Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

2025 Sundance Film Festival Announces Jury Members

15/01/2025

Top Row L-R: Kaniehtiio Horn, Vinnie Malhotra, Celine Song, Sam and Andy Zuchero, Kevin Macdonald, Wanuri Kahiu Second Row L-R: Nicholas Ma, Arian Moayed, Daniel Kaluuya, Elijah Wood, Nia Imara, Michael Almereyda Third Row L-R: Dr. Monica Lopez, Maggie Mackay, Marcia Smith, Reinaldo Marcus Green, Daniela Alatorre, Ava Cahen Bottom Row L-R: Steven Bognar, Kibwe Tavares, Laura Kim

PARK CITY, UTAH, January 14, 2025 - The nonprofit Sundance Institute announced today the 16 jurors granting awards honoring excellence in cinematic and artistic achievement at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, along with the five jury members who present the Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize. The 2025 Festival will kick off on Thursday, January 23, with premieres in Park City every day through the end of Tuesday, January 28. Additional showings will take place in Park City and Salt Lake City throughout the Festival until Sunday, February 2. Over 11 days, world debuts of projects across program categories will highlight fresh voices, entertaining stories, and groundbreaking works.

Select awarded films in competition will be screened in person from February 1-2. Single Film Tickets for in-person and online screenings go on sale Thursday, January 16, at 10 a.m. MT. Visit the Sundance Film Festival website for more information: festival.sundance.org.

The 16 jury members, reflecting a range of diverse and influential perspectives, will select the winners to be announced during the Awards Ceremony held at The Ray Theatre on Friday, January 31. The 2025 Sundance Film Festival jury includes: Reinaldo Marcus Green, Arian Moayed, and Celine Song for the U.S. Dramatic Competition; Steven Bognar, Vinnie Malhotra, and Marcia Smith for the U.S. Documentary Competition; Ava Cahen, Wanuri Kahiu, and Daniel Kaluuya for the World Cinema Dramatic Competition; Daniela Alatorre, Laura Kim, and Kevin Macdonald for the World Cinema Documentary Competition; Kaniehtiio Horn, Maggie Mackay, and Kibwe Tavares for the Short Film Program Competition; and Elijah Wood for the NEXT section.

The jury for the Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize deliberated ahead of the Festival and awarded the prize to SALLY, directed by Cristina Costantini. This jury includes Michael Almereyda, Nia Imara, Monica Lopez, Nicholas Ma, and Sam and Andy Zuchero.

We are thrilled to announce the incredible and accomplished group that comprise the 2025 Sundance Film Festival's jury, said Eugene Hernandez, Director, Sundance Film Festival and Public Programming. The jury plays a pivotal role in helping us recognize and amplify a new generation of storytellers, which is a crucial part of our work in independent cinema.

The jury will embark on an exciting journey to recognize the storytelling and artistic achievements that are a part of this year's program, said Kim Yutani, the Festival's Director of Programming. We are truly appreciative of their commitment and are looking forward to having them join us at the Festival.

Festivalgoers attending in person will participate in selecting the 2025 Audience Awards, which are available to films in the U.S. Competition, World Competition, and NEXT categories. Attendees will also have the opportunity to vote for the Festival Favorite, chosen from all in-person eligible feature film screenings. The Audience Awards will be announced at the Awards Ceremony on Friday, January 31. The Festival Favorite film will be announced at the conclusion of the Festival on Sunday, February 2.

Following are the 2025 Sundance Film Festival Jury members and their respective sections:

U.S. DRAMATIC COMPETITION JURY

Reinaldo Marcus Green is a writer, director, and producer. He most recently directed and wrote Paramount's Bob Marley: One Love, which debuted at number one at the box office. Green is best known for directing the critically acclaimed Warner Bros. film King Richard, which was nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and earned Will Smith his first Oscar win.

Arian Moayed, an Iranian-born actor, co-founded Waterwell in New York City. Credits include Tony Award nominations for Broadway's A Doll's House and Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, The Humans (Drama Desk Award), Guards at the Taj (Obie Award), Succession (two Emmy nominations), Inventing Anna (Netflix), and Ms. Marvel.

Celine Song's feature debut, Past Lives (2023 Sundance Film Festival), received Oscar nominations for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay and won Independent Spirit Awards for Best Director and Best Feature and the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing - First-Time Feature Film. A24 will release her second film.

U.S. DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION JURY

Steven Bognar is an Oscar- and Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker based in Ohio. His films include American Factory (2019 Sundance Film Festival), 9to5: The Story of a Movement, A Lion in the House (2006 Sundance Film Festival), and The Last Truck. He co-directed each with his late partner, Julia Reichert.

Vinnie Malhotra, an Emmy- and Peabody Award-winning producer, leads the film and TV division of President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama's Higher Ground. Malhotra served as executive vice president of nonfiction programming at Showtime, led development and acquisitions at CNN Worldwide, and began his career as an ABC News producer.

Marcia Smith is a filmmaker, writer, and a co-founder and president of Firelight Media, a nonprofit organization that supports and advocates on behalf of documentary filmmakers of color. She recently received a Lifetime Achievement Award from DOC NYC and a Silver Anthem Award for Nonprofit Leadership - Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

WORLD CINEMA DRAMATIC COMPETITION JURY

Ava Cahen is the artistic director of Cannes Critics' Week. She is the co-founder and co-chief editor of frenchmania
LINK: https://www.sundance.org/blogs/2025-sundance-film-festival-announces-j...
See more stories from sundance

Most recent headlines

05/01/2027

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...

01/06/2026

Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026

January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026 Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...

01/05/2026

NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to Integrate Dolby's Full Suite of Premium Picture and Sound Innovations

January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...

01/04/2026

DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION

January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...

23/01/2026

WWE's Virtual Production Playbook: How the Professional Wrestling Super Power Built Creative Flexibility in the Studio

WWE's Virtual Production Playbook: How the Professional Wrestling Super Powe...

23/01/2026

Tight Set Up: Squeezing the PSA's Tournament of Champions Into Grand Central Station for the Annual Squash Extravaganza

Tight set up: Squeezing the PSA's Tournament of Champions into Grand Central...

23/01/2026

AFC Championship Preview: Behind the Scenes With NFL on CBS' Producer Jim Rikhoff and Director Mike Arnold

AFC Championship Preview: Behind the Scenes With NFL on CBS' Producer Jim R...

23/01/2026

NFC Championship Preview: FOX Sports Director Rich Russo Talks Technology, Storytelling Heading Into Season Finale

NFC Championship Preview: FOX Sports Director Rich Russo Talks Technology, Story...

23/01/2026

Introducing the Best New Artist 2026 Nominees

Spotify's annual Best New Artist celebration honors the rising stars whose talent, creativity, and dedication have propelled them to the music industry'...

23/01/2026

L3Harris Data Links: Resilient, Mission-Proven C5ISR Solutions

Coalition military forces operating across the vast geography of the Indo-Pacific rely on interoperable, secure data links to share intelligence, surveillance a...

23/01/2026

Why Air Forces Are Choosing L3Harris Airborne Early Warning and Control

Artist rendering of L3Harris Technologies' AERIS next generation airborne early warning and control solution....

23/01/2026

The C-130 Cockpit Advantage

The U.S. Air Force AMP Increment II aircraft at L3Harris' facility in Waco, Texas. L3Harris has modernized C-130 avionics since 1985, delivering digital coc...

23/01/2026

A Game-Changer for Caption & Subtitle QC - Now Integrated!

Paramount is transforming its operations by unifying the media supply chains of their top brands into a scalable global pipeline. This transformation enhances ...

23/01/2026

Should we automate or augment with AI?

Every delay costs. When a subtitle fails QC, even the smallest issue can mean missed deadlines, extra vendor costs, or frustrated teams. The new Accurate.Video ...

23/01/2026

Nielsen Renews Partnership With Gray Media for Local TV Measurement Across All of Its 113 DMAs

Multi-year deal utilizes Nielsen's full suite of local audience marketing in...

23/01/2026

Nielsen Announces Pricing of Upsized $1.5 Billion Offering of Senior Secured Notes by its Affiliate

New York, NY January 21, 2026 - Neptune BidCo US Inc. (the Issuer or the Co...

23/01/2026

ALT Systems Launches PixSpan Data - Making PixMover Platf...

ALT Systems, Inc., a leading system integrator and technology solutions provider for the media and entertainment industry, today announced the launch of PixSpan...

23/01/2026

AIMS to Officially Launch IPMX as a Fully Developed Stand...

The Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS) will mark a major milestone for Pro AV-over-IP at ISE 2026 with the official launch of Internet Protocol Media Experi...

23/01/2026

KRK to Premiere New Flagship V Series Five Monitors for P...

KRK, a leader in professional studio monitoring for nearly four decades, will unveil the all new V Series Five at the 2026 NAMM Show, offering attendees an excl...

23/01/2026

SMPTE Announces Steve LLamb as ISO-TC 36 Cinematography C...

SMPTE , the home of media professionals, technologists, and engineers, today announced Steve LLamb, Vice President of Technology Standards and Solutions for Cin...

23/01/2026

IBC announces call for Technical Papers for IBC2026 Confe...

IBC today announces that the call for Technical Papers is now open for the IBC2026 Conference, inviting innovators from across the global media, entertainment, ...

23/01/2026

Asharq News AMPPs up its Cloud-Based Disaster Recovery

Grass Valley has announced that Asharq News, the leading multi-platform Arabic news service owned by the Saudi Research & Media Group (SRMG), has expanded its c...

23/01/2026

Rohde & Schwarz, Qualcomm, and Motorola demonstrate succe...

At the SET Expo 2025, a consortium including Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., Motorola, and Rohde & Schwarz successfully demonstrated a real-world proof-of-concept ...

23/01/2026

Dalet Appoints Gwen Braygreen as Executive Vice President...

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the appointment of Gwen Braygreen as Executive Vice President and...

23/01/2026

Industry Leaders Unite to Create First-Ever End-to-End Cr...

Alfalite, Brainstorm, Dejero, Domo Broadcast Systems, FOR-A, KitPlus, Ontario Soluciones and RGB Spectrum partner to demonstrate revolutionary integrated soluti...

23/01/2026

Vizrt Powers a New Era of Corporate Viewer Engagement wit...

Vizrt, the leader in live production technology revolutionizing viewer experience and engagement, expands its team to ignite a new era of professional-grade pro...

23/01/2026

LOGIC media solutions becomes launch partner of the AWS E...

LOGIC media solutions, an Amazon Web Services (AWS) Advanced Partner specialising in AWS-based media workflows, is one of the official launch partners of the ne...

23/01/2026

Chyron Promotes Owen Seaton to VP, Venue Solutions

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Pinterest Bluesky Email...

23/01/2026

MPA Backs ATSC 3.0 Content Security Protections in FCC Comments

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Pinterest Bluesky Email...

23/01/2026

NDI 6.3 Core Tech Update to Be Demoed at ISE

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Pinterest Bluesky Email...

23/01/2026

ISE: Sony Electronics Announces Crystal LED S Series

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Pinterest Bluesky Email...

23/01/2026

SMPTE Announces Steve LLamb as ISO/TC 36 Cinematography Chair

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Pinterest Bluesky Email...

23/01/2026

RTDNA Foundation Announces 2026 First Amendment Award Honorees

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Pinterest Bluesky Email...

23/01/2026

Paramount+ Launches Programmatic Access to Marquee Live Sports

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Pinterest Bluesky Email...

23/01/2026

Sky appoints Lisa Clark as Commissioning Executive for SNL UK

Friday 23 January 2026 Sky appoints Lisa Clark as Commissioning Executive for SNL UK Lisa Clark headshot PNG (468KB) Lisa Clark joins Sky as Commissioning E...

23/01/2026

Pavane' Drops Teaser Ahead of February 20 Debut - A Tender Story of Three Hearts Finding Their Way

Back to All News Pavane' Drops Teaser Ahead of February 20 Debut - A Tende...

23/01/2026

FY2025 Full Year Results

FY2025 Full Year Results...

23/01/2026

Oscar nomination for RT supported film Retirement Plan

RT is delighted to announce that the RT and F s ireann / Screen Ireland supported short film Retirement Plan has been nominated for Best Animated Short at th...

22/01/2026

SVG Students To Watch: Chuck Luarasi, Curry College

SVG Students To Watch: Chuck Luarasi, Curry CollegeThe Massachusetts native is cutting his teeth with Harvard Athletics, Cape Cod Baseball LeagueBy Brandon Cost...

22/01/2026

Follow the Money, Episode 4: Talking Tech, Sports, and Private Capital With Sam McCleery and Alysse Soll

Follow the Money, Episode 4: Talking Tech, Sports, and Private Capital With Sam ...

22/01/2026

Fever Pitch: WRC is Back for the Start of the 2026 Season With Rallye Monte-Carlo in 1080p For the First Time

Fever pitch: WRC is back for the start of the 2026 season with Rallye Monte-Carl...

22/01/2026

FloSports Prepares To Broadcast Outdoor Hockey Game Amidst Brutally Cold Temperatures in Southern Minnesota

FloSports Prepares To Broadcast Outdoor Hockey Game Amidst Brutally Cold Tempera...

22/01/2026

As Paramount+ Enters the Octagon, UFC's Craig Borsari Previews Production Plans, Teases Innovations

As Paramount Enters the Octagon, UFC's Craig Borsari Previews Production Pl...

22/01/2026

A Recluse Goes on a Quest To Save His Dog and Fight a Demon in OBEX

By Jordan Crucchiola It's a desire you hear so often among those in filmmaking circles. I just want to make cool stuff with my friends. With the NEXT selec...

22/01/2026

Lyrical Seeds Is a Stunning Portrait of Black Generational Farmers

Brittany Shyne attends the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of Seeds at The Ray Theatre on January 25, 2025, in Park City, UT. (Photo by Robin Marshall/Sh...

22/01/2026

Sundance Institute-Supported Train Dreams, If I Had Legs I'd Kick You, and More Land Oscar Nominations

Joel Edgerton and Felicity Jones appear in Train Dreams by Clint Bentley, an off...

22/01/2026

Watch Ed Sheeran's Dublin Concert in a New Billions Club Live Film on Spotify

Last November, Ed Sheeran returned to his musical roots for an intimate, one-nig...

22/01/2026

L3Harris to Provide Advanced Technology for Korean Geostationary Weather Satellite

MELBOURNE, Fla., Jan 22, 2026 - L3Harris Technologies (NYSE: LHX) has received a...