Today, the Sundance Film Festival unveiled its full lineup of official selections for its 2024 iteration. 82 films from 24 countries, eight episodic titles, and a New Frontier interactive experience will all be bound for Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah early next year for what will be the event’s milestone 40th anniversary. As the proper start of the festival season, Sundance highlights a wide range of titles from around the world from emerging and established filmmakers alike, including some of the year’s most anticipated projects. Everything kicks off at Noon MT on January 18 in Park City with the Opening Night Gala: Celebrating 40 Years Presented by Chase Sapphire happening that evening.
2024’s selections are heavily populated with new titles made by up-and-coming filmmakers competing across multiple categories including U.S. Dramatic, U.S. Documentary, World Cinema Dramatic, World Cinema Documentary, and NEXT. Of those participating, 85 of the 91 entrants will make their world premiere at the festival with 40 of the 101 feature-filmmakers submitting their debut work. Included among the selections this year are starry projects like Jesse Eisenberg‘s new film A Real Pain starring Kieran Culkin, documentaries on iconic figures like Carla Gutiérrez‘s Frida Kahlo pic FRIDA, exciting international titles like the Renate Reinsve-led Handling the Undead, and much more.
Additionally, the festival was able to announce the winner of the annual Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize which will be presented next year at the event. The honor is bestowed on the film each year that offers the most creative and overall outstanding implementation of science and technology in its story. Previous winners have included a few recent hits like the Colin Farrell-led AI drama After Yang and Emilia Clarke and Chiwetel Ejiofor‘s futuristic pregnancy flick The Pod Generation. This year’s winner came from a pair of first-time feature filmmakers – Sam and Andy Zuchero with their post-apocalyptic non-human love story, Love Me. As previously announced, Oppenheimer filmmaker Christopher Nolan will be the first director to be honored with the Sundance Institute Trailblazer Award as a marker of his stellar work on the big screen over the past two decades. Directors Celine Song and Maite Alberdi will also receive the annual Vanguard Award Presented by Acura.
Sundance Celebrates 40 Years of Filmmaking Excellence in 2024
Everyone at the Sundance Institute and involved in the festival’s organization is especially eager for this year’s iteration due to it being such a significant benchmark for the historic event. Sundance Institute President and Founder and acclaimed film star Robert Redford celebrated how the core values of recognizing creative, daring filmmaking have endured at Sundance since the festival began its run. “From the first edition in 1985, Sundance Film Festival has aimed to provide a space to gather, celebrate, and engage with risk-taking artists that are committed to bringing their independent visions to audiences — the Festival remains true to that goal to this day,” he said. “It continues to evolve, but its legacy of showcasing bold work that starts necessary conversations continues with the 2024 program.”
The 2024 Sundance Film Festival takes place from January 18 through 28. Visit the official site for more information on the full slate, the festival, and how to purchase tickets. Additionally, a curated collection of films will be available on the site as the festival runs for those who can’t make it to Park City or Salt Lake City. Short film selections and programming will be announced on December 12. Check out some of the highlights of the 40th iteration of Sundance below.
‘Love Me’
Led by an intriguing duo of Twilight star Kristen Stewart and The Walking Dead alum Steven Yeun, the romantic drama Love Me is lined up to make its world premiere at Sundance this year. Details of the film’s plot and production are very slim, but it takes place on a post-apocalyptic Earth where humanity is long gone. The two stars play a buoy and a satellite who fall head-over-heels for each other after hitting it off online. Helming the film are newcomers Sam Zuchero and Andy Zuchero in their first feature with producers Kevin Rowe, Luca Borghese, Ben Howe, Shivani Rawat, and Julie Goldstein.
‘Freaky Tales’
One of the most high-profile projects confirmed for the festival is Freaky Tales by writing/directing/producing duo Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden. The pair is best known for helming 2019’s Captain Marvel and their latest takes heavy inspiration from Fleck‘s memories of growing up in Oakland, California, albeit with some more fantastical elements. Set in 1987, the film follows The Town’s underdogs in four bizarre tales at the behest of an enigmatic force. Each interconnected story explores a world just beyond ours that pulls from elements of the culture and historical events of the Bay. From teenagers fighting off Nazi skinheads encroaching on their turf to a rap duo fighting to become hip-hop legends, a tired henchman looking to redeem himself, and an All-NBA star looking to get even, it promises a diverse and heartfelt walk down memory lane.
To match the four stories, there are also four big stars attached to get the best out of the script. Leading the group is fan-favorite The Last of Us star Pedro Pascal with Jay Ellis, Ben Mendelsohn, and Jack Champion also attached. Additionally, Dominique Thorne, Keir Gilchrist, Michelle Farrah Huang, Normani Kordei Hamilton, Ji-Young Yoo, and the late Angus Cloud round out the bunch. Producers include Poppy Hanks and Jelani Johnson while Oakland hip-hop legend Too $hort is heavily involved as an executive producer.
‘The American Society of Magical Negroes’
After years of acting in a variety of roles in Madam Secretary, Jessica Jones, and Alpha House, Kobi Libii will make his directorial debut at Sundance with the fantastical title The American Society of Magical Negroes. The film features Justice Smith who, fresh off his starring role in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, plays a new recruit to the titular secret society named Aren. He soon discovers that the powerful group of Black people with magical powers is responsible for the always-important duty of making white people’s lives easier. Seemingly rife with comedy and social commentary, the world premiere film also stars David Alan Grier, An-Li Bogan, Drew Tarver, Rupert Friend, and Nicole Byer with Julia Lebedev, Eddie Vaisman, and Angel Lopez producing.
‘A Different Man’
A24 will make its presence known at the festival with the world premiere of A Different Man from writer/director Aaron Schimberg. Leading the buzzy psychological thriller is Sebastian Stan who underwent a stunning transformation with prosthetics to get into character for the part. The Dumb Money star plays Edward, an aspiring actor with visions of stardom who turns to plastic surgery for a dreamy new visage. Instead of the perfect face, however, his new appearance becomes a nightmare as it costs him the part he has longed to play. He’s sent spiraling into obsession as he desperately hopes to reclaim all he’s lost. Renate Reinsve and Adam Pearson round out the cast, while Christine Vachon, Vanessa McDonnell, and Gabriel Mayers produce.
‘Love Lies Bleeding’
Finally, the long-awaited second feature of Saint Maud director and screenwriter Rose Glass, Love Lies Bleeding, will also make its world premiere at Sundance this year. Also under A24 and featuring Stewart in a starring role, the film tells the story of a gym manager named Lou who falls madly in love with the ambitious, bisexual bodybuilder Jackie (Katy O’Brian). Jackie is just passing through en route to Las Vegas where she’ll chase her dreams under the brightest lights, but their fire for each other only brings about violence as they are sucked into the dealings of Lou’s criminal family. In an interview with Collider’s Perri Nemiroff back in February, O’Brian says it’s full of Saint Maud-type moments, but with its own love-thriller angle that is unique to Glass. Joining the duo of O’Brian and Stewart is a starry supporting cast with Ed Harris, Dave Franco, Jena Malone, and Anna Baryshnikov. Andrea Cornwell and Oliver Kassman are also on board as producers.
via Collider