John Cooper is the emeritus director of the Sundance Film Festival, a role he stepped into this summer after serving as Festival director from 2010 to 2020. He originally joined Sundance Institute in 1989.
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The post The Pride of the Sundance Film Festival: 400 LGBTQ+ Films to Watch This June (and…
[Editor’s note: This piece was originally published on December 14, 2022 during the World Cup. Today we’re resharing it to celebrate the start of the 2026 World Cup. Lace up your cleats!] By Shahnaz Mahmud Goaaaallll! This word is echoing across the world as the 2022 FIFA World Cup is fully underway. Every four years […]
The post From “Captains of Za’atari” to “Kicking It”: How Soccer on…
Another blog worth following. IMHO.
Laura Dern at the 1986 Sundance Institute Directors Lab (Photo by Eric Edwards) By Lucy Spicer It takes a village to bring together the Sundance
The post Resource Actors Throughout the Years at Sundance Institute’s Directors Lab first appeared on sundance.org.
A still from “The Doom Generation” by Gregg Araki (Courtesy of Sundance Institute) By Lucy Spicer Have you checked out our Sundance Film Festival 101 list yet? We know that 101 titles might seem daunting to tackle, so we’re back with another watchlist lifted from those 101 pivotal films, and this one’s just in time […]
The post Sundance Film Festival 101: Films by LGBTQ+ Directors first appeared…
Eight Projects to Be Developed at Directors Lab, 10 Projects to Be Supported Online at Screenwriters Lab LOS ANGELES, CA, June 9, 2026 — The
The post Meet the Bold Filmmakers Shaping the Future at Sundance Institute’s 2026 Directors and Screenwriters Labs first appeared on sundance.org.
By Jessica Herndon One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festival is having a front-row seat for the bright future of independent filmmaking. While we can learn a lot about the filmmakers from the Sundance Film Festival through the art that these storytellers share with us, there’s always more we can learn […]
The post Give Me the Backstory: Get to Know Laura Casabé, the…
By Lucy Spicer One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festival is having a front-row seat for the bright future of independent filmmaking. While we can learn a lot about the filmmakers from the 2025 Sundance Film Festival through the art that these storytellers share with us, there’s always more we can […]
The post Give Me the Backstory: Get to Know Vladimir de Fontenay, the…
New global program empowers and supports storytellers through scriptwriting course and access to industry experts TikTok and Sundance Institute today announced a new micro-series writing program through Sundance Collab, Sundance Institute’s digital learning and community platform, to support the next generation of creator-led short-form storytelling for digital audiences. Launching today, the…
Retrieval still courtesy of Tribeca. By Jessica Herndon This year, the Tribeca Festival returns to New York City with another stacked lineup of premieres and can’t-miss cinematic moments. Running June 3–14, the festival will bring together bold storytellers and cinephiles eager to share and catch the latest in indie film. And among this year’s offerings […]
The post Film Festival Watch: Catch…
Most people familiar with the internet know the HTTP protocol, the one that retrieves and displays our www websites. HTTP was initiated in 1989 and went from there. Gopher is another web protocol, like HTTP. It was introduced in mid 1991, but it fell out of favor later, to HTTP. Some more on Gopher is […]
(L–R) Stacy Clausen and Joe Bird attend the “Leviticus” Premiere during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival at The Ray Theatre on January 23, 2026, in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images) By Adam Silverstein As Leviticus begins at the Ray Theatre, it’s already clear this isn’t a gentle midnight screening. There are no […]
The post “Leviticus” Turns First Love Into Midnight Horror…
Olivia Wilde, Seth Rogen, Penélope Cruz, and Edward Norton appear in “The Invite” by Olivia Wilde, an official selection of the 2026 Sundance Film Festival. (Courtesy of Sundance Institute) By Lucy Spicer We might remember the 2026 Sundance Film Festival as if it were yesterday, but a glance at the calendar reveals that we’ve hit […]
The post Release Rundown: What to Watch in June, From…
I read yesterday that several blogging platforms are integrating the "AT protocol" or whatever it's called that powers services like Bluesky and the like, and one of those was WordPress. So today's post is primarily a big ol' test to see whether or not that functionality, implemented via the ATmosphere plugin, actually works, and whether...
Director Sara Dosa's new film explores a present-day Iceland impacted by climate change and ponders connections to both past and future.
The post “Time and Water” Is a Moving Portrait of Family History and a Warming Iceland first appeared on sundance.org.
Director Sterlin Harjo and creative advisor Mike White at the 2004 Screenwriters Lab. By Jessica Herndon As the Sundance Institute Directors Lab turns 45, we’re celebrating this milestone by highlighting filmmakers who are an integral part of its legacy. Through this special series, we dive deep into the stories of directors who began their narrative […]
The post Directors Lab at 45: Sterlin…
Director Sara Dosa and producer Shane Boris talk about “Fire of Love” at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival: London. [Editor’s Note: This piece was originally published in 2022. We’re resharing this feature to celebrate the upcoming release of her new documentary Time and Water, which premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival.] By Vanessa Zimmer […]
The post Sara Dosa: How the Sundance…
Five days ago, on May 20, 2026, WordPress 7.0 “Armstrong” shipped. Named after jazz legend Louis Armstrong—the man who transformed jazz from an orchestral art form into a solo act—this release carries weight that matches its namesake. WordPress 7 doesn’t just add features. It reframes what the platform fundamentally is. After an unusually quiet 2025, […]
The post WordPress 7 Is the Most…
Pictured: John Carney’s “Sing Street,” which premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival. By Lucy Spicer Summer is a special time for film lovers — and not just because movie theaters have been cooling us down with air conditioning for about 100 years now. We can always count on the summer slate of new releases […]
The post Get to Know This Summer’s Filmmakers Through These 18 Sundance…
Heather Matarazzo as Dawn Wiener in Todd Solondz’s “Welcome to the Dollhouse” (Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics) By Lucy Spicer At Sundance Institute, we’re always in awe of the power independent film has to bring people together. That’s why we love asking filmmakers to name their favorite Sundance Institute–supported projects, both in our “Give Me […]
The post Filmmakers’ Favorites: Sundance…
By Jessica Herndon The line wrapped around the building outside Denver’s Landmark Mayan Theater, a steady hum of anticipation building as nearly 400 guests filed in for a sold-out, early look at I Love Boosters, Boots Riley’s latest film hosted by the Sundance Institute. Inside, the energy was electric. Fans who had just met Riley […]
The post Boots Riley Unpacks His Vision of Power, Style, and…
(L–R) Midori Francis and Natalie Erika James attend the “Saccharine” premiere during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival at The Ray Theatre on January 22, 2026, in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images for Sundance Film Festival) By Lucy Spicer “This one obscure weight loss trick helps shed pounds instantly!” You’ve probably seen ad […]
The post A Morbid Weight Loss Trick Triggers an…
A buzzy opening-day screening at the Eccles Theater, "Tuner" lands laughs, gasps and real momentum.
The post Dustin Hoffman and Leo Woodall Bring the Noise in Daniel Roher’s “Tuner” first appeared on sundance.org.
By Jessica Herndon One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festival is having a front-row seat for the bright future of independent filmmaking. While we can learn a lot about the filmmakers from the 2026 Sundance Film Festival through the art that these storytellers share with us, there’s always more we can […]
The post Give Me the Backstory: Get to Know Natalie Erika James, the…
A still from “Past Lives” by Celine Song, an official selection of the Premieres program at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. (Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Jon Pack) By Lucy Spicer Back in November, the Sundance Film Festival programming team compiled a watchlist as a crash course for anyone who wants to familiarize […]
The post Your Next Double Feature: “Old Joy” and “Past Lives”…
By Jessica Herndon One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festival is having a front-row seat for the bright future of independent filmmaking. While we can learn a lot about the filmmakers from the 2025 Sundance Film Festival through the art that these storytellers share with us, there’s always more we can […]
The post Give Me the Backstory: Get to Know Chloé Robichaud, the…
Molly Gordon and Ben Platt appear in “Theater Camp.” (Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures) By Lucy Spicer Her character is the beloved founder of the AdirondACTS theater camp. She’s mother to one son and mentor to hundreds of campers over the years, some of whom go on to become camp instructors themselves. The film’s first intertitles […]
The post A Mother’s Day Toast to Joan Rubinsky in “Theater…
PARK CITY, UTAH – JANUARY 28: (L-R) Gregg Araki and Joseph Gordon Levitt attend the Park City Legacy Screening of “Mysterious Skin” during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival at Library Center Theatre on January 28, 2026 in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images) By Bailey Pennick Warning: This feature contains spoilers about the […]
The post Gregg Araki’s “Mysterious Skin” Is Still a…
(L–R) Juliette Gariépy, Mani Soleymanlou, Karine Gonthier-Hyndman, Chloé Robichaud, Laurence Leboeuf, and Sophie Nélisse attend the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of “Two Women” at The Ray Theatre on January 25, 2025 in Park City, UT. (Photo by Robin Marshall/Shutterstock for Sundance Film Festival) By Shelby Shaw “Do I still have a voice?” director Chloé Robichaud […]
The post “Two Women”…
A still from “The Farewell” By Vanessa Zimmer Each May, we celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month across the United States. At the Sundance Institute, we find this month a good time to appreciate and honor the AAPI voices in independent film. We particularly enjoy combing through our archives and rediscovering those films […]
The post 11 Films by Asian American and Pacific…