By Ramona Flume and Lucy SpicerThere's a particular kind of magic that happens once September hits: The air turns crisp, golden hour creeps in earlier every day, cozy sweaters get pulled out of storage, and the holidays always seem to be right around the corner. Everything about the season is marked by change - except, it turns out, one thing. This fall and winter, theaters and streaming services are once again dominated by directors whose careers have been impacted by Sundance Institute. With 36 new releases from Institute-supported filmmakers - including Taika Waititi, Susanne Bier, Jesse Eisenberg, and Timo Tjahjanto - scheduled between September and January, the influence of Sundance Institute can be felt throughout the year end's most anticipated titles.
But before you check out this stacked lineup of genre-hopping films - from Martin McDonagh's 1970s-set dark comedy and Denis Villeneuve's Dune finale to an Oasis tour doc and a Practical Magic sequel - let's rewind and revisit these filmmakers' earlier indie gems. Because knowing where someone started out makes it that much more fun to see where they've landed. Keep reading to get the scoop on this season's must-sees, paired with the Sundance Institute-supported projects that made us fans of these directors years before.
BEFORE YOU SEE ONSLAUGHT...
A 12-hour countdown begins when three lab-engineered super soldiers break out of a classified desert Army base and vanish into the night in this beat-the-clock thriller from director Adam Wingard. The only thing standing between the genetically modified killers and a quiet trailer park community is Celeste (Adria Arjona), a sniper that will do anything to protect her daughter. Coming to theaters September 4.
...WATCH THE GUEST
Still mourning their eldest son's death in Afghanistan, the Peterson family opens their home to David (Dan Stevens), a soldier claiming to be their boy's best friend from the war. He settles in fast, charming everyone - but a sudden string of suspicious deaths makes teenage daughter Anna (Maika Monroe) start to question his story. Adam Wingard's cult thriller, written by Simon Barrett, premiered at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival. Check here for viewing options.
BEFORE YOU SEE THE WORK IN PROGRESS...
This year marks the 250th anniversary of America. And former labor secretary Robert Reich considered the occasion by asking a question he thinks is central to our country: What do we owe each other as members of the same society? Reich teamed up with documentarian Ian Cheney to capture unscripted conversations (between 100 strangers across six states over the course of six months) about democracy, community, and what lies ahead for the United States. The resulting film is a profound look at the modern American psyche - and how powerful the act of listening can be. Coming to select theaters September 4.
...WATCH PICTURE A SCIENTIST
For generations, women in science have endured a culture that wasn't designed for them - sidelined, undermined, silenced, and in some cases sexually harassed by the very colleagues meant to be their peers and mentors. Biologist Nancy Hopkins, chemist Raychelle Burks, and geologist Jane Willenbring pair their firsthand accounts of discrimination in the field with rigorous, data-backed research that makes a plain case: Science only gets stronger through diversity. Directors Ian Cheney and Sharon Shattuck's documentary was supported by the 2019 Sundance Institute | Sandbox Fund. Check here for viewing options.
BEFORE YOU SEE PRACTICAL MAGIC 2...
The Owens sisters are back - and so is that pesky curse. Twenty-five years after we last watched them fly off their rooftop, Sally and Gillian (Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman) find themselves back in the family business with their beloved aunts (Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest) and a new crop of witches in tow (Joey King and Maisie Williams). Directed by Susanne Bier, this long-awaited sequel promises plenty of magic, mischief, and midnight margaritas. Coming to theaters September 11.
...WATCH OPEN HEARTS
Cecilie (Sonja Richter) watches her fianc e, Joachim (Nikolaj Lie Kaas), get paralyzed in a car crash just days before their wedding. While keeping vigil at his bedside, Cecilie strikes up a relationship with Niels (Mads Mikkelsen), a doctor at the hospital, only to learn that his wife was the one who caused the tragic accident. That discovery doesn't keep their intense love affair from unfolding, and the tangled relationship sends both families spiraling. Danish director Susanne Bier's award-winning Dogme 95 drama screened at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival. Check here for viewing options.
BEFORE YOU SEE THE UPRISING...
Set amid the real-life 1381 rebellion, writer-director Paul Greengrass' new historical drama follows a lowly farmhand (Andrew Garfield) who rallies the common people into an insurrection against King Richard II's oppressive rule. Tensions and violence boil over during what would become known as the Peasants' Revolt, with Jamie Bell and Cosmo Jarvis co-starring as rebel leaders John Ball and Wat Tyler. Coming to theaters September 10.
...WATCH BLOODY SUNDAY
Courtesy of Feature Film Company
Director Paul Greengrass revisits one of the darkest days of the Troubles, when a civil rights march in Derry, Ireland, turned deadly. James Nesbitt stars as Ivan Cooper, the Protestant MP who organized the demonstration, believing it could be conducted without incident. But as British officers order paratroopers into the crowd, the day spirals out of control, ending with soldiers opening fire on unarmed marchers. Shot in a raw style with handheld cameras, the film, which premiered at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival and won the Audience Award: World Cinema, brings the tragedy back to life with s
