After a hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Sundance Film Festival is back in Salt Lake City this year. The festival is offering both virtual and in-person attendance, but is prioritizing in-person; the festival wants to bring people back to Park City for the experience, though patrons will be able to watch quality films either way. The festival will take place from January 19 – January 29, 2023. The Movie Buff is covering Sundance, brining you full and capsule reviews, interviews, and more.
There are a number of in-person and online ticket options for consumers, but regrettably at this point, most of the packages are sold out. There are still a few remaining: single screening, in-person tickets are still available for $25 each. On the online side, single screening virtual tickets are available, as is the ‘Explorer Pass,’ which unlocks six days of immersive access to online ‘Indie Episodic’ screenings. The online only single film tickets are also still available for $20 a piece. Click here to buy Sundance tickets.
The Various Programs and What to Watch
The program guide will feature an immersive and eclectic film experience as usual. Attendees and journalists can expect to see awarding films from the following categories: U.S. Dramatic Competition, U.S. Documentary Competition, World Cinema Dramatic Competition, World Cinema Documentary Competition, NEXT, Midnight, Premieres, New Frontier, Spotlight, Kids, Special Screenings, Short Film Program, Indie Episodic Program, From the Collection, and Award Winners.
Here, we list our 12 most anticipated films/premieres of the festival. Note: we have not watched any trailers for the films. Continuous festival coverage of films and programs during the festival’s run will be found on The Movie Buff. If you have any questions or comments, use the ‘contact us’ link at the top of the menu. For more information about Sundance, visit festival.sundance.org.
*Sundance 2023 will be covered by Hector Gonzalez and Mark Ziobro. Picks 1-6 were written and compiled by Mark, and picks 7-12 were written and compiled by Hector.
1. ‘Deep Rising’ (Dir., Mattieu Rytz; produced/narrated by Jason Momoa, ‘Premieres’)
“Deep Rising” is a scientific and necessary film. Firstly, it’s the return of Director and Photographer Matthieu Rytz to Sundance (he previously had “Anote’s Ark” show at the festival). Secondly, the film is narrated by Actor Jason Momoa, who has been an ardent voice for ocean conservation in his private life, apart from his turn as ‘Aquaman’ in the DC Universe films. The film examines the destruction deep sea extractions (both oil and precious metals used for batteries) can have, and looks to ask why human beings don’t instead work on developing terrestrial alternatives. The film premieres in-person on January 20th and online on January 22nd.
2. ‘Other People’s Children’ (Dir., Rebecca Zlotowski, ‘Spotlight’ program)
Rebecca Zlotowski’s 5th feature, “Other People’s Children,” is next on the list, which premiered in 2022 at the Venice Film Festival. As a stepfather myself this film looks very intriguing, centering on a woman who doesn’t realize how strong her maternal longings are until she meets a charming divorcé and falls in love with both him and his daughter. It looks to be a particularly emotionally moving picture, commenting on love, motherhood, and more. The film premieres in-person on January 20th and online on January 24th.
3. ‘Fancy Dance’ (Dir., Erica Tremblay, ‘U.S. Dramatic Competition’)
Sundance indicates that “Fancy Dance” announces the directorial arrival of Erica Tremblay, at least in a feature film. Her short film, “Little Chief,” premiered at the festival in 2020. Tremblay has also done work on Season 2 of “Reservation Dogs,” which just gives more reason for us to check out “Fancy Dance.” The film seeks to comment on the harm caused by the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women epidemic and promises mystery, intrigue, and emotion. The film premieres in-person on January 20th and online on January 24th.
4. ‘Bad Behavior’ (Dir., Alice Englert, ‘World Cinema Dramatic Competition’)
“Bad Behaviour” is Director Alice Englert’s feature film debut, starring Jennifer Connelly, Ben Wishaw, and the director herself. Following in the wake of many movies of late that seek to explore double standards and toxic traits through satire, the film look to be an interesting addition. I like the concept of a person with unhealthy coping mechanisms being forced to confront her behavior, and I’m a fan of both Connelly and Wishaw. The film hails from New Zealand and hints at an indie feel to it that just draws me to it even more. “Bad Behaviour” premieres in-person on January 21st and online January 24th.
5. ‘Shayda’ (Dir., Noori Niasari, ‘World Cinema Dramatic Competition’)
Coming to the festival from Australia, “Shayda,” by Director Noori Niasari, looks to be a great addition to this year’s Sundance. First, the film seems to draw from Director Niasari’s life, as, like the principal character the film follows is an Iranian-born woman who grew up in Australia. It’s a debut feature, and explores divorce, motherhood, and new starts. It also examines fear and patriarchy, and seeks to be an emotional counterpart to both Irans own “A Separation” and Eugenio Derbez’ Spanish film “Instructions Not Included.” The film premieres in-person on January 19th and online on January 24th.
6. ‘It’s Only Life After All’ (Dir., Alexandria Bombach, ‘Premieres’ program)
This film just looks like a lot of fun. “It’s Only Life After All” is the second film by Director Alexandria Bombach to premiere at Sundance (her documentary “On Her Shoulders” premiered in 2018, winning the ‘U.S. Documentary Directing Award’). The film follows the rock duo The Indigo Girls — Amy Ray and Emily Sailers — and offers a look at their career, their ups and downs, awards, memorable moments, and more. The film contains camcorder footage, doubtless nostalgia, and a look at true, independent artists. “It’s Only Life After All” premieres in-person on January 19th and is unfortunately not available online.
7. ‘The Disappearance of Shere Hite’ (Dir., Nicole Newnham, ‘U.S. Documentary Competition’)
One of the things I admire about the Sundance Film Festival is its knack for finding extraordinary documentaries from across the world and on various topics. In the past few years, we have seen the likes of “Summer of Soul,” “Fire of Love,” “Flee,” “Descendant,” “Dick Johnson is Dead,” “All That Breathes,” and “The Territory.” And now, one of the most interesting ones in the documentary slate is by Director Nicole Newnham, “The Disappearance of Shere Hite.” Admittedly, I don’t know much about the subject, almost nothing in comparison with other people who have read the book or done their research. Still, I trust Newnham’s excellent documentarian vision, as seen in her previous work, “Crip Camp.” The film premieres in-person on January 20th and online on January 24th.
8. ‘The Eight Mountains’ (Dir., Felix van Groeningen, Charlotte Vandermeersch, ‘Spotlight’ Program)
After winning the Cannes Film Festival’s ‘Grand Jury Prize,’ I finally get to see Felix van Groeningen and Charlotte Vandermeersch’s “The Eight Mountains.” Although this is Charlotte Vandermeersch’s directorial debut, this isn’t the case with Felix van Groeningen. He has delivered works like “The Broken Circle Breakdown” and the Timothee Chalamet-led “Beautiful Boy,” which ended up as a disappointing Oscar-bait affair. Nevertheless, I’m eager to see this film because of the festival praise it has received, and its source material is well regarded. The story behind two men who have faced everything together during their childhood, later disappearing and reconnecting as adults, seems fascinating and thematically (hopefully) rich. The film premieres in-person on January 20th and online on January 24th.
9. ‘In My Mother’s Skin’ (Dir., Kenneth Lim Dagatan, ‘Midnight’ Program)
In addition to Brandon Cronenberg’s “Infinity Pool,” another ‘Midnight’ selection people should look out for is Kenneth Lim Dagatan’s “In My Mother’s Skin.” While horror fans know the filmmaker by his 2018 feature, “Ma,” his latest would probably position him more into the spotlight. There are a lot of intriguing facets in this film, but one thing that I started to notice from its brief synopsis is that it seems pretty reminiscent of Guillermo del Toro’s magnum opus, “Pan’s Labyrinth.” And that isn’t a bad thing at all; on the contrary, it gets me even more excited to see how Kenneth Lim Dagatan tackles Filipino folklore and blends it with a ghostly fairy tale. The film premieres in-person on January 21st. The film is not available for online viewing.
10. ‘Infinity Pool’ (Dir., Brandon Cronenberg, ‘Midnight’ program)
The “headliner” of this year’s Sundance Film Festival ‘Midnight’ selection is one of the most anticipated horror follow-ups this year in Brandon Cronenberg’s “Infinity Pool.” So why am I (and you) should be excited about this picture? Well, first of all… if you have seen his previous feature, “Possessor” (2020), you know that he’s a very talented and visionary director, just like his father, David Cronenberg. Of course, he hasn’t reached his heights, but each time around, Brandon delivers unique and thought-provoking gifts of body horror delights. And, without a doubt, “Infinity Pool” will be any different, thanks to its outstanding cast (Alexander Skarsgård, Mia Goth, Cleopatra Coleman) and team (Cinematographer Karim Hussain, Editor James Vandewater) behind it. The sci-fi horror trip has me more than excited… I’m ecstatic! The film premieres in-person on January 22nd. The film is not available for online viewing.
11. ‘La Pecera (The Fishbowl)’ (Dir., Glorimar Marrero Sánchez, ‘World Cinema Dramatic Competition’)
Apart from its interesting premise, the main reason why I’m excited to see “The Fishbowl” (“La Pecera,” in its original Spanish title), and want to shine a light on it, is that a Puerto Rican cast and crew made it. I’m from Puerto Rico, so it gets me really excited to see a film from my island being showcased at a film festival of Sundance’s stature. Hopefully, plenty of people will see this film, and we will get to hear more about Glomiar Marrero Sánchez and the team behind this film after its premiere. The blend of blissfulness in the island’s beauty and abruptness in the film’s topics is an aspect I’m looking forward to when watching “La Pecera.” The film premieres in-person on January 23rd and online on January 24th.
12. ‘Slow’ (Dir., Marija Kavtaradze, ‘World Cinema Dramatic Competition’)
In the ‘World Cinema Dramatic Competition,’ there’s Marija Kavtaradze’s sophomore feature, “Slow.” The main reason why I’m excited to see this film is that there’s an aspect of dance in it. It may not be much of a pull for most people, but I think that dance is the most expressive art form, where each movement has more than a handful of meanings, and it all leads o an emotional story. Attached to those scenes of expressionistic maneuvers, Kavtaradze showcases her muscular intimacy skills through the eyes of its two leads, Greta Grinevičiūtė and Kęstutis Cicėnas. “Slow” seems like a lovely story of two people learning to connect through the complicated and often stubborn assets. The film premieres in-person on January 21st and online on January 24th.
Join us for continuous coverage of the festival, beginning January 19th. We welcome comments, and hope that you get a chance to check out some of these film titles.
