Out of 16,000 submissions, 105 film projects will screen at next month’s festival. Senior Programmer and Director of Strategic Initiatives John Nein said the number is consistent with recent years, though still fewer than pre-pandemic totals.
Two films have Utah ties. One is the world premiere of the documentary, “The Lake.” It examines an environmental threat looming over Utah and the race to avert a potential catastrophe.
“It's a fascinating film, and I think it does a really great job of — and I hope that as we always look for these films — to start a conversation,” Nein said. “It does a great job of bringing out the complexity of all of this, and that there's no easy solution.”
Another Utah documentary, “Cookie Queens,” dives into the world of Girl Scout cookies.
“It's really incredible,” Nein said. “You will not be shocked to learn that these kids are adorable. But what, I think, what's incredible is that you also see how entrepreneurial they are, how self-aware they are, even as so far as to reflect on the nature of ambition itself with like, real maturity for, you know, quite young people.”
While Sundance is known for films tackling challenging themes, Nein said comedy plays a prominent role in the 2026 year’s lineup.
“What's really, I think, amazing is that some of these comedies are dealing with really uneasy subject matter, difficult subject matter, even, you know, in some cases, loss and grief in a really funny way,” he said. “An example I would use is Olivia Wilde's film called “The Invite,” which is about two couples who have a dinner together, a seemingly innocuous dinner. And it really is a throwback to the cinema of kind of classic cinema of marital strife.”
The festival will also debut an eight-film legacy section during its second half, showcasing titles that represent Sundance’s tradition of “bold narratives.”
“Little Miss Sunshine,” which premiered at Sundance in 2006, will return with its filmmakers and several cast members, including a grown-up Abigail Breslin.
Other selections include “House Party,” and “American Dream” from the 1990 festival, “Mysterious Skin” from 2004, and “Half Nelson” from 2006. Additional titles will be announced soon.
Throughout the festival, organizers will host events celebrating the mission Robert Redford envisioned when he founded Sundance. Nein said many longtime attendees and industry veterans are planning to come to Park City for the festival’s final year in Utah.
“I think that's been the most heartening thing is that just talking to producers, filmmakers, veterans who've been coming, industry veterans who've been coming for years, I think we are all really wonderfully touched by the fact that everybody wants to be there, and that's what we're hearing consistently in all the conversations that we have,” Nein said.
The 2026 Sundance Film Festival returns to Park City for a final time Jan. 22 to Feb. 1, 2026.
Single Film Tickets for in-person and online screenings go on sale Jan. 14 at 10 a.m. MST. Limited quantities of select passes and packages remain on sale.
Click here for a complete list of the 2026 Sundance Film Festival program.
