In honor of the 40th Sundance Film Festival, all jury members are artists who have had films at prior festivals. Along with announcing awards, the jury will be a part of celebratory programming which includes panels and a special 40 edition trivia night.
There are six competition sections in the festival. Debra Granik, Adrian Tomine and Lena Waithe are on the jury for the U.S. Dramatic Competition. Granik is the director and co-writer of “Winter’s Bone” which was nominated for four Oscars. Tomine is an American cartoonist who wrote and illustrated the graphic novels “Shortcomings,” “The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Cartoonist” and “Killing and Dying.” Waithe is an Emmy-winning actor, producer and writer. She is known for the TV show “Master of None.”
Shane Boris, Nicole Newnham and Rudy Valdez are on the jury for the U.S. Documentary Competition. Boris is an Academy Award-winning American film producer. “Hollywoodgate” and “King Coal” are recent films of his. Newnham and Oscar-nominated and Emmy-winning documentary producer who directed “The Disappearance of Shere Hite.” Valdez is an Emmy Award-winning filmmaker who directed “The Sentence.”
Jennifer Kent, Mira Nair and Rui Poças are on the jury for the World Cinema Dramatic Competition. Kent is an Australian director, screenwriter and former actress who is known for “The Babadook.” Nair and an Academy Award-nominated, Indian American director best known for “Monsoon Wedding.” Poças is an award-winning Portuguese cinematographer whose work is behind films such as “O Fantasma.”
Mandy Chang, Monica Hellström and Shaunak Sen are on the jury for the World Cinema Documentary Competition. Chang is an award-winning documentary producer who is now the creative director of Fremantle’s documentary strand “Undeniable.” Hellström is a Danish film producer and Oscar-nominee who produced “Flee.” Sen is an Academy Award-nominated Indian filmmaker who is known for his film “All That Breathes.”
Christina Oh, Danny Pudi and Charlotte Regan are the jury for the Short Film Program Competition. Oh is an Academy Award-nominated American film producer who produced the film “Minari.” Pudi is an American actor, writer and director who currently stars in “Mythic Quest.” He is also known for his role as Abed on the TV show “Community.” Regan is a British film director whose first short film “Standby” was nominated for a BAFTA.
Zal Batmanglij is the juror for the NEXT competition section. Batmanglij is an American film director and screenwriter who made his debut at the 2011 Sundance Festival with “Sound of My Voice.”
The jury will announce the winners for the five feature film competition sections at The Ray Theatre in Park City on Friday, Jan. 26. The jury will announce short film awards on Tuesday, Jan 23.
The festival runs from Jan. 18 to Jan. 28. Ticket packages are on sale through January 5. Single film ticket sales begin on Jan. 11 at 10 a.m.
