The 2026 Sundance Film Festival, one of the biggest film festivals in the world, was held in Park City and Salt Lake City from Jan. 22 to Feb 1. Movies, shorts and series premiered on the big screen for thousands of eager film enjoyers. Sadly, it was also the last time the festival would be held in its founding area in Utah before moving to Boulder, Colorado.
The Sundance Institute was founded by renowned filmmaker Robert Redford, who recently passed away in his Utah home on Sept. 16, 2025, of natural causes. He was best known for his acting and directing, achieving fame through his role in the classic film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (which is where the name of the festival comes from), as well as numerous films that earned him four Oscar nominations and one Oscar win. Redford created the Sundance Film Festival in 1978 to provide a platform for lesser-known filmmakers to have their voices heard, transforming it into the cultural phenomenon it’s known as today.
I had the opportunity to spend a few days traveling to Salt Lake City and Park City to watch several films premiering at Sundance, along with a few more online. In many ways, these movies feel like the culmination of nearly 50 years of artistic progress through the Sundance Film Festival.
How to Divorce During the War
The humorous-sounding title of this movie is a smidge of foreshadowing into the themes within. Taking place in Lithuania during the outbreak of the Ukraine War in 2022, the film focuses on a woman named Marija as she divorces her husband, Vytas. Little do they know the things that wait in store for them, as the conflict in Eastern Ukraine forces both of them to make difficult decisions in their newly separate lives. The story provides a unique perspective for audiences outside of Lithuania by showing how ordinary people adapt in the face of both common and uncommon difficulties. The film was directed by Andrius Blazevicius, and stars Marius Repsys, Zygimante Elena Jakstaite and Amelija Adomaityte.
Queen of Chess
High-level chess is often called “another men’s club” with the top players being overwhelmingly male. Queen of Chess is a documentary by Rory Kennedy that follows the life of Judit Polgar, widely considered as the undisputed greatest female chess player in history. The voices of Polgar, her family, other chess grandmasters and her greatest challenger, Garry Kasparov, provide many perspectives on the sensation and legacy of Judit Polgar. The documentary focuses on her as a child prodigy up until her victory over Garry Kasparov, widely regarded as the greatest chess player of all time, marking the closest any woman has come to defeating a reigning world champion in a classical game of chess. The documentary was released on Netflix on Feb. 6, 2026.
The Lake
For many Utahns, this documentary hits close to home. The Lake focuses on the efforts of two scientists and a congressman to raise awareness and secure funding to save the Great Salt Lake. The lake serves as a natural habitat for over 10 million migratory birds, brine shrimp and brine flies. As it dries up, it not only limits natural resources and threatens ecosystems for many animals but also releases toxic dust into the air. Directed by Abby Ellis, the film follows the trio’s collaborative efforts to convince both Utah’s state government and the public to save the Great Salt Lake. It gives a perspective into the lives of many Utahns and how it brings challenging and unique viewpoints to the conversation. It brings concerns about whether large-scale efforts to save the lake may ultimately be in vain.
Joybubbles
The story of Joe Engressia is not one many have heard but unquestionably will put a smile on one’s face. As someone who was born blind, Joe learned from a young age to see the world in a way other than through his eyes: through the telephone. In an era when just minutes on a phone call cost a pocketful of change, Engressia learned to bypass these costs by memorizing phone tones and reproducing them with perfect pitch, circumventing both monetary and security systems. He also became inspired by Mr. Rogers to create a phone number in the phone book that would play prerecorded wholesome messages for callers. Joe did more than just redefine the use of the telephone; he demonstrated that happiness is found in how you choose to see the world.
The Incomer
Louis Paxton’s directorial debut stars Domnhall Gleeson as the titular incomer, a man sent to a remote island to warn its two dwellers that they must vacate. Gayle Rankin and Grant O’Rourke play the island-dwelling sister and brother, who are not eager to leave their home of 30 years, showing distrust to outsiders as deceivers. Blending Scottish folklore with modern society, the characters must come to terms with each other’s backgrounds and differences, and learn that there is more that brings them together than drives them apart. Humor, family drama, romance and wholesome moments come together in a film that showcases the upcoming talent of Louis Paxton.
With almost 100 films premiering at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, it’s clear Robert Redford’s initial goal to amplify the voice of filmmakers has made tremendous ground in its nearly 50 years of existence. These films range from telling original narratives to biographical retellings of great individuals to examinations of social and environmental issues and the efforts to solve them. The Sundance Institute has given new talent the chance to learn from the best and apply those skills in the art they create. Through that art, we have an opportunity to learn how to change the world for the better.
