Sundance Film Festival Reveals 2026 Short Film Selections – Film News in Brief

Sundance has revealed its short film selections for the 2026 film festival. This year’s selections include 54 titles that will be screened across eight distinct programs.

Coming from 22 countries and territories around the world, the shorts represent various genres and styles in fiction, documentary and animated storytelling. This year’s festival will also have a special Park City Legacy short film program, playing shorts from past editions of the festival with the filmmakers in attendance to honor its final year in the Utah city.

Related Stories

'Love Thy Nader' Renewed for Season 2 at Hulu and Freeform

Sundance’s Director of Programming Kim Yutani states, “We are looking forward to presenting these short films as part of our 2026 selection this coming January. Each one is a testament to the creative talent working in the short film space, proving that powerful storytelling is impactful across formats. This year’s program is rich with explorations of belonging, resilience, and the unexpected ways people navigate both the everyday and the extraordinary.”

The Sundance Film Festival will be held Jan. 22-Feb. 1 in Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah. Individual ticket sales for the short film programs and other screenings and events begin Jan. 14.

See the full list of short film selections on the Sundance website here.

Monday, December 15

Multitude Films, FWD-Doc and Untitled Pennhurst Film Launch Fellowship for Disabled Filmmakers

Multitude Films, FWD-Doc and Untitled Pennhurst Film have partnered to create a new apprenticeship program for disabled nonfiction filmmakers. The fellowship offers nine-months of training, professional development and project incubation for four emerging film producers.

This year’s inaugural fellows are Andie Madsen, Gabriel “Gabo” Ponte Fleary, Maya Wise and Vega Darling.

Throughout the apprenticeship, these fellows will receive access to the Pennhurst team as well as one-on-one coaching, Multitude Films’ masterclasses and support on their own independent nonfiction projects. Indie VISIBLE Entertainment, led by FWD-Doc member Kiah Amara serves as access coordinator for the cohort, facilitated by Abby Burton.

The program aims to further Multitude and Pennhurst’s missions of accessible and artistically innovative filmmaking through mentorship and education, integrating FWD-Doc’s expertise in disability justice.

‘Sinners,’ ‘One Battle After Another’ and More to be Honored at American Cinematheque’s Tribute to the Crafts

The American Cinematheque will honor films including “Sinners,” “One Battle After Another” and more at the fifth annual Tribute to the Craft Honorees. The event will take place on Friday, Jan. 16 at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood. 

Academy Award–nominated production designer Jack Fisk (“Marty Supreme”) will also receive the Career Achievement Award for his work spanning the past five decades, contributing to films including “There Will Be Blood,” “The Revenant,” “The Tree of Life,” “Mulholland Drive” and “Killers of the Flower Moon.” The late Andrew J. Kuehn Jr., often referred to as the “Godfather of Movie Trailers,” will be honored with the Unsung Hero Award for his trailblazing work in film marketing.   

Aimed at acknowledging and honoring those who have exhibited extraordinary work behind the camera, the Tribute to the Crafts will celebrate excellence across 13 categories, aiming to recognize the major craft that shapes the best in film.  

“It was an incredible year at the movies, and there is no better place to watch the essential work of the artisans and craftspeople that shaped this year’s films like the cinema. Our jury had plenty of worthy selections to choose from,” said Grant Moninger, the American Cinematheque’s Artistic Director, in a statement. 

See the full Tribute to the Crafts honorees below:

Casting: “Sinners” (Francine Maisler) – Warner Bros. Pictures 
Cinematography: “Train Dreams” (Adolpho Veloso) – Netflix  
Choreography: “Wicked: For Good” (Christopher Scott) – Universal Pictures 
Costume Design: “Hedda” (Lindsay Pugh) – Amazon MGM Studios 
Editing: “One Battle After Another” (Andy Jurgensen) – Warner Bros. Pictures 
Hair and Makeup: “Frankenstein” (Mike Hill, Cliona Furey & Jordan Samuel) – Netflix 
Production Design/Set Decoration/Prop Master: “Frankenstein” (Tamara Deverell, Shane Vieau & Christopher Geggie) – Netflix 
Score: “Sinners” (Ludwig Göransson) – Warner Bros. Pictures 
Song: “Golden” – KPop Demon Hunters (EJAE, Mark Sonnenblick, IDO, 24, & TEDDY) – Netflix 
Sound: “F1” (Al Nelson, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle, Gary Rizzo, Juan Peralta & Gareth John) – Apple Original Films 
Stunts: “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” (Wade Eastwood) – Paramount Pictures 
Trailer: “Weapons” (John Stanford & Susie Shen on behalf of Warner Bros.; Jared Sapolin, Joel Walden, James Edgington, Greg Brotherton, John Salazar & Nate Rowe on behalf of Mark Woollen and Associates) – Warner Bros. Pictures 
Visual Effects: “Avatar: Fire and Ash” (Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon & Daniel Barrett) – 20th Century Studios