Sundance Film Festival unveils 90 feature films for its last Utah edition

Pop sensation Charli XCX is set to make a significant impact at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, appearing in three films premiering at the prestigious event. The singer-songwriter stars in and produces “The Moment,” a mockumentary about a rising pop star preparing for her first arena tour, which festival director Eugene Hernandez described as “her version of ‘This is Spinal Tap.'”

Charli XCX will also appear in Gregg Araki’s “I Want Your Sex,” where Cooper Hoffman plays an intern entangled with an artist portrayed by Olivia Wilde, as well as in the ensemble cast of “The Gallerist.” Hernandez praised the musician’s screen presence, noting her “sense of humor, creativity and star quality” that makes her “magnetic on screen.”

The festival, which will be the last to be held in Park City, Utah before relocating to Boulder, Colorado in 2027, announced a diverse lineup of 90 feature films selected from 4,255 submissions. The program maintains Sundance’s tradition of championing new voices, with 40% of the selections coming from first-time directors.

“It’s a broad, eclectic and bold program,” Hernandez told The Associated Press. “It really honors that well with this mixture of new, exciting voices paired with some really great familiar faces from Sundances past that I think will create a great alchemy for this really unique edition in Utah.”

The lineup features a strong comedy presence, including Cathy Yan’s “The Gallerist,” a satirical look at the art world featuring Natalie Portman, Jenna Ortega, Sterling K. Brown, and Zach Galifianakis. David Wain’s “Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass” stars Zoey Deutch and Jon Hamm in a comedy about relationship revenge, while “Wicker” brings together Olivia Colman and Alexander Skarsgård in what programmer Kim Yutani predicts will be “a big crowd pleaser.”

Olivia Wilde returns to directing with “The Invite,” her first feature since “Don’t Worry Darling,” starring alongside Seth Rogen in a story about a failing marriage. In the festival’s Midnight section, Casper Kelly’s “Buddy” offers a surreal tale about escaping a children’s TV show.

Documentaries, a Sundance strength that has produced numerous Oscar contenders, remain central to the program. Timely offerings include “When A Witness Recants,” in which Ta-Nehisi Coates investigates a 1983 murder case from his Baltimore middle school; “American Doctor,” following medical professionals working in Gaza; and two AI-focused films, “The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist” and “Sentient.”

“Across the board, both in the U.S. and internationally, you have a program that deals with the world where it is right now,” said programmer John Nein. “These documentaries are incredibly sophisticated, they’re very mindful of how complex world issues are, and they bring you into that process.”

The documentary slate also includes profiles of notable figures like basketball star Brittney Griner, Nelson Mandela, Salman Rushdie, Courtney Love, and Billie Jean King. Judd Apatow contributes with a film chronicling comedian Maria Bamford’s mental health journey.

The festival will honor its late founder, Robert Redford, with legacy screenings and celebrate its 40-plus years in Park City. Gregg Araki returns with both a restoration of his 2004 film “Mysterious Skin” and a new feature.

For remote audiences, competition titles will be available to stream online. Yutani recommends the Indonesian film “Levitating” from director Wregas Bhanuteja, describing it as a “thrilling film” set in a community with trance parties.

The 2026 Sundance Film Festival runs from January 22 through February 1, marking the end of an era for the festival in Utah before its move to Colorado the following year.