The nonprofit Sundance Institute revealed the 54 short films selected for the 2026 Sundance Film Festival. Screening in eight curated Short Film Programs, the shorts represent a variety of genres and styles within fiction, nonfiction, and animation from around the world. In addition, there will be a Park City Legacy short film program featuring entertaining selections from past editions with filmmakers in attendance. 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.
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.
“We are looking forward to presenting these short films as part of our 2026 selection this coming January,” said Kim Yutani, Sundance Film Festival director of programming. “Each one is a testament to the creative talent working in the short film space, proving that powerful storytelling is impactful across formats. This year’s program is rich with explorations of belonging, resilience, and the unexpected ways people navigate both the everyday and the extraordinary.”
“The short films in this year’s selection are so different from each other, but what impressed us most is how inventive they are — there’s so much dynamic and exciting filmmaking to enjoy throughout the program,” said Heidi Zwicker, sr. programmer, feature films and short films. “This global lineup runs the gamut when it comes to genres, themes, and the worlds these films bring to life. We’re excited to share that variety with our audiences while providing a platform for both emerging and established filmmakers to showcase their work.”
The program of 54 short films in the 2026 Sundance Film Festival was curated from 11,480 submissions. Of these submissions, 4,914 were from the U.S. and 6,566 were international. Works from 22 countries and territories are represented in the lineup.
The Sundance Film Festival has been a proud supporter of global short-form cinema for decades, with an alumni list that includes: Andrea Arnold, Lake Bell, Damien Chazelle, Destin Daniel Cretton, Jay Duplass, Mark Duplass, Debra Granik, Rashaad Ernesto Green, Reinaldo Marcus Green, Sterlin Harjo, Todd Haynes, Nikyatu Jusu, Shaka King, Lynne Ramsay, Dee Rees, Charlotte Regan, A.V. Rockwell, RaMell Ross, Joey Soloway, and Taika Waititi.
Sundance Institute supports innovative short filmmaking year-round through the Sundance Film Festival Short Film Tour where curated Festival shorts are exhibited as a traveling program at theaters in the U.S. and internationally.
The 2026 Sundance Film Festival Short Films are:
U.S. FICTION SHORT FILMS
Albatross / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Amandine Thomas, Screenwriter and Producer: Gerardo Coello Escalante, Producers: Zach Wechter, Valerie Bush, Carlos López Estrada, Glenn Kiser, Amanda Schneider) — Maria, burdened with caregiving for her sick husband, gets invited to a party. Cast: Georgina Saldaña Wonchee, Patrick O’Brien, Ciro Suárez. World Premiere. Available online for public.
Balloon Animals / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Anna Baumgarten, Producer: Katy Wicker) — Two grocery store employees have an unexpected, helium-fueled encounter with a late-night customer. Cast: Angela Giarratana, Izzi Rojas, Kelsi Roberts. World Premiere. Available online for public.
Birdie / U.S.A. (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Praise Odigie Paige, Producer: Yety Akinola, Praise Odigie Paige, Noni Limar, Nat Majette) — In 1970, a 16-year-old Nigerian refugee in Virginia tries to keep her family together when a newcomer draws her sister away. Cast: Eniola Abioro, Precious Maduanusi, Sheila Chukwulozie. World Premiere. Available online for public.
Callback / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Matthew Puccini, Producers: Jeremy Truong, Matt Kazman) — Max arrives home to find that his boyfriend has booked a callback. All hell breaks loose. Cast: Justin H. Min, Michael Hsu Rosen, Brayden Raqueño. World Premiere. Available online for public.
The Creature of Darkness / U.S.A. (Directors and Screenwriters: Lisa Malloy, Ray Whitaker, Producer: Jennifer Reeder) — Darkness settles over Little Egypt. Brielle, Karri, and Nunu wander among the limestone outcrops and sandstone spires. In a cave that hid freedom seekers along the Underground Railroad, their uncle shares a story of a creature that stirs at night. Cast: Brielle Woods, Zah’Karri Levy, Erin Whitaker. World Premiere. Available online for public.
Crisis Actor / U.S.A. (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Lily Platt, Producers: Sophie Seyd, Alex Bendo, Lexi Preiser) — Fired from her day job, an impulsive actress crashes a support group and spirals into a chaotic night that forces her to face her addiction to drama. Cast: Sarah Steele, Philip Ettinger. World Premiere. Available online for public.
DON’T TELL MAMA / U.S.A. (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Chloe Leigh King, Producers: Shaka King, Daniel Croix, Meleokauaapuakea Hamasaki, Oona Roche) — A Montenegrin father takes his teenage daughter on an unforgettable dinner date. Cast: Uliks Fehmiu, Jordyn Jenkins. Available online for public.
Gender Studies / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Jamie Kiernan O’Brien, Producer: Kirsten Pasewaldt) — When a trans college student learns the girl she idolizes is sleeping with their teaching assistant, she takes drastic steps to emulate her. Cast: Jake Junkins, Fannie Massarsky, Austin Cassel. World Premiere. Available online for public.
The Oracle / U.S.A. (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: JJ Adler, Producers: Jon Cohen, Jon Wolf) — When an atheist psychiatrist hypnotizes his con artist patient, a message from his long-dead twin emerges. It could be the perfect con, or it could be proof that reality is far stranger than he would like to admit. Cast: Kurt Fuller, Brandon Scott Jones, Luka Jones, Karen Maruyama. World Premiere.
Pankaja / U.S.A., India (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Anooya Swamy, Producers: Nakirekanti Swamy, Archana Swamy, Vindhya Gupta) — Pankaja, along with her daughter, Lalli, searches for her missing husband through the city slums of Bangalore to bring him back home. Cast: Harshini Boyalla, Padmashree G. World Premiere. Available online for public.
Prime / U.S.A. (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Meagan Coyle, Producer: Blake Winston Rice) — A trauma victim joins a utopian farming community only to find she’s bitten off more than she can chew. Cast: Katie Mumford, Anita Durst, Campbell Symes, Jacob A. Ware, Mickey Sumner, Tim Heidecker. Available online for public.
Radiant Frost / U.S.A. (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Hannah Schierbeek, Producer: Trenton Davis) — A drifter’s life takes a dramatic turn when he discovers a runaway member of a survivalist cult in the back of his truck. Cast: Eli Vidis Newman, Taika Augustaitis, Heather Evans. World Premiere. Available online for public.
Seniors / U.S.A. (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Adam Curley, Producers: Steven Snyder, Harris Gurny) — A high school senior goes on his first college campus tour the day his parents’ marriage begins to fracture. Cast: Brooke Bloom, Noah Pacht, Matt Walton, Dan Thompson. World Premiere. Available online for public.
Stairs / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Riley Donigan, Producers: Anton Vicente Kliot, Sam Callahan) — A woman’s life unravels after she becomes addicted to throwing herself down flights of stairs. Cast: Betsey Brown, Will Duncan, Will Janowitz. World Premiere. Available online for public.
Taga / U.S.A., Philippines (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Jill Marie Sachs, Producers: Joyce Liu-Countryman, Kristine De Leon, Louise Barretto) — Vivi, a third-culture Filipina American, travels to the Philippines to reconnect with her roots but falls in with a group of Western eco-volunteers. When they scorn the customs of a remote mountain village, an ancient evil comes knocking. Cast: Kim Adis, Lisa Jacqueline Starrett, Ian S. Peterson, Joey Scoma, Bong Cabrera. Available online for public.
Together Forever / U.S.A. (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Gregory Barnes, Producers: Alex Bendo, Lexi Preiser, Tyler Walker, Yumeng Han) — A Mormon couple ties the knot. Cast: Lindsey Normington, Samuel Sylvester. World Premiere. Available online for public.
INTERNATIONAL FICTION SHORT FILMS
Agnes / U.K., Canada (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Leah Vlemmiks, Producer: Priscila Gonçalves) — Under pressure from her adult daughter to move and become a live-in babysitter, 74-year-old Agnes finds agency in an unexpected place. Cast: Eileen Davies, Clare Holman. World Premiere. Available online for public.
Blue Heart / Haiti, France (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Samuel Suffren, Producers: Carine Ruszniewski, Louise Bansard) —Marianne and Pétion, living in Haiti, await a call from their son who has left in pursuit of the American dream. Cast: Marie Diana, Arnold Joseph, Samuel Suffren. Available online for public.
Candy Bar / Australia (Director and Producer: Nash Edgerton, Screenwriter: Damon Herriman, Producer: Serena Paull) — A young girl thinks a man in the candy bar line looks like her dad. Cast: Damon Herriman, Andrea Demetriades, Zumi Edgerton, Caitlin Burley. Available online for public.
Faux Bijoux / France, Lebanon (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Jessy Moussallem, Screenwriter: Jihad Hojeily, Producers: Jean-Baptiste Savary, Olivier Muller, Gary Farkas, Clément Lepoutre) — Mireille promises Johnny the big screen, dragging him to an audition whose rules only she truly knows. Cast: Maria Shmouri, Akram Nayef, Samer El Sayyed, Seidi Haarla, Jarkko Lahti. World Premiere. Available online for public.
Fruit (Buah) / Singapore (Director and Screenwriter: Jen Nee Lim, Producer: Ke Ning Lee) — In a time and place where abortion is illegal, a pregnant woman’s repeated attempts to end her pregnancy fail until she crosses paths with a strange bus driver. Cast: Tysha Khan, Hana Nadira, Wan Ahmad. North American Premiere.
How Brief / Canada (Director: Kelly McCormack, Screenwriter: Tess Degenstein, Producers: Ariel Bond, Lucy McNulty, Jill Orsten) — A disappearing act occurs over the course of one night in 1962 when a restless woman returns to her childhood home for the last time. Inspired by the music of singer-songwriter Connie Converse. Cast: Tess Degenstein, Tatiana Maslany, Gray Powell, Susinn McFarlen. World Premiere. Available online for public.
I’m Glad You’re Dead Now / France, Greece, Palestine (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Tawfeek Barhom, Producers: Alexandre Perrier, Stylianos Cotionis, Akis Polizos) — Two brothers return to the island of their childhood, where buried secrets and heavy tensions force them to confront a dark past that connects them. Cast: Tawfeek Barhom, Ashraf Barhom. Available online for public.
Ivar / Norway (Director: Markus Tangre, Screenwriter: Signe Dammann Anker, Producers: Rebekka Rognøy, Henrik Zwart) — A change in her husband’s scent sends Anne spiraling into a late-night existential crisis. Cast: Tone Mostraum, Robert Skjærstad. World Premiere. Available online for public.
Jazz Infernal / Canada (Director and Screenwriter: Will Niava, Screenwriter: Kristelle Laroche, Producers: Zion Lipstein-Saffer, Samuel Caron) — Koffi, a young Ivorian trumpeter, arrives in Montréal with nothing but the legacy of his father to guide him. Lost between the city’s noise and the silence of his past, he must confront his roots to finally find his voice. Cast: Ange-Eric N’guessan, Alexis Belhumeur, Kalombo Kasongo. U.S. Premiere. Available online for public.
The Liars / Argentina (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Eduardo Braun Costa, Producers: Manuel Aguer, Natasha Gurfinkel) — Thrown into adulthood, Matías and Jaime try to make sense of the world. One day, Jaime is arrested by a security guard at a mall and Matías must ask a stranger to pretend to be their father to free him. Cast: Noah Roja, Filippo Carrozza, Esteban Bigliardi, Mariana Chaud, Pablo Fusco. World Premiere. Available online for public.
Marga en el DF / Mexico, U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Gabriela Ortega, Producers: Karla Luna Cantú, Natalia Gonzalez, Eugenio Valero, Carlos López Estrada, Valerie Bush, Stacy Perskie) — In the wake of Selena Quintanilla’s murder, Marga’s life takes an unexpected turn at 21 weeks pregnant during a surprise visit to Mexico City. Cast: Camila Santana, David Palacio, Xabiani Ponce de León, Andrea de Fátima. World Premiere. Available online for public.
Norheimsund / Cuba, U.S.A. (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Ana A. Alpizar, Producer: Madeline R. Finkel) — A girl’s long-distance romance with an older Norwegian man promises to pull her and her mother from their austere life in Cuba, but her dreams are shaken when she realizes he isn’t as ideal as he seems. Cast: Paula Massó Varela, Yaité Ruiz, Darianis Palenzuela, Kiriam Gutiérrez. U.S. Premiere. Available online for public.
O’Sey Balamma / India (Director and Screenwriter: Raman Nimmala, Producer: Priyanka Krishnan) — During the Sankranti festival celebrations, a matriarch and her housekeeper confront solitude through the intimacy of each other’s company. Cast: Mani Amma K.L.K., Dhanalakshmi Mudi Bandla. World Premiere. Available online for public.
¡PIKA! / Peru (Director and Producer: Alex Fischman Cárdenas, Screenwriter and Producer: Trout Cohen, Producers: Morella Moret, Etienne Talbot) — A man wakes up with an unbearable itch. Anxious to find a cure, he embarks on a nightmarish odyssey in search of relief. Cast: Jose Medina, Teresa Ralli. North American Premiere. Available online for public.
Sauna Sickness / Sweden (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Malin Barr) — Locked out on a freezing New Year’s Eve, Cleo discovers the real threat isn’t the cold — it’s the man beside her. Cast: Thea Sofie Loch Næss, Adam Lundgren, Magnus Krepper, Sanna Krepper. World Premiere. Available online for public.
Without Kelly (Utan Kelly) / Sweden (Director and Screenwriter: Lovisa Sirén, Producer: Siri Hjorton Wagner) — Forced to leave her baby daughter with the child’s father, young mother Esther is caught in desperation and longing. Through the night she chases touch and comfort, seeking ways to hold onto whom she loves the most. Cast: Medea Strid. North American Premiere.
The Worm / Australia (Director and Producer: Tom Noakes, Screenwriter and Producer: Will Goodfellow, Producers: Adrian Pinto, Lucy Gaffy) — A young man’s strange belief sparks an intervention from his family. Cast: Joe Bird, Heather Mitchell, Susie Porter, Contessa Treffone, Richard Sydenham. World Premiere. Available online for public.
ANIMATION SHORT FILMS
1981 / U.S.A. (Directors, Screenwriters, and Producers: Andy London, Carolyn London) — In 1981 in suburban Long Island, New York, the mullets are long, the metal is heavy, and 14-year-old Douglas gets a birthday surprise that will change his life forever. Cast: Minnie Tonka, Alexei London, Carolyn London, Tony DiMurro. Available online for public.
The Bird’s Placebo / Tunisia (Director and Screenwriter: Rami Jarboui, Producers: Sarra Ben Hassen, Ramses Mahfoudh, Lotfi Mahfoudh) — In a marginalized Tunisian neighborhood, a young man in a wheelchair dreams of crossing the Mediterranean Sea until a surreal encounter shifts his path. Cast: Yassine Bardaa, Fatrma Falhi, Mohamed Hassine Grayaa. North American Premiere. Available online for public.
Busy Bodies / U.S.A (Director and Screenwriter: Kate Renshaw-Lewis, Producer: Eric Ackerman) — Tiny workers run a domesticated factory under the supervision of giant hands. This fantastically convenient at-home solution for disposable creation is absurdly inefficient and potentially an answer to the question of how we get rubber gloves. The timer is ticking. Available online for public.
Cabbage Daddy / Canada (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Grace An) — When the mind of a bilingual child mirrors absurd translations, their poetic misinterpretations can accidentally produce multiple meanings — and create puns. Cast: Annette Hong Kim, Grace An, Daniel Heemang Cho, Oliver Lewis, Alex Shawki, Yusef Shawki Chu. World Premiere. Available online for public.
Homemade Gatorade / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Carter Amelia Davis) — A woman embarks on a road trip to deliver her creamy homemade sports drink to a mysterious online buyer. Cast: Lauren Davis, Carter Amelia Davis, Spencer Hawk, Alosha Robinson, Connett Croghan. Available online for public.
HUGS / Belgium (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Nicolas Fong) — A ride on a bike’s luggage rack is a sensory roller coaster through a land full of cuddles. North American Premiere. Available online for public.
Living with a Visionary / U.S.A. (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Stephen P. Neary, Producer: Mireia Vilanova) — After 50 years of marriage, John must care for his wife while learning to live alongside her vivid hallucinations. Cast: James Cromwell, Katherine LaVictoire. World Premiere. Available online for public.
Mangittatuarjuk (The Gnawer of Rocks) / Canada (Director, Screenwriter, Producer: Louise Flaherty, Screenwriter: Neil Christopher) — Two young women are trapped in the lair of the Mangittatuarjuk, the Gnawer of Rocks. The young women and their village use the teachings of the elders to try to defeat the monster. Cast: Nellie Enuaraq, Joan Joanas, Andrea Flaherty.
Once in a Body / Colombia, U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: María Cristina Pérez, Producers: Mauricio Cuervo, Mireia Vilanova, Katherine Cabrera, James Belfer, Adam Belfer) — A woman seeks to reconcile with her sister over an incident from their adolescence by exploring their shared experiences through their bodies. Cast: Sara Isabella Martínez. Available online for public.
Paper Trail / U.S.A. (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Don Hertzfeldt) — A life, seen through paper. World Premiere.
Sorrow Doesn’t Sleep at Night / Chile (Directors and Screenwriters: Josefina Montino, Martín André, Screenwriter: Jacobi Hadley, Producer: Jacinta del Real) — A man secludes himself in a house in the forest. The ghosts of his past begin to torment him, forcing him to face his fears and guilts to not be consumed by madness. Cast: Raimundo Bucher. Available online for public.
UM / France (Director and Screenwriter: Nieto, Producer: Nicolas Schmerkin) — The bird people have fallen into violent chaos and are prey to a disturbing phenomenon: Their eggs seem to be haunted by demonic faces. Their hatching appears to herald an imminent catastrophe. Cast: Michiko Takahashi. U.S. Premiere. Available online for public.
NONFICTION SHORT FILMS
The Baddest Speechwriter of All / U.S.A. (Directors and Producers: Ben Proudfoot, Stephen Curry, Producer: Erick Peyton) — Now 93, Martin Luther King Jr.’s lawyer and speechwriter reflects on the personal cost and surprising truths of making history, offering an intimate insider’s view of the Civil Rights Movement. World Premiere. Available online for public.
The Boys and the Bees / U.S.A. (Director and Producer: Arielle C. Knight, Producer: Sean Weiner) — On an idyllic farm in rural Georgia, Black beekeeping parents tenderly share their knowledge of life, love, and nature with their young sons while restoring their homestead. Available online for public.
The Chimney Sweeper / U.S.A. (Director and Producer: Jack Raese) — Markus — whose great-great-great-grandfather invented the nutcracker doll — makes nutcrackers for a living, as did each of his forefathers who descended from the great inventor. Markus discusses his life decisions. Available online for public.
Going Sane: The Rise and Fall of the Center For Feeling Therapy / U.S.A. (Director: Joey Izzo, Producers: Adam Ridley, Jordan Londe, Ryan Ridley) — A 1970s Los Angeles therapy collective rises with utopian promise before devolving into a business-minded cult built on control and abuse. World Premiere. Available online for public.
La Tierra Del Valor (The Home of the Brave) / U.S.A. (Director and Producer: Cristina Costantini, Producer: Alfie Koetter) — During a summer of grief and fear brought on by immigration raids in Los Angeles, one small act of bravery gives a community hope. World Premiere. Available online for public.
Luigi / U.S.A. (Director and Producer: Liza Mandelup, Producer: Lauren Cioffi) — When Luigi Mangione is charged with murder, he becomes the subject of fevered obsession. Through letters, fantasies, and conspiracies, strangers turn Luigi into a cultural sensation and a canvas for their rage, desire, and misplaced hope. Available online for public.
Some Kind of Refuge / U.S.A. (Director and Producer: Alexandra Kern, Producer: Colin Cadarette) — On the shifting edge of the Mississippi River in New Orleans, the spirit of a fading outsider community endures through its two oldest residents. World Premiere. Available online for public.
STILL STANDING / U.S.A. (Directors and Producers: Victor Tadashi Suarez, Livia Albeck-Ripka) — On January 7, 2025, the Eaton fire destroyed over 9,000 structures in Altadena, California. Thousands more were left standing but contaminated with toxic ash. Residents face the impossible decision of whether they should risk their health to return home. World Premiere. Available online for public.
Tuktuit : Caribou / Canada (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Lindsay Aksarniq McIntyre) — An exploration of the close and enduring connections between Inuit, caribou, lichens, and land use. A handmade caribou gelatin emulsion reveals the land where caribou struggle to survive burn events and habitat disruption. Available online for public.
PARK CITY LEGACY SHORT FILM PROGRAM
An entertaining selection of short films from past editions of the Sundance Film Festival curated by Sundance Film Festival programmers and hosted by short film alum Joey Soloway. We are welcoming filmmakers back to celebrate their shorts as part of this surprise screening.
The Sundance Film Festival has supported short films since the start, providing a platform for both established and emerging filmmakers to connect with audiences in live action, animation, and nonfiction shorts. This important tradition will be honored as part of our Park City Legacy screenings.
This short film program is in addition to the previously announced Park City Legacy program featuring archival and restoration screenings of iconic films from previous editions, including American Dream, Downhill Racer, Half Nelson, House Party, Humpday, Little Miss Sunshine, Mysterious Skin, and Saw.
