This was a signature year of short films at Sundance. Four program tracks highlight the incredible spectrum of approaches in this compact format. For The Utah Review’s feature reviews about the remainder of the short film slate, see these links: Animated Short Film Program, Documentary Short Film Program, Midnight Short Film Program and Short Film … Read more
One of the most important considerations for any arts critic and reviewer is to ponder the role that new work plays in the democratization of society. For any critic to embrace a genuine role as a public intellectual when commenting on the arts and culture, that individual must set aside their personal tastes and view … Read more
Comedy also has its place on this year’s Sundance slate, including the feature-length Hot Water and three selections in the Episodic Fiction Pilot Showcase. A boilerplate road comedy but anchored with some unique features to captivate the audience’s attention, Hot Water is a Sundance feature-length narrative debut for director and screenwriter Ramzi Bashour. Utahns also … Read more
The septet of juried offerings in the second track of the Sundance Short Film program reiterate the strength of this year’s slate in this cinematic format, particularly in the quality of acting across the board. Seniors, directed by Adam Curley, shows promise as a comedic feature-length film. It is the morning of the day when … Read more
With different subjects and geographical locations, three Sundance Film Festival documentaries are masterfully crafted contemplations of our greatest contemporary moral and ethical responsibilities, when considered together. ONE IN A MILLION One In A Million (directed by Itab Azzam and Jack MacInnes) is an exceptional documentary. The documentary chronicles the experiences of Isra’a from her preteen … Read more
After making her Sundance debut in the Midnight Short Program with the short narrative Prime, also her first film as a director, Meagan Coyle says she still eats meat and she still feels bad about it. Prime is a deliciously sardonic comedy about how ethical consumption is defined, the privilege of those who champion its … Read more
The ‘Not AI’ motif comes through robustly in the urgent tone of the punk aesthetic approach that propels Valerie Veatch’s documentary Ghost in the Machine. Previously, her Sundance-premiering films Me @ The Zoo (HBO) and Love Child 사이버 사랑 (HBO) examined how new technologies reshape our conceptions and perceptions identity, power and culture. In her … Read more
Superbly demonstrated in an octet of animated films as part of this year’s 2026 Sundance short film program, a viewer should never underestimate the emotional power that can be expressed through animation. The films comprised a first-class cinematic tasting menu.The opener, 1981, rightly tickled the audience. This naughty and very witty death-of-innocence story, inspired by … Read more
After casting producers interviewed hundreds of Girl Scouts for the making of the Cookie Queens documentary and whittled down the list, director Alysa Nahmias interviewed dozens as potential subjects for what has turned out to be an enchanting upbeat story for Sundance audiences. “I asked the kids if they could sell cookies anywhere in the … Read more
Whatever collaborating powers that can make it happen, The Lake documentary, which has received a full-bodied positive response at its Sundance premiere, should be made available for viewing by every single Utahn, including the 104 members of the Utah Legislature’s two chambers. Directed by Abby Ellis, the film approaches the Great Salt Lake’s existential crisis, … Read more