Sundance Film Festival 2023
This is a list of all the movies I have seen from Sundance 2023, in chronological viewing order (see also the titles remaining on my pre-festival interest list and my Top Picks list). Films #1-#8 were seen before the festival; #9 -#36 were watched in Park City; and #37-#45 watched online after returning home via the online viewing platform. #46 onwards will be post-festival catch-ups.
It was great festival and we pretty much loved everything we saw. My festival favourites seen during the 2023 festival (in viewing order) are Radical (2023), Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie (2023), Cat Person (2023), A Thousand and One (2023), Rye Lane (2023), and Eileen (2023) with honourable mentions (in viewing order) for Shortcomings (2023), Bad Behaviour (2023), Polite Society (2023), The Persian Version (2023), A Little Prayer (2023), and Young. Wild. Free. (2023).
It was great festival and we pretty much loved everything we saw. My festival favourites seen during the 2023 festival (in viewing order) are Radical (2023), Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie (2023), Cat Person (2023), A Thousand and One (2023), Rye Lane (2023), and Eileen (2023) with honourable mentions (in viewing order) for Shortcomings (2023), Bad Behaviour (2023), Polite Society (2023), The Persian Version (2023), A Little Prayer (2023), and Young. Wild. Free. (2023).
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66 titles
- DirectorSian HederStarsEmilia JonesMarlee MatlinTroy KotsurAs a CODA (Child of Deaf Adults) Ruby is the only hearing person in her deaf family. When the family's fishing business is threatened, Ruby finds herself torn between pursuing her passion at Berklee College of Music and her fear of abandoning her parents.Originally seen at virtual Sundance
- 20211h 58mPG-138.0 (14K)96MetascoreDirectorQuestloveStarsDorinda DrakeBarbara Bland-AcostaDarryl LewisDocumentary about the legendary 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival which celebrated African-American music and culture and promoted Black pride and unity.Originally seen at virtual Sundance
- DirectorMaryna Er GorbachStarsOksana CherkashynaSergey ShadrinOleg ShcherbinaAfter flight MH17 crashes in eastern Ukraine, violent tensions disrupt the lives of an expecting couple living in Donetsk.Originally seen at virtual Sundance
- DirectorDaniel RoherStarsAlexei NavalnyYulia NavalnayaChristo GrozevFollows the man who survived an assassination attempt by poisoning with a lethal nerve agent in August 2020. During his months-long recovery he makes shocking discoveries about the attempt on his life and decides to return home.Originally seen at virtual Sundance
- DirectorFelix van GroeningenCharlotte VandermeerschStarsLupo BarbieroCristiano SassellaElena LiettiAn epic journey of friendship and self-discovery set in the breathtaking Italian Alps, The Eight Mountains follows over four decades the profound, complex relationship between Pietro and Bruno.Originally seen at Cannes
- DirectorSaim SadiqStarsAli JunejoRasti FarooqAlina KhanThe youngest son in a traditional Pakistani family takes a job as a backup dancer in a Bollywood-style burlesque and quickly becomes infatuated with the strong-willed trans woman who runs the show.Originally seen at TIFF
- DirectorRebecca ZlotowskiStarsVirginie EfiraRoschdy ZemChiara MastroianniA childless woman forms a deep bond with her boyfriend's young daughter.Originally seen at TIFF
- DirectorToby GenkelFlorian WestermannStarsHugh LaurieEmilia ClarkeDavid ThewlisA streetwise cat and his gang of rats come up with the perfect money making scheme.Originally seen via the BAFTA voting platform
- DirectorRachel LambertStarsDaisy RidleyDave MerhejeParvesh CheenaFran, who likes to think about dying, makes the new guy at work laugh, which leads to dating and more. Now the only thing standing in their way is Fran herself.
- DirectorAndrew DurhamStarsEmilia JonesScoot McNairyNessa DoughertyA young girl recounts growing up in San Francisco in the '70s and '80s with her gay dad.
- DirectorDavis GuggenheimStarsMichael J. FoxDavis GuggenheimTracy PollanFollows the life of beloved actor and advocate Michael J. Fox, exploring his personal and professional triumphs and travails, and what happens when an incurable optimist confronts an incurable disease.
- DirectorSophie BarthesStarsEmilia ClarkeChiwetel EjioforRosalie CraigIn a not-so-distant future, tech giant Pegazus offers couples the opportunity to share their pregnancies via detachable artificial wombs or pods. And so begins Rachel and Alvy's wild ride to parenthood in this brave new world.
- DirectorChristopher ZallaStarsEugenio DerbezDaniel HaddadJennifer TrejoA teacher in a Mexican border town full of neglect, corruption, and violence, tries a radical new method to unlock their students' curiosity, potential - and maybe even their genius.
- DirectorElijah BynumStarsJonathan MajorsHarrison PageHarriet Sansom HarrisA Black amateur bodybuilder struggles to find human connection in this exploration of celebrity and violence.
- DirectorNida ManzoorStarsPriya KansaraRitu AryaRenu BrindleRia Khan believes she must save her older sister Lena from her impending marriage. After enlisting her friends' help, she attempts to pull off the most ambitious of all wedding heists in the name of independence and sisterhood.
- DirectorLaurel ParmetStarsEliza ScanlenLewis PullmanJimmi Simpson17-year-old Jem Starling struggles with her place within her Christian fundamentalist community. But everything changes when her magnetic youth pastor Owen returns to their church.
- DirectorErica TremblayStarsLily GladstoneIsabel Deroy-OlsonRyan BegayFollowing her sister's disappearance, a Native American hustler kidnaps her niece from the child's white grandparents and sets out for the state powwow in hopes of keeping what is left of their family intact.
- DirectorSusanna FogelStarsEmilia JonesNicholas BraunGeraldine ViswanathanWhen Margot, a college sophomore, goes on a date with the older Robert, she finds that he doesn't live up to the Robert she has been flirting with over texts. A razor-sharp exploration of the horrors of dating.
- DirectorIra SachsStarsFranz RogowskiBen WhishawAdèle ExarchopoulosA gay couple's marriage is thrown into crisis when one of them impulsively begins a passionate affair with a young woman.
- DirectorVuk Lungulov-KlotzStarsLio MehielCole DomanMiMi RyderWithin the space of 24 hours, Feña is swept through the extremes of human emotion when people who seemed to disappear when he transitioned are suddenly back in his life.
- DirectorCory FinleyStarsAsante BlackkTiffany HaddishKylie RogersWhen an occupying alien species' bureaucratic rule and advanced technology leaves most of Earth impoverished and unemployed, two teenagers hatch a risky plan to ensure their families' futures.
- DirectorRandall ParkStarsJustin H. MinSherry ColaAlly MakiFollows a trio of young, Bay Area urbanites--Ben Tanaka, Miko Hayashi and Alice Kim--as they navigate a range of interpersonal relationships while traversing the country in search of the ideal connection.
- DirectorAlice EnglertStarsJennifer ConnellyAlice EnglertAna ScotneyA former child actress seeking enlightenment at a retreat led by a spiritual leader navigates the close but turbulent relationship with her daughter.
- DirectorRoger Ross WilliamsStarsGael García BernalRoberta ColindrezPerla De La RosaFollows the true story of Cassandro, the ''exotico'' character created by Saúl Armendáriz, gay amateur wrestler from El Paso who rose to international stardom.
- DirectorNicole HolofcenerStarsAmber TamblynDavid CrossTobias MenziesA novelist's longstanding marriage is suddenly upended when she overhears her husband giving his honest reaction to her latest book.
- DirectorChloe DomontStarsPhoebe DynevorAlden EhrenreichEddie MarsanAn unexpected promotion at a cutthroat hedge fund pushes a young couple's relationship to the brink, threatening to unravel far more than their recent engagement.
- DirectorCharlotte ReganStarsLola CampbellAlin UzunCary CranksonGeorgie, a dreamy 12-year-old girl, lives happily alone in her London flat, filling it with magic. Suddenly, her estranged father turns up and forces her to confront reality.
- DirectorNoora NiasariStarsLeah PurcellZar Amir EbrahimiMojean AriaA young Iranian mother and her six-year-old daughter find refuge in an Australian women's shelter during the two weeks of the Iranian New Year (Nowruz).
- DirectorMaryam KeshavarzStarsLayla MohammadiNiousha NoorKamand ShafieisabetWhen a large Iranian-American family gathers, a family secret is uncovered that catapults the estranged mother and daughter into an exploration of the past, and to discover they are more alike than they know.
- DirectorA.V. RockwellStarsTeyana TaylorAaron Kingsley AdetolaAven CourtneyAfter unapologetic and fiercely loyal Inez kidnaps her son Terry from the foster care system, mother and son set out to reclaim their sense of home, identity, and stability, in a rapidly changing New York City.
- DirectorRaine Allen-MillerStarsDavid JonssonVivian OparahPoppy Allen-QuarmbyTwo youngsters reeling from bad breakups connect over an eventful day in South London.
- DirectorMolly GordonNick LiebermanStarsBen PlattMolly GordonNoah GalvinThe eccentric staff of a rundown theater camp in upstate New York must band together with the beloved founder's bro-y son to keep the camp afloat.
- DirectorWilliam OldroydStarsThomasin McKenzieShea WhighamSam NivolaA woman's friendship with a new co-worker at the prison facility where she works takes a sinister turn.
- DirectorAngus MacLachlanStarsJane LevyWill PullenDavid StrathairnA man tries to protect his daughter-in-law when he finds out that his son is having an affair.
- DirectorBrandon CronenbergStarsAlexander SkarsgårdMia GothCleopatra ColemanJames and Em Foster are enjoying an all-inclusive beach vacation in the fictional island of La Tolqa, when a fatal accident exposes the resort's perverse subculture of hedonistic tourism, reckless violence and surreal horrors.
- DirectorRaven JacksonStarsKaylee Nicole JohnsonChris ChalkJayah HenryA decades-spanning exploration of a woman's life in Mississippi and an ode to the generations of people, places, and ineffable moments that shape us.
- DirectorSing J. LeeStarsHiep Tran NghiaDustin NguyenDali BenssalahDuring a routine pickup, an elderly Vietnamese cab driver is taken hostage at gunpoint by three recently escaped Orange County convicts.
- DirectorNicole NewnhamStarsDakota JohnsonShere HiteMichael ConradShere Hite's bestselling book The Hite Report liberated female orgasm by revealing the most private experiences of thousands of anonymous surveys. Her findings rocked the American establishment and conversations about gender and sexuality.
- DirectorAnthony ChenStarsAdonis SklavenasAdriana TeplytskaAggelos GeorgiadisJacqueline escapes her war-torn country to a Greek island. She meets an unmoored tour guide and the two become close as they each find hope in the other.
- DirectorAxel DanielsonMaximilien Van AertryckStarsChris AndersonFelix BergssonUlrika BergstenFrom the first camera to 45 billion cameras worldwide today, the visual sociologist filmmakers widen their lens to expose both humanity's unique obsession with the camera's image and the social consequences that lay ahead.
- DirectorThembi BanksStarsAlgee SmithSierra CapriSanaa LathanA teenager struggling to provide for his younger siblings in Compton finds his life turned upside down when he's held at gunpoint by the girl of his dreams.
- DirectorJacqueline CastelStarsBobbi Salvör MenuezAmandla StenbergHeidi von PalleskeHeather, an outcast teenage goalie, falls for newcomer Jonny, an alluring but tormented figure skater. As their relationship deepens, Heather's growing desires clash with her darkest secret, forcing her to control the animal within.
- DirectorJake Van WagonerStarsEmma TremblayJacob BusterWill ForteItsy's new in town and thinks her life is over until she meets her space-obsessed neighbor Calvin, who believes his parents were abducted by aliens. As an aspiring journalist, Itsy decides to write an exposé, but she discovers much more.
- DirectorAdura OnashileStarsDéborah LukumuenaDanny SapaniLe'Shantey BonsuAma and Grace and they only have each other and that's all they need. They live confined to their Glasgow apartment. Only Grace goes out to work as a cleaner, forbidding Ama to go out.
- DirectorJoe BrewsterMichèle StephensonStarsNikki GiovanniTaraji P. HensonJames BaldwinA look at the life of poet, Nikki Giovanni and the revolutionary historical periods through which she lived, from the Civil Rights Movement to Black Lives Matter.
- DirectorZackary DruckerKristen LovellStarsMarquise BalenciagaCeyenne DoroshowRudy GiulianiThe history of New York's Meatpacking District told from the point of view of transgender sex workers who lived and worked there. They recount the violence, policing, and gentrification that lead to a movement for transgender rights.
- DirectorDanny PhilippouMichael PhilippouStarsAri McCarthyHamish PhillipsKit Erhart-BruceWhen a group of friends discover how to conjure spirits using an embalmed hand, they become hooked on the new thrill, until one of them goes too far and unleashes terrifying supernatural forces.
- DirectorCeline SongStarsGreta LeeTeo YooJohn MagaroNora and Hae Sung, two deeply connected childhood friends, are wrested apart after Nora's family emigrates from South Korea. Twenty years later, they are reunited for one fateful week as they confront notions of love and destiny.
- DirectorLisa CortesStarsLittle RichardRalph HarperNewt CollierThe life and career of Little Richard, the one-of-a-kind rock 'n' roll icon who shaped the world of music.
- DirectorLaura McGannStarsAlessia ZecchiniStephen KeenanLeigh BakerA champion and expert safety diver seemed destined for one another. Despite different paths taken, they meet at the pinnacle of the free-diving world, experiencing the thrilling rewards and inescapable risks of chasing dreams through the depths of the ocean.
- DirectorDaina ReidStarsSarah SnookLily LaTorreNeil MelvilleSarah Snook plays a fertility doctor who believes firmly in life and death, but after noticing the strange behavior of her young daughter, she must challenge her own values and confront a ghost from her past.
- DirectorAnton CorbijnStarsPaul McCartneyDavid GilmourRobert PlantThe story of the album art design studio, Hipgnosis, who created some of the most iconic album covers of all time.
- DirectorD. SmithStarsDaniella CarterDominique SilverKoko Da DollA raw depiction of the lives of four black trans sex workers as they confront the dichotomy between the black community and themselves.
- DirectorSam OsbornAlejandra VasquezStarsEdinburg North High School's Mariachi OroIn world high school mariachi, musicians from South Texas reigns supreme. Under guidance of coach Abel Acuña, the captains of Edinburg North High School team must turn shoestring and diverse inexperienced musicians into state champions.Documentary
- DirectorPeter NicksStarsStephen CurryBob McKillopJason RichardsThe coming-of-age story of Stephen Curry, from an undersized basketball player at a small college, to becoming a larger-than-life NBA superstar.
- DirectorJohn CarneyStarsEve HewsonJoseph Gordon-LevittOrén KinlanA single mom at war with her son is trying to find a hobby for him. One day, she rescues a guitar from a dumpster.
- DirectorLaura MossStarsMarin IrelandJudy ReyesA.J. ListerA morgue technician successfully reanimates the body of a little girl, but to keep her breathing, she will need to harvest biological materials from pregnant women. When the girl's mother, a nurse, discovers her baby alive, they enter into a deal that forces them both down a dark path of no return.
- DirectorElla GlendiningStarsElla GlendiningWhile navigating daily discrimination, a filmmaker who inhabits and loves her unusual body searches the world for another person like her, and explores what it takes to love oneself fiercely despite the pervasiveness of ableism.
- DirectorMadeleine GavinStarsHyeonseo LeeSung-eun KimSo-yeon LeeThe story of several families as they attempt to escape oppression in North Korea, revealing a world most of us have never seen.
- DirectorSavanah LeafStarsTia NomoreErika AlexanderKeta PriceAn intimate coming of age story of a pregnant single mother who embraces her Bay Area community as she determines the fate of her family.
- DirectorBabak JalaliStarsAnaita Wali ZadaGregg TurkingtonJeremy Allen WhiteDonya works for a Chinese fortune cookie factory. Formerly a translator for the U.S. military, she struggles to put her life back in order. In a moment of sudden revelation, she decides to send out a special message in a cookie.
- DirectorEmanuele CrialeseStarsPenélope CruzVincenzo AmatoLuana GiulianiThe story of love between Clara and her children, set in Rome in the '70s.Italian | Music Box
- DirectorMstyslav ChernovStarsMstyslav ChernovEvgeniy MaloletkaLiudmyla AmelkinaAs the Russian invasion begins, a team of Ukrainian journalists trapped in the besieged city of Mariupol struggle to continue their work documenting the war's atrocities.Documentary | Ukrainien | English | Frontline PBS
- DirectorAnna HintsStarsKadi KiviloMaria MeresaarElsa SaksIn the darkness of a smoke sauna, women share their innermost secrets and intimate experiences, washing off the shame trapped in their bodies and regaining their strength through a sense of communion.Documentary | Estonien
- DirectorAmanda KimStarsNam June PaikSteven YeunThe life and times of Nam June Paik, the father of video art, who coined the phrase "Electronic Superhighway."Documentary | English | German | Korean
- DirectorSophie ComptonReuben HamlynStarsAva BreuerFaith QuinnJulia Weinberg"Another Body" follows a college student's search for justice after she discovers deepfake pornography of herself circulating online.