As the first major festival of the year, the 2026 Sundance Film Festival marks the first time some of the year’s best independent films are shown to the industry and the worlds most avid cinephiles. As part of our festival coverage on the ground, Diego Andaluz takes us through the highlights of the festival you won’t want to miss as the year progresses, updating LIVE throughout the festival with additional details added when films are set to come into theaters over the coming months.
THE SCREENER
Directed by Jim Cummings & PJ McCabe
In this five-episode limited series, a queer Muslim indie filmmaker’s work leaks from a Hollywood talent agency, setting off a criminal investigation that escalates into a white-collar prosecution.
Jim Cummings and PJ McCabe deliver their most thrilling and ambitious work yet in this spiral into the underbelly of Hollywood and the agency world. If David Fincher got his hands on Entourage, this would be the result. Despite a minuscule budget and understated craftsmanship, it delivers a punch as the best of Sundance’s 2026 Episodic slate.
Release date TBA
TUNER
Directed by Daniel Roher
A talented piano tuner who suffers from hyperacusis discovers an unexpected aptitude for cracking safes, turning his life upside down.
An incredibly tight script that lightly blends genres and tones with a delicate touch. Masterfully intertwining drama, romance, thriller, comedy, music, and crime elements, Daniel Roher delivers a whip-smart narrative debut. Leo Woodall and Havana Rose Liu’s chemistry comes to life on screen in a fashion that cements this film as a worthwhile crowdpleaser for all.
In theaters May 22nd, 2026
UNDERTONE
Directed by Ian Tuason
The host of a popular paranormal podcast is haunted by terrifying recordings mysteriously sent her way.
Undertone takes a simple premise and elevates it to stratospheric heights through its innovative use of sound. Ian Tuason holds the film together with solid performances and uninvasive craftsmanship, building a steady foundation for a stage where David Gertsman delivers a masterclass in sonic horror. An essential theatrical experience.
In theaters March 13th, 2026
WICKER
Directed by Alex Huston Fischer & Eleanor Wilson
An ostracized fisherwoman, mocked by her neighbors for being unmarried, commissions the local basketmaker to weave her a husband out of wicker.
A touching fable exploring what it means to love and be loved in an increasingly transactional society. Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson expand Ursula Wills-Jones’ story to the big screen with a unique vision that both uplifts and grounds the whimsical nature of its emotional core. With Lol Crawley and the WETA team delivering a visual spectacle unlike any before it, Wicker is destined to be one of the standouts of the year.
In theaters October 23rd, 2026 (wide October 30th)
ZI
Directed by Kogonada
In Hong Kong, a young violinist awaiting worrying neurology results and haunted by visions of her future self meets a stranger who changes the course of her night.
With Zi, Kogonada goes back to basics and delivers an atmospheric experience that touches on the heart that made Columbus and After Yang so special. Prioritizing thematic depth over narrative cohesion, the film works best with narrative expectations discarded to the wind. Birthed from a desire to avoid the logistics of big-budget productions, Kogonada masterfully orchestrates a mosaic symphony of beauty and collaboration that captures the rollercoaster of hidden emotions that come from freedom in spontaneity.
In theaters November 6th, 2026
