2022 Sundance Film Festival


The 2022 Sundance Film Festival took place from January 20 to 30, 2022. Due to COVID-19 pandemic protocol, it was initially intended to be an in-person/virtual hybrid festival, but on January 5, 2022, it was announced that the in-person components would be scrapped in favor of a wholly virtual festival due to the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. The first lineup of competition films was announced on December 9, 2021.

Films

U.S. Dramatic Competition

  • Alice, written and directed by Krystin Ver Linden
  • blood, directed by Bradley Rust Gray
  • Breaking, directed and co-written by Abi Damaris Corbin
  • Cha Cha Real Smooth, written, produced and directed by Cooper Raiff
  • Dual, written, produced and directed by Riley Stearns
  • Emergency, directed by Carey Williams
  • Master, written and directed by Mariama Diallo
  • Nanny, written and directed by Nikyatu Jusu
  • Palm Trees and Power Lines, directed and co-written by Jamie Dack
  • Watcher, written and directed by Chloe Okuno

    U.S. Documentary Competition

  • Aftershock, produced and directed by Paula Eiselt and Tonya Lewis Lee
  • Descendant, directed by Margaret Brown
  • The Exiles, directed by Ben Klein and Violet Columbus
  • Fire of Love, directed, co-written and co-produced by Sara Dosa
  • Free Chol Soo Lee, directed by Julie Ha and Eugene Yi
  • I Didn't See You There, directed by Reid Davenport
  • The Janes, directed by Tia Lessin and Emma Pildes
  • Jihad Rehab, directed by Meg Smaker
  • Navalny, directed by Daniel Roher
  • TikTok, Boom., directed by Shalini Kantayya

    Premieres

  • 2nd Chance, directed by Ramin Bahrani
  • Am I OK?, directed by Stephanie Allynne and Tig Notaro
  • Brainwashed: Sex-Camera-Power, directed by Nina Menkes
  • Call Jane, directed by Phyllis Nagy
  • Downfall: The Case Against Boeing, directed and co-produced by Rory Kennedy
  • Emily the Criminal, written and directed by John Patton Ford
  • God's Country, directed and co-written by Julian Higgins
  • Good Luck to You, Leo Grande, directed by Sophie Hyde
  • Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul., written, directed and co-produced by Adamma Ebo
  • jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy, directed by Clarence "Coodie" Simmons and Chike Ozah
  • La Guerra Civil, produced and directed by Eva Longoria Bastón
  • Living, directed by Oliver Hermanus
  • Lucy and Desi, directed and co-produced by Amy Poehler
  • My Old School, directed by Jono McLeod
  • The Princess, directed by Ed Perkins
  • Resurrection, written and directed by Andrew Semans
  • Sharp Stick, written, directed and co-produced by Lena Dunham
  • To the End, directed by Rachel Lears
  • We Need to Talk About Cosby, directed by W. Kamau Bell
  • When You Finish Saving the World, written and directed by Jesse Eisenberg

    World Cinema Dramatic Competition

  • Brian and Charles, directed by Jim Archer
  • The Cow Who Sang a Song Into The Future, directed by Francisca Alegría
  • Dos Estaciones, directed by Juan Pablo González
  • Gentle, directed by Anna Eszter Nemes and László Csuja
  • Girl Picture, directed by Alli Haapasalo
  • Klondike, written, directed and edited by Maryna Er Gorbach
  • Leonor Will Never Die, written and directed by Martika Ramirez Escobar
  • Marte Um , directed by Gabriel Martins
  • Utama, directed by Alejandro Loayza Grisi
  • You Won't Be Alone, written and directed by Goran Stolevski

    World Cinema Documentary Competition

  • All That Breathes, directed by Shaunak Sen
  • Calendar Girls, directed by Maria Loohufvud and Love Martinsen
  • A House Made of Splinters, directed by Simon Lereng Wilmont
  • Midwives, directed by Snow Hnin Ei Hlaing
  • The Mission, directed by Tania Anderson
  • Nothing Compares, directed by Kathryn Ferguson
  • Sirens, directed by Rita Baghdadi
  • Tantura, directed by Alon Schwarz
  • The Territory, directed and co-produced by Alex Pritz
  • We Met in Virtual Reality, directed by Joe Hunting

    Midnight

  • Babysitter, directed by Monia Chokri
  • Fresh, directed by Mimi Cave
  • Hatching, directed by Hanna Bergholm
  • Meet Me in the Bathroom, directed by Dylan Southern and Will Lovelace
  • Piggy, written and directed by Carlota Pereda
  • Speak No Evil, directed and co-written by Christian Tafdrup

    Next

  • The Cathedral, written, directed and edited by Ricky D'Ambrose
  • Every Day in Kaimukī by Alika Tengan
  • Framing Agnes, directed by Chase Joynt
  • A Love Song, written, directed, produced and co-edited by Max Walker-Silverman
  • Mija, directed by Isabel Castro
  • Riotsville, U.S.A., directed by Sierra Pettengill
  • Something in the Dirt, directed by Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead

    Spotlight

  • After Yang, written, directed and edited by Kogonada
  • Happening, directed and co-written by Audrey Diwan
  • Neptune Frost, directed by Saul Williams
  • Three Minutes: A Lengthening, directed by Bianca Stigter
  • The Worst Person in the World, directed by Joachim Trier

    Awards

The following awards were given out:

Grand Jury Prizes

  • U.S. Dramatic Competition – Nanny
  • U.S. Documentary Competition – The Exiles
  • World Cinema Dramatic Competition – Utama
  • World Cinema Documentary Competition – ''All That Breathes''

    Audience Awards

  • Festival Favorite – Navalny
  • U.S. Dramatic Competition – Cha Cha Real Smooth
  • U.S. Documentary Competition – Navalny
  • World Cinema Dramatic Competition – Girl Picture
  • World Cinema Documentary Competition – The Territory
  • NEXT – ''Framing Agnes''

    Directing, Screenwriting and Editing

  • U.S. Dramatic Competition – Jamie Dack for Palm Trees and Power Lines
  • U.S. Documentary Competition – Reid Davenport for I Didn't See You There
  • World Cinema Dramatic Competition – Maryna Er Gorbach for Klondike
  • World Cinema Documentary Competition – Simon Lereng Wilmont for A House Made of Splinters
  • Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award – K.D. Dávila for Emergency
  • Jonathan Oppenheim Editing Award: U.S. Documentary – Erin Casper and Jocelyne Chaput for Fire of Love
  • NEXT Innovator Prize – Chase Joynt for ''Framing Agnes''

    Special Jury Prizes

  • U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award: Ensemble Cast – The cast of 892
  • U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award: Uncompromising Artistic Vision – Bradley Rust Gray for blood
  • U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award: Creative Vision – Margaret Brown for Descendant
  • U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award: Impact for Change – Paula Eiselt and Tonya Lewis Lee for Aftershock
  • World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award: Acting – Teresa Sánchez for Dos Estaciones
  • World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award: Innovative Spirit – Martika Ramirez Escobar for Leonor Will Never Die
  • World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award: Excellence in Verité Filmmaking – Snow Hnin Ei Hlaing for Midwives
  • World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award: Documentary Craft – Alex Pritz for ''The Territory''

    Short Film Awards

  • Short Film Grand Jury Prize – The Headhunter's Daughter
  • Short Film Jury Award: U.S. Fiction – If I Go Will They Miss Me
  • Short Film Jury Award: International Fiction – Warsha
  • Short Film Jury Award: Nonfiction – Displaced
  • Short Film Jury Award: Animation – Night Bus
  • Short Film Special Jury Award for Ensemble Cast – A Wild Patience Has Taken Me Here
  • Short Film Special Jury Award for Screenwriting – ''Stranger Than Rotterdam with Sara Driver''

    Special Prizes

  • Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize – After Yang
  • Sundance Institute/Amazon Studios Producers Award for Nonfiction – Su Kim for Free Chol Soo Lee
  • Sundance Institute/Amazon Studios Producers Award for Fiction – Amanda Marshall for God's Country
  • Sundance Institute/Adobe Mentorship Award for Editing Nonfiction – Toby Shimin
  • Sundance Institute/Adobe Mentorship Award for Editing Fiction – Dody Dorn
  • Sundance Institute/NHK Award – Hasan Hadi for ''The President's Cake''

    Acquisitions

  • 2nd Chance: Showtime Documentary Films
  • A Love Song: Stage 6 Films and Bleecker Street ; Cinetic Media ; Films Boutique
  • Aftershock: Onyx Collective and ABC News
  • Alice: Vertical Entertainment and Roadside Attractions
  • Am I OK?: Warner Bros. Pictures and HBO Max
  • Breaking: Bleecker Street
  • Brian And Charles: Focus Features ; Universal Pictures
  • Calendar Girls: Juno Films
  • Call Jane: Roadside Attractions
  • Cha Cha Real Smooth: Apple TV+
  • Descendant: Netflix and Higher Ground Productions
  • Dual: RLJE Films
  • Emily the Criminal: Vertical Entertainment and Roadside Attractions ; Universal Pictures
  • Fire of Love: National Geographic Documentary Films
  • Free Chol Soo Lee: MUBI
  • Fresh: Searchlight Pictures and Hulu
  • God's Country: IFC Films
  • Good Luck To You, Leo Grande: Searchlight Pictures and Hulu
  • Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul: Focus Features, Peacock and Monkeypaw Productions
  • Leonor Will Never Die: Music Box Films
  • Living: Sony Pictures Classics
  • Mars One: Magnolia Pictures
  • My Old School: Magnolia Pictures
  • Nanny: Amazon Studios and Blumhouse Productions
  • Navalny: Warner Bros. Pictures
  • Neptune Frost: Kino Lorber
  • Nothing Compares: Showtime Documentary Films
  • Piggy: Magnet Releasing ; Filmax
  • Resurrection: IFC Films and Shudder
  • Sharp Stick: Utopia
  • Speak No Evil: Shudder
  • The Cathedral: MUBI
  • The Territory: National Geographic Documentary Films
  • Utama: Kino Lorber
  • Watcher: IFC Midnight and Shudder ; Focus Features and Universal Pictures