The Sundance Film Festival will be held Jan. 18 – 28, both in person in Salt Lake City, Utah and online at festival.sundance.org. Below are the films at Sundance 2024 featuring African American talent and directed by Black filmmakers.
PREMIERES
“The American Society of Magical Negroes” (Director/Screenwriter/Producer: Kobi Libii, Producers: Julia Lebedev, Eddie Vaisman, Angel Lopez) — A young man joins a covert group of magical Black individuals dedicated to easing the lives of white people. Cast includes Justice Smith, David Alan Grier, An-Li Bogan, Drew Tarver, Rupert Friend, Nicole Byer. World Premiere. Fiction.
“Freaky Tales” (Directors/Screenwriters/Producers: Ryan Fleck, Anna Boden, Producers: Poppy Hanks, Jelani Johnson) — Set in 1987 Oakland, four interconnected stories follow the underdogs guided by a mysterious force: defending against Nazi skinheads, battling for hip-hop glory, seeking redemption, and settling scores. Cast: Pedro Pascal, Jay Ellis, Normani Kordei Hamilton, Dominique Thorne, Ben Mendelsohn, Ji-Young Yoo. World Premiere. Fiction.
“Luther: Never Too Much” (Director: Dawn Porter, Producers: Trish D Chetty, Ged Doherty, Jamie Foxx, Datari Turner, Leah Smith) — A documentary chronicling Luther Vandross’s rise from supporting acts to becoming one of history’s greatest vocalists despite personal struggles. World Premiere.
“Power” (Director/Producer: Yance Ford, Producers: Sweta Vohra, Jess Devaney, Netsanet Negussie) — Explores the evolution of American policing and its embodiment of one word: power. World Premiere. Documentary.
“Rob Peace” (Director/Screenwriter: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Producers: Andrea Calderwood, Antoine Fuqua, Kat Samick, Rebecca Hobbs, Jeffrey Soros, Alex Kurtzman) — Based on Jeff Hobbs’ biography, this film follows Robert Peace’s journey from an impoverished Newark upbringing to graduating Yale while leading a dual life. Cast: Jay Will, Mary J. Blige, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Camila Cabello, Michael Kelly, Mare Winningham. World Premiere. Fiction. Available online for Public.
U.S. DRAMATIC COMPETITION
“Exhibiting Forgiveness” (Director/Screenwriter/Producer: Titus Kaphar, Producers: Stephanie Allain, Derek Cianfrance, Jamie Patricof, Sean Cotton) — A Black artist’s pursuit of success is disrupted by an unexpected visit from his recovering addict father, leading to a poignant journey where forgiveness is easier than forgetting. Cast: André Holland, John Earl Jelks, Andra Day, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor. World Premiere. Available online for Public.
“Suncoast” (Director/Screenwriter: Laura Chinn, Producers: Jeremy Plager, Francesca Silvestri, Kevin Chinoy, Oly Obst) — A teenager caring for her brother and audacious mother befriends an eccentric activist protesting a landmark medical case, drawing from a semi-autobiographical tale. Cast: Laura Linney, Woody Harrelson, Nico Parker. World Premiere. Available online for Public.
MIDNIGHT:
“I Saw the TV Glow” (Director/Screenwriter: Jane Schoenbrun, Producers: Emma Stone, Dave McCary, Ali Herting, Sam Intili, Sarah Winshall) — Owen’s mundane suburban life changes when he discovers a mysterious late-night TV show that unveils a supernatural world beneath reality’s surface. Cast: Justice Smith, Brigette Lundy-Paine, Ian Foreman, Helena Howard, Fred Durst, Danielle Deadwyler. World Premiere. Fiction.
“Kidnapping Inc.” (Director/Screenwriter/Producer: Bruno Mourral, Screenwriter/Producer: Gilbert Jr. Mirambeau, Screenwriter: Jasmuel Andri, Producers: Samuel Chauvin, Yanick Letourneau, Gaëthan Chancy) — A seemingly simple abduction task turns into a political conspiracy for two hapless kidnappers. Cast: Jasmuel Andri, Rolaphton Mercure, Anabel Lopez, Ashley Laraque, Gessica Geneus, Patrick Joseph. World Premiere. Fiction.
U.S. DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
“As We Speak” (Director/Producer: J.M. Harper, Producers: Sam Widdoes, Peter Cambor, Sam Bisbee) — Bronx rapper Kemba delves into how rap lyrics have become a weapon used by law enforcement in the US and globally, shedding light on their use as evidence in criminal cases for years. World Premiere. Available online for Public.
“Love Machina” (Director/Producer: Peter Sillen, Producer: Brendan Doyle) — Futurists Martine and Bina Rothblatt engage an advanced humanoid AI, Bina48, in an attempt to transfer human consciousness into a robot, aiming to prolong their extraordinary love story for eternity. World Premiere. Available online for Public.
“Union” (Directors: Stephen Maing, Brett Story, Producers: Samantha Curley, Mars Verrone) — The Amazon Labor Union (ALU), comprising current and former Amazon workers in NYC’s Staten Island, takes on the colossal task of unionizing against one of the world’s most powerful companies. World Premiere. Available online for Public.
NEW FRONTIER
“Being (the Digital Griot)” (Lead Artist: Rashaad Newsome) — This groundbreaking experience invites audience engagement through an artificial intelligence digital griot, fostering discussions that unify and challenge. It incorporates a soundscape and movement rooted in data from Black communities, featuring insights from bell hooks, Paulo Freire, Dazié Grego-Sykes, Cornel West, and others.
“Daughters” (Directors: Angela Patton, Natalie Rae, Producers: Lisa Mazzotta, Justin Benoliel, Mindy Goldberg, Sam Bisbee, Kathryn Everett, Laura Choi Raycroft) — Follow four young girls preparing for a special Daddy Daughter Dance with their incarcerated fathers, part of a unique fatherhood program within a Washington, D.C., jail. World Premiere. Available online for Public.
EPISODIC
“God Save Texas: The Price of Oil” (Director: Alex Stapleton, Executive Producers: Lawrence Wright, Alex Gibney, Richard Linklater, Peter Berg, Michael Lombardo, Stacey Offman) – Houston, the energy capital, is a city shaped by the rise and fall of its oil industry. Alex Stapleton explores the impact on her family, from their arrival as enslaved people in the 1830s to building thriving communities, now facing the human costs of Texas’ lucrative oil business.
“Conbody VS Everybody” (Director/Executive Producer: Debra Granik, Executive Producers: Anne Rosellini, Victoria Stewart, Jeff Skoll, Diane Weyermann, Joslyn Barnes, Jonathan Scheuer) — Over eight years, Coss Marte develops ConBody, a gym rooted in workouts from his time in prison. Focused on employing formerly incarcerated trainers, the series highlights a community fighting recidivism amid societal reentry obstacles. World Premiere. Documentary. Screening two episodes. Available online for Public.
“Me/We” (Director/Executive Producer: Nzingha Stewart, Executive Producers/Screenwriters: Rob McElhenney, Keyonna Taylor, Executive Producers: Jackie Cohn, Nick Frenkel, Jermaine Johnson) — Amaria “Yaya” Jones, a spirited teenager passionate about dance, aims to convince her overprotective brother to allow her to walk to school with her first crush. Yaya’s story celebrates life. Cast: Camryn Jones, Victor Musoni, Anji White, Travis Wolfe Jr., Nadirah Bost, Mike Sampson. World Premiere. Fiction.
WORLD CINEMA DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
“IGUALADA” (Director: Juan Mejía Botero, Producers: Juan E. Yepes, Daniela Alatorre, Sonia Serna) — In Colombia, activist Francia Márquez challenges inequality by reclaiming the term “Igualada” in her presidential campaign, sparking national dreams in one of Latin America’s most unequal nations. World Premiere. Available online for Public.
“The Battle for Laikipia” (Directors: Daphne Matziaraki, Peter Murimi, Producer: Toni Kamau) — Climate change and unresolved historical injustices heighten tensions between Indigenous pastoralists and white landowners in Laikipia, Kenya, a sanctuary for wildlife conservation. World Premiere. Available online for Public.
“Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat” (Director/Screenwriter: Johan Grimonprez, Producers: Daan Milius, Rémi Grellety) — In 1960, the Global South triggers a political upheaval at the United Nations. Musicians Abbey Lincoln and Max Roach confront the Security Council, while Louis Armstrong, dispatched as a jazz ambassador to the Congo, deflects attention from America’s first African post-colonial coup. World Premiere. Available online for Public.
SPOTLIGHT
“àma Gloria” (Director/Screenwriter: Marie Amachoukeli, Producer: Bénédicte Couvreur) — Six-year-old Cléo shares an unbreakable bond with her nanny, Gloria. As Gloria must return to Cape Verde to care for her own children, the two cherish their final summer together. Cast: Louise Mauroy-Panzani, Ilça Moreno Zego, Abnara Gomes Varela, Fredy Gomes Tavares, Arnaud Rebotini, Domingos Borges Almeida. U.S. Premiere. Fiction.
NEXT
“Seeking Mavis Beacon” (Director/Writer: Jazmin Renée Jones, Producer: Guetty Felin) — Two DIY investigators hunt for the disappeared Haitian-born cover model of the ’80s educational software “Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing,” questioning digital security, AI, and Black representation in the digital realm. World Premiere. Documentary. Available online for Public.
“Tendaberry” (Director/Screenwriter/Producer: Haley Elizabeth Anderson, Producers: Carlos Zozaya, Matthew Petock, Zachary Shedd, Hannah Dweck, Theodore Schaefer, Daniel Patrick Carbone) — After her boyfriend returns to Ukraine to be with his ailing father, 23-year-old Dakota navigates her newfound independence in New York City. Cast: Kota Johan, Yuri Pleskun. World Premiere. Fiction. Available online for Public.
