New York Women in Film & Television is proud to announce that 10 of our members are involved in 10 films that have been selected for the 2026 Sundance Film Festival Program.
The Sundance Film Festival will take place in person January 22 – February 1, 2026. Online festival screenings will be available from January 29 – February 1, 2026. Passes and packages are currently on sale and can be purchased here.
“This impressive slate of projects premiering at Sundance is a powerful testament to the bold storytelling, artistic rigor, and resilience of NYWIFT members,” said NYWIFT CEO Cynthia Lopez. “From intimate personal narratives to urgent cultural examinations, these films reflect the depth and range of voices within our community, and the vital role women and gender-expansive creators continue to play in shaping the future of film and television.”
See the full festival program!
The films below are organized by category. Click the film titles for further details, showtimes, and ticket options.
U.S. Dramatic Competition
Courtesy of Sundance Institute
Bedford Park
Extras Casting Assistant – NYWIFT Member Katherine Filaseta
Key Assistant Location Manager – NYWIFT Member Katarina Dedicova
Haunted by an abusive childhood, Audrey, a Korean American woman in her 30s, faces her emotional past. When her mother’s car accident brings her back to her parents’ home, she meets the man responsible for the accident. Their relationship builds, passions ignite, and they form a loving connection.
Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Tandem Pictures
Run Amok
Camera Operator – NYWIFT Member Laela Kilbourn
A teenage girl stages an elaborate musical about the one day her high school wishes it could forget.
US Documentary Competition
Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Jackson Montemayor
Seized
Executive Producer – NYWIFT Member Ruth Ann Harnisch
When the small town of Marion, Kansas, is thrust into the international spotlight after a police raid on the Marion County Record and the death of its 98-year-old co-owner, a fierce debate ignites about the abuse of power, journalistic ethics, local journalism, and the United States Constitution.
Family Matinee
Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Alysa Nahmias
Cookie Queens
Executive Producer – NYWIFT Member Ruth Ann Harnisch
It’s Girl Scout Cookie season, and four tenacious girls strive to be a top-selling “Cookie Queen,” navigating an $800 million business in which childhood and ambition collide.
Next
Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by William D. Caballero
TheyDream
Writer/Director/Producer/DP/Animator/Editor – NYWIFT Member William David Caballero
Consulting Producer – NYWIFT Member Louis E. Perego Moreno
After 20 years of chronicling his Puerto Rican family, a director and his mother face devastating losses. Through tears and laughter, they craft animations that bring their loved ones back to life, discovering that every act of creation is also an act of letting go.
Premieres
Courtesy of Sundance Institute
The Brittney Griner Story
Producer – NYWIFT Member Carolyn Hepburn
Explores the circumstances that led to Brittney Griner playing basketball outside the U.S. despite being one of the best players in the sport, including her harrowing detainment, unwavering determination to secure her freedom, and her advocacy for the release of other wrongful detainees.
Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Reuters / Jean-Paul Pelissier
The Oldest Person in the World
Associate Producer – NYWIFT Member Elivia Shaw
A decade-long global journey chronicles the ever-changing record holders of the title of oldest person alive. What begins as a portrait of longevity becomes a meditation on the passage of time, the randomness of fate, and the joy and profound human experience of being alive.
U.S. Fiction Short Films
Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Leo Zhang
Crisis Actor
Production Sound Mixer – NYWIFT Member Jamie Kiernan O’Brien
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.
Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Sophie Seyd
Gender Studies
Director & Writer – NYWIFT Member Jamie Kiernan O’Brien
When a trans college student learns the girl she idolizes is sleeping with their teaching assistant, she takes drastic steps to emulate her.
Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Barton Cortright
Stairs
Supervising Producer – NYWIFT Member Clara Peterson
A woman’s life unravels after she becomes addicted to throwing herself down flights of stairs.
