On January 22, the final Utah Sundance Film Festival will kick off before heading to Boulder, Colo., beginning in 2027. Despite mixed feelings, Salt Lake magazine’s team has been hard at work gearing up to cover the event, from celebrity fashion to filmmaking.
Here are the things our reporters and film reviewers are excited for:
Caitlyn Homolya—Amplify Utah Student Media Partner
“This year’s Sundance feels extra special because it’s the last time the festival will be in Utah, and that makes everything more exciting and emotional. There’s something really meaningful about being part of an ending, especially when it’s centered around film, art, and community. I’m excited to walk around Park City, see packed theaters, and experience the energy that only Sundance brings. Every film I hear about makes me more curious and excited to watch and talk about it, especially since so many of them seem to focus on curating archival and restored screenings of films that helped define Sundance’s identity. That feels very fitting for this moment in Sundance’s history. As a student reporter, I’m excited to not only watch these films but also hear what audiences and filmmakers have to say about them. Being able to cover Sundance during its final year feels like a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and I’m excited to soak it all in while it lasts.”
Aura Martinez—Film Reviewer
“As 2026 begins, I wave a bittersweet goodbye to the final Sundance held in Utah. As the saying goes, the show must go on—and the lineup for our final show is absolutely buzzing. Among the biggest names at this year’s festival, appearing in three different films, is pop Bratstar royalty Charli xcx. The role I’m most excited to see her in? Herself. The Moment is a self-described hyper-pop mockumentary reflecting on Charli’s rise to brat fame—and the weight that comes with success.
Speaking of weight, I wonder how hard it would be to carry a dead body to an art show. Dead Pigs director Cathy Yan returns to Sundance with her corrosive satire of the contemporary art world, The Gallerist, in which Polina Polinski (Natalie Portman), a desperate gallerist, conspires to sell a corpse as an art piece.
I’m also looking forward to learning more about The History of Concrete, as long as anxious New Yorker John Wilson is the teacher. From pop stars, to concrete, to road trips with (The) Shitheads (directed by Macon Blair), I can’t wait for this comedic whiplash of a festival to begin.”
Autumn Thacher—Fashion and Beauty Correspondent
“Courtney Love is not doing interviews ahead of her documentary, Antiheroine, which tracks. The notoriously complicated grunge rocker is known for being loud, complicated, and unafraid to say or do exactly what she wants. And that’s pretty badass. I’m excited to see the film and hear Love’s story the way she wants to tell it—interview or not. Sign me up for anything Alexander Skarsgard, who has two films premiering at this year’s fest: the Charlie XCX mockumentary, The Moment; and Wicker, which, with its eyebrow-raising premise of a woman asking that a basketmaker weave her a husband, is sure to be entertaining. Skarsgard has been making headlines lately for his bold fashion choices on the red carpet, and I’m excited to see what statements he makes at this year’s fest. I’m manifesting interviews with some celebs I’d love to check in with (here’s looking at you, David Duchovny and Jenna Ortega), and I’m always on the hunt for an engaging panel that dives into what the festival is really about: the importance of independent films and the artists who make them. Last (but definitely not least), I am looking forward to seeing what people are wearing while getting my steps in trekking up and down Main Street—and grabbing some beauty tips along the way.”
Georgia Metcalf—Amplify Utah Student Media Partner
“It’s a little bittersweet that the first Sundance I’ll be reporting on is its last run in Utah. This last year is sure to be a memorable one. The Filmmaker Lodge is where I’ll be spending most of my time, offering “Cinema Cafe” panels that delve into the meticulous art of filmmaking. Directors and screenwriters will be speaking at these hour-long panels, and the one that intrigues me the most is The Indie 90s panel on Jan. 28. Dazed and Confused director Richard Linklater, Mysterious Skin director Gregg Araki (the film was actually shown at Sundance in 2005) and Nicole Holofcener (Walking and Talking). All Cinema Cafe panels are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
I also hope to drop by for some of Adobe’s events, which range from talks with next-gen filmmakers to audience engagement tips.”
Mariah Maynes—Film Reviewer
“Although I was born and raised in Utah, I’ve never been to the Sundance Film Festival. I’m excited to take in all the hustle and bustle, as well as the celebrity sightings, while also appreciating the hard work that independent filmmakers put into their craft before it departs to Boulder. I’m really hoping to get a spot in the theater for the press screening of The Last First: Winter K2. I’m really interested in topics related to the outdoors (especially the mountains, and I’m fascinated by avalanches). The documentary chronicles the tragedy that occurred during winter 2021 on the world’s second-highest mountain. While a team of Nepalese climbers made history with the first successful winter ascent that January, the film focuses on the disappearance of three experienced climbers who went missing during a subsequent summit attempt without supplemental oxygen. The mountain is infamous for its extreme steepness, formidable winter conditions, and technical ascent routes. Directed by Amir Bar-Lev, a notable documentary director, the film explores how the climbers involved in the accident found themselves sharing the mountain with influencers, film crews, and a Nepalese celebrity mountaineer, while examining the complicated, sometimes dangerous impacts of commercialization and social media on high-altitude decision-making.”
Michael Mejia—Film Reviewer
“As always, I’m interested in the entries from Latin America, as well as others in the World Cinema category, and also the slate of NEXT films, which, while not always as formally experimental as they used to be, are often nevertheless intriguing, even refreshingly strange. Some films at the top of my list are:
The Huntress/La Cazadora: A film set in Juárez and based on true events, tracking a woman, a mother, seeking to bring justice to predatory men who’ve become accustomed to acting with impunity.
Jaripeo: On the lighter side, video and conceptual artist Efraín Mojica and co-director Rebecca Zweig, guide us through the inevitable queer flipside of machismo in Michoacán’s rodeo culture. I’m hoping for some visual bliss here, something akin to Sundance 2024’s fantastic Gaucho Gaucho.
Give Me the Ball!: You may know that I’ve developed a rather consuming tennis habit, making this one obvious. Billie Jean King, now 82, is still a seemingly ubiquitous presence throughout the tennis season (which is basically all year). Winner of multiple grand slams in singles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles between 1961 and 1980, she’s had the complex that hosts the US Open named for her and also an international women’s team competition. The story of BJK’s career and lifetime of activism is so well known it’s hard to imagine there’s more to be revealed here. I don’t care. I’ll be there.”
Jaime Winston—Film Reviewer
“I’m looking forward to writer-director Rachel Lambert’s Carousel, starring Chris Pine and Jenny Slate. It’s about a divorced father who reunites with his high school girlfriend as the two soon wonder if love is still worth it, according to the Sundance program. I expect drama, comedy, romance and exploring a topic incredibly relatable — aging.
If you live in Utah, the state of the Great Salt Lake should be on your radar. Sundance says Utah filmmaker Abby Ellis’s The Lake traces the condition of the GSL and how it’s tied to the people living around it.
After seeing Makoto Nagahisa’s We are Little Zombies, I have been craving more of the director’s unique, colorful and unconventional take on a coming-of-age film. BURN, which the Sundance program says follows runaway teen Ju-Ju and the group of misfits who embrace her, seems to fit.”
Avrey Evans—On-Site Reporter
“As I ready myself for another packed festival itinerary of panels, pop-ups and serendipitous conversations, it’s a bit hard to swallow that this is the last opportunity Utah will have to host such important, groundbreaking conversations around grassroots storytelling. Alas, the show goes on. The Impact Lounge is where I’ll be spending much of my time this year, a partnered venue off Main Street offering focused panels, networking opportunities and activations. Here, changemarkers, creators, thought leaders and aspiring filmmakers converge to form meaningful connections and discuss important issues facing the industry and narrative storytelling as a whole. With up to five hour-long panels per day, there’s something for everyone at the Impact Lounge. I’m most intrigued by Saturday’s afternoon panel—Language of the Land: The Rise of Indegenous Language & Culture on Screen, which brings together Brandon Finn (Chief of War), Luciane Buchanan (Chief of War, The Night Agent, Mother Tongue) and Sean Sherman (founder of Indigenous food lab, celebrated chef, educator, author and activist) to engage in an open dialogue about how language, culture and creative craft are transforming representation in film. All of Impact’s panels are free to attend, but require an RSVP.
After enriching my knowledge of impactful storytelling, I’ll be popping over to the Marquis to illuminate my admittedly pedestrian sense of high fashion. The Park City Fashion Week is returning for its sixth year, bringing along a talented bevy of local, national and up-and-coming designers. Expect an exciting showcase of statement streetwear and conceptual pieces, intertwined with multidisciplinary artwork displayed throughout the space. Check back for a full review of this year’s show, and an interview with Park City Fashion Week founder Kim Kienow.”
More information on events and activities to attend at the Sundance Film Festival is coming soon. For now, hop over to our Sundance Film Festival dining guide.
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