellow will receive a $10,000 unrestricted grant, bespoke artist development support, creative and tactical support on their projects, and regular opportunities for community engagement and networking. The fellows were chosen from Sundance Institute artist support programs across fiction and nonfiction.
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