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 Breaking (premiered as 892), 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 I'll Be Your Mirror (premiered as blood), directed by Bradley Rust Gray 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 Mars One, 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 (Nikyatu Jusu) U.S. Documentary Competition – The Exiles (Ben Klein and Violet Columbus) World Cinema Dramatic Competition – Utama (Alejandro Loayza Grisi) World Cinema Documentary Competition – All That Breathes (Shaunak Sen)
Audience Awards
Festival Favorite – Navalny (Daniel Roher) U.S. Dramatic Competition – Cha Cha Real Smooth (Cooper Raiff) U.S. Documentary Competition – Navalny (Daniel Roher) World Cinema Dramatic Competition – Girl Picture (Alli Haapasalo) World Cinema Documentary Competition – The Territory (Alex Pritz) NEXT – Framing Agnes (Chase Joynt)
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 (North American distribution) A Love Song: Stage 6 Films and Bleecker Street (worldwide distribution); Cinetic Media (North American sales); Films Boutique (International sales) Aftershock: Onyx Collective and ABC News Alice: Vertical Entertainment and Roadside Attractions (North American distribution) Am I OK?: Warner Bros. Pictures and HBO Max Breaking: Bleecker Street (US distribution) Brian And Charles: Focus Features (worldwide rights; US distribution); Universal Pictures (International distribution) Calendar Girls: Juno Films (North American distribution) Call Jane: Roadside Attractions (US distribution) Cha Cha Real Smooth: Apple TV+ Descendant: Netflix and Higher Ground Productions Dual: RLJE Films (US distribution) Emily the Criminal: Vertical Entertainment and Roadside Attractions (US distribution); Universal Pictures (International distribution) Fire of Love: National Geographic Documentary Films Free Chol Soo Lee: MUBI (select territories including North America) Fresh: Searchlight Pictures and Hulu God's Country: IFC Films (North American distribution) Good Luck To You, Leo Grande: Searchlight Pictures and Hulu (US distribution) Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul: Focus Features, Peacock and Monkeypaw Productions Leonor Will Never Die: Music Box Films (North American distribution) Living: Sony Pictures Classics (select territories including North America) Mars One: Magnolia Pictures (international sales) My Old School: Magnolia Pictures (North American distribution) Nanny: Amazon Studios and Blumhouse Productions Navalny: Warner Bros. Pictures (North American theatrical distribution) Neptune Frost: Kino Lorber Nothing Compares: Showtime Documentary Films Piggy: Magnet Releasing (US distribution); Filmax (distribution in Spain) Resurrection: IFC Films and Shudder (North American distribution) Sharp Stick: Utopia (US distribution) Speak No Evil: Shudder (select territories including North America) The Cathedral: MUBI (North American distribution) The Territory: National Geographic Documentary Films Utama: Kino Lorber (US distribution) Watcher: IFC Midnight and Shudder (North American distribution); Focus Features and Universal Pictures (International distribution)
References