Sundance Film Festival drops 2025 lineup

Salt Lake City, Utah – A lengthy list of highly anticipated titles was unveiled Wednesday morning as part of the Sundance Film Festival’s 2025 schedule.

The festival’s chief programmer, Basil Tsiokos, told that viewers can expect to see “a lot of recognizable faces” at the next event, such as Willem Dafoe, Jennifer Lopez, and Benedict Cumberbatch. Ayo Edebiri, Dev Patel, Rose Byrne, John Malkovich, and Carey Mulligan are more “notable celebrities.”

“Our slate is full. We’re ecstatic. Nearly 100 films have been announced for this year’s lineup, Tsiokos stated.

According to Tsiokos, the process of choosing the films is drawn out and begins just before the January event, following the conclusion of the previous festival. According to him, the team seeks out new and unique films that appeal to Sundance viewers, contribute to cultural discussions, and showcase both up-and-coming and established talent.

He suggested seeing the documentary Deaf President Now, The Ballad of Wallis Island starring Carey Mulligan, and Kiss of the Spider Woman with Jennifer Lopez at the next festival.

He recommended Omaha, which was primarily filmed in Salt Lake City by a Brigham Young University alumnus, to Utah viewers in particular. Additionally, Tsiokos suggested Train Dreams, referring to it as their “Salt Lake City Celebration film.”

Since it’s in your backyard, he said, “there are a lot of great films that people should take advantage of seeing.”

According to Tsiokos, the majority of Sundance’s attendees are from the area, and the festival is accessible to anyone, not only those who can attend. According to him, the festival’s non-exclusivity allows filmmakers to “get the opportunity to meet real audiences.”

He stated, “They get to show their work and get the response from real people who are going to react with real emotion around the films that we’re showing them, not just an industry audience or a press audience.”

Park City and Salt Lake City have hosted the film festival for over 40 years. The Sundance Institute did, however, reveal earlier this year that the festival might move in 2027.

Along with Cincinnati, Ohio, and Boulder, Colorado, Utah is still on the shortlist of potential candidates. According to Tsiokos, they are “in the final phase” of selecting the festival’s future location and are “excited that Utah is still in the mix.”

Tsiokos clarified that the necessity to assess how to continue making the festival as wonderful as it can be in a sustainable way is what is driving the hunt for a possible new home rather than a desire to leave Utah.

He remarked, “We adore the Utah audience.” “We have been supported by an incredibly devoted audience and some incredibly talented creatives in Utah.”

According to him, the effort has been “a pretty long, complicated process,” as festival organizers consider the atmosphere and spirit in the possible venues in addition to practical factors like hotel and airline availability. In an effort to retain the festival in the Beehive State, Utah officials are collaborating closely with the Sundance Institute.

Despite some reports to the contrary, Tsiokos stated that the decision will not be made during the 2025 event. Instead, details about the festival’s future will probably be revealed later in the winter or early spring.

“We are still focused on organizing the greatest festival we can, reaching out to the Utah audience, and showing them the movies we believe are really exciting,” Tsiokos stated.