Today the nonprofit Sundance Institute announced 90 feature films and seven episodic projects participating in the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, revealing a selection of entertaining, trailblazing stories from emerging and established global artists for a total of 105 projects in the 2026 edition, including the previously announced Park City Legacy program. The 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, for audiences across the country. Single Film Tickets for in-person and online screenings go on sale January 14 at 10 a.m. MT and limited quantities of select passes and packages remain on sale. Visit the Sundance Film Festival site for more information at festival.sundance.org.

Throughout the full duration of the Festival, audiences will have the opportunity to enjoy daily screenings, talks, and events. Premieres will be held from Thursday, January 22, to Tuesday, January 27, in Park City. The 2026 Festival will serve as a meaningful tribute to Robert Redford and his vision that has inspired generations of artists and redefined cinema around the world. During the second half of the Festival, the Park City Legacy program will celebrate the Festival’s rich history and shared experiences in Utah through archival screenings of iconic films from previous editions, artists talks with notable Festival alumni, and a special event for the community.

From January 29–February 1, audiences nationwide can enjoy a curated program online at festival.sundance.org that 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 and episodic programs and the Short Film Program presented by Ketel One Vodka.

“The 2026 Sundance Film Festival will be a truly pivotal and memorable moment as we celebrate artists and their visionary works, honor our Sundance Institute founder, Robert Redford, and his transformative vision, and show our gratitude to Utah by commemorating our collective journey,” said Amanda Kelso, Sundance Institute Acting CEO. “We are eager to once again foster connection and creativity as we champion and share independent storytelling with audiences. This marks an especially defining year of coming together as a community to uplift independent film and the legacy of the Festival.”

“As we prepare to gather for this landmark edition of our Festival in a cherished locale, we’re also honoring the enduring impact of our beloved founder, Robert Redford, and celebrating what he created: a dynamic home for independent, global storytelling,” said Eugene Hernandez, Director, Sundance Film Festival and Public Programming. “In announcing this year’s selection, we’ve hit a major milestone on the road to the 2026 Sundance Film Festival. With 44 days to go, we’re proud to conclude our survey of submissions from artists around the world, curating a bold selection of new voices and renowned artists alike that we invite audiences to discover next month.”

“The program for the 2026 Festival invites audiences to experience intimate character journeys, deeply human stories, and compelling explorations of stories from around the globe,” said Kim Yutani, Sundance Film Festival Director of Programming. “Each year, we have the privilege of introducing distinctive storytellers to audiences, and we are grateful to the artists who entrust us with their films at the start of the journey. The upcoming edition will be especially profound in introducing brand-new works while concurrently marking the significance of the many films we have been fortunate to present and gone on to have a long-lasting impact on independent film and culture.”

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 jury and audience awards will be presented on Friday, January 30, at a ceremony at The Ray Theatre in Park City. The Short Film Program will be shared on December 15, with Beyond Film talks and additional programming announcements unveiling through January.

Today the Festival is also announcing the winner of the 2026 Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize, a juried award granted annually to an artist with the most outstanding depiction of science and technology in a feature-length film. The prize has gone to In The Blink of An Eye directed by Andrew Stanton, screening in the Premieres section. The Salt Lake City Celebration film is Cookie Queens, premiering at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center on January 24.

The Sundance Film Festival is an artist program of Sundance Institute, a nonprofit that impacts thousands of artists every year through its year-round artist programs, the Festival, and Sundance Collab, its digital space to learn from experts and build a global filmmaking community. Profits from Festival ticket sales go to uplifting and developing emerging artists on a year-round basis through focused labs, direct grants, fellowships, residencies, and more.

The 2026 Sundance Film Festival program was selected from 16,201 submissions from 164 countries or territories, including 4,255 feature-length films. From these feature film submissions, 1,676 were from the U.S. and 2,579 were international. The seven episodic projects were selected from 470 submissions.

The slate spans intimate U.S. dramas, visionary world-cinema debuts, daring work in the NEXT section, star-driven world premieres, and a bold episodic lineup. Across the program, audiences will see performers who define today’s cultural landscape — including Natalie Portman, Jenna Ortega, Charli XCX, Dave Franco, Cristin Milioti, Olivia Wilde, Ethan Hawke, Russell Crowe, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Rinko Kikuchi, Michelle Yeoh Richardson, Rob Morgan, Cooper Raiff, Penélope Cruz, Seth Rogen, John Turturro, Giancarlo Esposito, and Jessica Gabriele Ujah — appearing in films that push craft, tone, and storytelling into new territory.

Episodic premieres add even more dimension, with Riz Ahmed, Guz Khan, and Sheeba Chaddha leading the frenetic limited series BAIT, while Jim Cummings and PJ McCabe bring The Screener to life with Shereen Lani Younes and Jon Rudnitsky. The Fiction and Nonfiction Pilot Showcases introduce new voices and unexpected formats, from comedic coming-of-age stories to high-stakes investigations and true-crime revelations. Together, the features and episodics form a sweeping portrait of where independent storytelling is headed — artist-driven, global, emotionally sharp, and anchored by performances from some of the most exciting actors working today.

Leanr more about programs and festival tickets here.