Sundance FF announces documentary selections for 2025 edition

Organisers of Sundance FF announced December 12 the 93 feature and episodic programme titles that will make up its 2025 programme. These include 10 films in World Cinema Doc Comp, ten films in US Documentary Comp, and a further 11 documentary titles in Premieres. Three doc series are selected for the festival’s Episodic strand.

The Festival will take place from January 23–February 2, 2025, in person in Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah, with all of the competition films and more available online from January 30–February 2, 2025, for audiences across the country.

“The Sundance Film Festival remains steadfast in its commitment to elevating unique and urgent voices in independent storytelling. Audiences can expect a 2025 program that showcases varied and vibrant filmmaking globally,” said Robert Redford, Sundance Institute Founder and President.

“For nearly a year our team has been preparing for today, the moment when we can finally reveal the filmmakers who, in a few short weeks, we’ll present at the 2025 edition of the Sundance Film Festival,” commented Eugene Hernandez, Director, Sundance Film Festival and Public Programming. “This year’s program is ready to meet our audiences, the industry, and the wider culture in a moment of many global questions. The works our artists will debut at our upcoming Festival will spark conversation and invite connection. We’re excited to be sharing these moments of discovery together with our communities soon and thankful to our artists for entrusting us with their stories.”

“This year’s program presents stories that confront many critical issues of our time, encouraging us to look both inward and outward. As always, we’re excited to introduce audiences to new voices, alongside new work from some familiar names,” said Kim Yutani, Sundance Film Festival Director of Programming. “Audiences at the Festival can not only look forward to engaging with the unexpected, but also to be entertained, challenged, and deeply moved by this year’s films.”

WORLD CINEMA DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION The 10 films in this section are all world premieres. 

• 2000 Meters to Andriivka (Ukraine – Director-Producer: Mstyslav Chernov, Producers: Michelle Mizner, Raney Aronson-Rath) — Amid the failing counteroffensive, a journalist follows a Ukrainian platoon on their mission to traverse one mile of heavily fortified forest and liberate a strategic village from Russian occupation. But the farther they advance through their destroyed homeland, the more they realize that this war may never end. 
• Coexistence, My Ass! (U.S.-France – Director-Producer: Amber Fares, Screenwriters: Rachel Leah Jones, Rabab Haj Yahya, Producer: Rachel Leah Jones, Valérie Montmartin) –– Comedian Noam Shuster Eliassi creates a personal and political one-woman show about the struggle for equality in Israel/Palestine. When the elusive coexistence she’s spent her life working toward starts sounding like a bad joke, she challenges her audiences with hard truths that are no laughing matter. 
• Cutting Through Rocks (اوزاک یوللار) (Iran-Germany-U.S.-Netherlands-Qatar-Chile-Canada – Directors and Producers: Sara Khaki, Mohammadreza Eyni) — As the first elected councilwoman of her Iranian village, Sara Shahverdi aims to break long-held patriarchal traditions by training teenage girls to ride motorcycles and stopping child marriages. When accusations arise questioning Sara’s intentions to empower the girls, her identity is put in turmoil.
• The Dating Game (U.S.-U.K.-Norway – Director-Producer: Violet Du Feng, Producers: Joanna Natasegara, James Costa, Mette Cheng Munthe-Kaas) –– In a country where eligible men greatly outnumber women, three perpetual bachelors join an intensive seven-day dating camp led by one of China’s most sought-after dating coaches in what may be their last-ditch effort to find love. 
• Endless Cookie (Canada – Directors and Screenwriters: Seth Scriver, Peter Scriver, Producers: Daniel Bekerman, Chris Yurkovich, Alex Ordanis, Jason Ryle, Seth Scriver) — Exploring the complex bond between two half brothers — one Indigenous, one white — traveling from the present in isolated Shamattawa to bustling 1980s Toronto. 
• GEN_ (France-Italy-Switzerland – Director-Screenwriter: Gianluca Matarrese, Screenwriter: Donatella Della Ratta, Producers: Dominique Barneaud, Donatella Palermo, Alexandre Iordachescu) — At Milan’s Niguarda public hospital, the unconventional Dr. Bini leads a bold mission overseeing aspiring parents undergoing in vitro fertilization and the journeys of individuals reconciling their bodies with their gender identities. He navigates the constraints set by a conservative government and an aggressive market eager to commodify bodies. 
• How to Build a Library (Kenya – Directors, Screenwriters and Producers: Maia Lekow, Christopher King, Screenwriter: Ricardo Acosta) — Two intrepid Nairobi women decide to transform what used to be a whites-only library until 1958 into a vibrant cultural hub. Along the way, they must navigate local politics, raise millions for the rebuild and confront the lingering ghosts of Kenya’s colonial past. 
• Khartoum (Sudan-U.K.-Germany-Qatar – Directors: Anas Saeed, Rawia Alhag, Ibrahim Snoopy Ahmad, Timeea Mohamed Ahmed, Phil Cox, Screenwriter: Phil Cox, Producers: Giovanna Stopponi, Talal Afifi) –– Forced to leave Sudan for East Africa following the outbreak of war, five citizens of Khartoum — a civil servant, a tea lady, a resistance committee volunteer and two young bottle collectors — reenact their stories of survival and freedom through dreams, revolution and civil war. 
• Mr. Nobody Against Putin (Denmark-Czech Republic – Director-Screenwriter: David Borenstein, Producer: Helle Faber) — As Russia launches its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, primary schools across Russia’s hinterlands are transformed into recruitment stages for the war. Facing the ethical dilemma of working in a system defined by propaganda and violence, a brave teacher goes undercover to film what’s really happening in his own school. 
• Prime Minister (USA -Directors: Michelle Walshe, Lindsay Utz, Producers: Cass Avery, Clarke Gayford, Leon Kirkbeck, Gigi Pritzker, Rachel Shane, Katie Peck) — A view inside the life of former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, capturing her through five tumultuous years in power and beyond as she redefined leadership on the world stage. 

U.S. DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION The 10 films in this section are all world premieres. 

• Andre Is an Idiot (Director: Anthony Benna, Producers: Andre Ricciardi, Tory Tunnell, Joshua Altman, Stelio Kitrilakis, Ben Cotner) — Andre, a brilliant idiot, is dying because he didn’t get a colonoscopy. His sobering diagnosis, complete irreverence and insatiable curiosity, send him on an unexpected journey learning how to die happily and ridiculously without losing his sense of humor. 
• Life After (Director: Reid Davenport, Producer: Colleen Cassingham) — In 1983, a disabled Californian woman named Elizabeth Bouvia sought the “right to die,” igniting a national debate about autonomy, dignity and the value of disabled lives. After years of courtroom trials, Bouvia disappeared from public view. Disabled director Reid Davenport narrates this investigation of what happened to Bouvia. 
• Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore (Director-Producer: Shoshannah Stern, Producers: Robyn Kopp, Justine Nagan, Bonni Cohen) — In 1987, Marlee Matlin became the first Deaf actor to win an Academy Award and was thrust into the spotlight at 21 years old. Reflecting on her life in her primary language of American Sign Language, Marlee explores the complexities of what it means to be a trailblazer. 
• The Perfect Neighbor (Director-Producer: Geeta Gandbhir, Producers: Nikon Kwantu, Alisa Payne, Sam Bisbee) — A seemingly minor neighborhood dispute in Florida escalates into deadly violence. Police bodycam footage and investigative interviews expose the consequences of Florida’s “stand your ground” laws. 
• Predators (Director-Producer: David Osit, Producers: Jamie Gonçalves, Kellen Quinn) — To Catch a Predator was a popular television show designed to hunt down child predators and lure them to a film set, where they would be interviewed and eventually arrested. An exploration of the scintillating rise and staggering fall of the show and the world it helped create. 
• Seeds (Director-Producer: Brittany Shyne, Producer: Danielle Varga) — An exploration of Black generational farmers in the American South reveals the fragility of legacy and the significance of owning land. 
• Selena y Los Dinos (Director: Isabel Castro, Producers: Julie Goldman, Christopher Clements, J. Daniel Torres, David Blackman, Simran Singh) — Selena Quintanilla — the “Queen of Tejano Music” — and her family band, Selena y Los Dinos, rose from performing at quinceañeras to selling out stadium tours. The celebration of her life and legacy is chronicled through never-before-seen footage from the family’s personal archive. Speak. (Directors and Producers: Jennifer Tiexiera, Guy Mossman, Producer: Pamela Griner) — Five top-ranked high school oratory students spend a year crafting spellbinding spoken word performances with the dream of winning one of the world’s largest and most intense public speaking competitions. 
• Sugar Babies (Director-Producer: Rachel Fleit, Producers: Mickey Liddell, Pete Shilaimon, Mehrdod Heydari) — Autumn is an enterprising college scholarship recipient and burgeoning TikTok influencer. Part of a close circle of friends growing up poor in rural Louisiana, she is determined to overcome the struggles and barriers defining them. Faced with limited minimum wage job options, Autumn devises an online sugar baby operation. Third Act (Director-Producer: Tadashi Nakamura, Producer: Eurie Chung) — Generations of artists call Robert A. Nakamura “the godfather of Asian American media,” but filmmaker Tadashi Nakamura calls him Dad. Robert’s diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease leads to an exploration of art, activism, grief and fatherhood. 

PREMIERES The documentary titles in this section are all world premieres. 

• April & Amanda (Director: Zackary Drucker, Producers: Madison Passarelli, Douglas Banker, Alex Garinger, Noah Levy, Donovan Lovell, Stephen B. Strout) –– Two legends contested their identities as women in the court of public opinion: April Ashley, who was immortalized as a trailblazer by embracing her transgender history; and Amanda Lear, who has consciously denied and obfuscated her history for decades. Their divergent paths reveal disparate but intertwined legacies. 
• Come See Me in the Good Light (Director-Producer: Ryan White, Producers: Jessica Hargrave, Tig Notaro, Stef Willen) –– Two poets, one incurable cancer diagnosis. Andrea Gibson and Megan Falley go on an unexpectedly funny and poignant journey through love, life and mortality. 
• Deaf President Now! (Directors-Producers: Nyle DiMarco, Davis Guggenheim, Producers: Jonathan King, Amanda Rohlke, Michael Harte) –– During eight tumultuous days in 1988 at the world’s only Deaf university, four students must find a way to lead an angry mob — and change the course of history. 
• Folktales (U.S.-Norway – Directors- Producers: Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady) –– On the precipice of adulthood, teenagers converge at a traditional folk high school in Arctic Norway. Dropped at the edge of the world, they must rely on only themselves, one another and a loyal pack of sled dogs as they all grow in unexpected directions. 
• Free Leonard Peltier (Director: Jesse Short Bull, Director-Producer: David France, Producers: Jhane Myers, Paul McGuire) –– Leonard Peltier, one of the surviving leaders of the American Indian Movement, has been in prison for 50 years following a contentious conviction. A new generation of Native activists is committed to winning his freedom before he dies. 
• Heightened Scrutiny (Director-Producer: Sam Feder, Producers: Amy Scholder, Paola Mendoza) –– Amid the surge in anti-trans legislation that Chase Strangio battles in the courtroom, he must also fight against media bias, exposing how the narratives in the press influence public perception and the fight for transgender rights. It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley (Director-Producer: Amy Berg, Producers: Ryan Heller, Christine Connor, Mandy Chang, Jennie Bedusa, Matthew Roozen) –– Rising musician Jeff Buckley had only released one album when he died suddenly in 1997. Now, never-before-seen footage, exclusive voice messages, and accounts from those closest to him offer a portrait of the captivating singer. 
• The Librarians (Director-Producer: Kim A. Snyder, Producers: Janique L. Robillard, Maria Cuomo Cole, Jana Edelbaum) –– As an unprecedented wave of book banning is sparked in Texas, Florida, and beyond, librarians under siege join forces as unlikely defenders fighting for intellectual freedom on the front lines of democracy. 
• Middletown (Directors, Screenwriters, and Producers: Jesse Moss, Amanda McBaine, Producers: Teddy Leifer, Florrie Priest, Danny Breen) –– Inspired by an unconventional teacher, a group of teenagers in upstate New York in the early 1990s made a student film that uncovered a vast conspiracy involving toxic waste that was poisoning their community. Thirty years later, they revisit their film and confront the legacy of this transformative experience. 
• Move Ya Body: The Birth of House (Director-Screenwriter: Elegance Bratton, Producer: Chester Algernal Gordon) –– Out of the underground dance clubs on the South Side of Chicago, a group of friends turn a new sound into a global movement. 
• Sally (Director-Screenwriter-Producer: Cristina Costantini, Screenwriter: Tom Maroney, Producers: Lauren Cioffi, Dan Cogan, Jon Bardin) –– Sally Ride became the first American woman to blast off into space, but beneath her unflappable composure was a secret. Sally’s life partner, Tam O’Shaughnessy, reveals their hidden romance and the sacrifices that accompanied their 27 years together. 
• Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius) (Director: Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, Producers: Joseph Patel, Derik Murray) –– An examination of the life and legacy of Sly & The Family Stone — the groundbreaking band led by the charismatic and enigmatic Sly Stone — captures the band’s rise, reign, and subsequent fadeout while shedding light on the unseen burden that comes with success for Black artists in America. 

EPISODIC The two doc series in this section are world premieres.

• Bucks County, USA (Directors-Executive Producers: Barry Levinson, Robert May, Executive Producer: Jason Sosnoff) –– Evi and Vanessa, two 14-year-olds living in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, are best friends despite their opposing political beliefs. As nationwide disputes over public education explode into vitriol and division in their hometown, the girls and others in the community fight to discover the humanity in “the other side.” Five-part docu-series, screening episodes one and two.
• Pee-wee as Himself (Director: Matt Wolf, Producer: Emma Tillinger Koskoff) –– A chronicle of the life of artist and performer Paul Reubens and his alter ego Pee-wee Herman. Prior to his recent death, Reubens spoke in-depth about his creative influences, and the personal struggles he faced to persevere as an artist. Two-part documentary, screening in its entirety.

Episodic Pilot Showcase:

• Never Get Busted! (Australia – Showrunners: David Anthony Ngo, Erin Williams-Weir, Executive Producers: John Battsek, Chris Smith) –– Barry Cooper was a highly decorated Texas narcotics officer — until he turned on the police force by busting crooked cops and teaching drug users how to hide their stash. Cast: Barry Cooper. 

SPOTLIGHT This section, presented by Audible, consists of films that have already premiered at other festivals. The one selected doc is:

• One to One: John & Yoko (U.K. – Director-Producer: Kevin Macdonald, Producers: Peter Worsley, Alice Webb) –– An exploration of the seminal and transformative 18 months that one of music’s most famous couples — John Lennon and Yoko Ono — spent living in Greenwich Village, New York City, in the early 1970s. 

SPECIAL SCREENINGS “One-of-a-kind moments” highlighting new independent works.

• The Six Billion Dollar Man (Director: Eugene Jarecki, Producer: Kathleen Fournier) — Julian Assange faced a possible 175 years in prison for exposing U.S. war crimes until events took a turn in this landmark case. (Documentary) Available online.

FROM THE COLLECTION: Restorations 

• Unzipped (Director: Douglas Keeve, Producer: Michael Alden) — The documentary will be shown as a brand new digital restoration from a 4K scan of the 35mm interpositive and DA-88 audio files. Director Douglas Keeve goes behind the scenes of designer Isaac Mizrahi’s relentless drive and bold vision to bring his 1994 collection to life. From sketches to runway, this insider’s journey is packed with backstage drama, creative triumphs, and iconic supermodels, including Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, and Linda Evangelista.