16 Sundance Films to Watch Before Fall Movie Season, From The Eyes of Tammy Faye' to Thank You for Smoking'
08/10/2021
By Vanessa Zimmer
Just as nature brings out new and vivid colors in the fall, filmmakers step forward with their best and brightest as we head into the serious cinema season - not that some fun romps aren't in store as well. In reviewing the fall movie season lineup, we started to notice some familiar faces from past labs and Festivals popping up behind the camera, from Daniel Deston Cretton to Chlo Zhao. Thus, we have another installment in our ongoing lesson: You find Sundance alums in some of the most exciting places. Read on for our watchlist of Sundance films you need to see over Labor Day weekend, as these titles begin to roll out to your local theaters as well as your favorite screening platforms.
PS: In case you missed it, check out our compilation of Sundance-supported films opening to wider audiences in September.
BEFORE YOU SEE SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS
The Marvel Cinematic Universe introduces a new superhero as martial artist marvel Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) confronts his past as an assassin-in-training. Directed and co-written by Destin Daniel Cretton, the September 3 release also stars Awkwafina, Tony Chiu-Wai Leung, and Michelle Yeoh.
WATCH I AM NOT A HIPSTER
Cretton's debut feature - which premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival - centered on a talented indie musician facing loss and love. Cretton's credits also include Short Term 12, which won the short filmmaking prize in 2009 at the Festival, and 2019's Just Mercy, based on the true story of activist lawyer Bryan Stevenson. The latter starred Michael B. Jordan and Jamie Foxx. [WATCH NOW]
BEFORE YOU SEE MALIGNANT
James Wan's newest film is billed as A New Vision of Terror, which comes as no surprise to those who know Wan as the man behind The Conjuring, Insidious, and Saw. Annabelle Wallis stars as Madison, who is assaulted by terrifying waking dreams. The film releases in theaters and on HBO Max on September 10.
WATCH SAW
Speaking of surprises/no surprises, Saw was introduced as a Sundance Film Festival Midnight selection in 2004. It starred Cary Elwes, Leigh Whannell, Danny Glover, and Ken Leung. The horror film took off, leading to multiple installments in the franchise. [WATCH NOW]
BEFORE YOU SEE THE CARD COUNTER
Gambler William Tell sees an opportunity for redemption in young Cirk's plan for revenge against a mutual enemy, in this tense Paul Schrader thriller set in the competitive poker world. Oscar Isaac, Tye Sheridan, Tiffany Haddish, and Willem Dafoe star in the film, coming to theaters September 10.
WATCH LIGHT SLEEPER
Another Schrader character study, this one follows a successful drug dealer (Dafoe) at a crossroads. It played the 1992 Festival. The prolific Schrader also adapted the Russell Banks novel Affliction into a movie of the same name; it starred Nick Nolte as the conflicted lead and played the 1999 Festival. [WATCH NOW]
BEFORE YOU SEE THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE
Jessica Chastain dons the mask of Tammy Faye Bakker, with those heavy lashes and layered makeup, in a fictional adaptation of the story of the late televangelist and singer. Andrew Garfield portrays her husband and partner in televangelism, James Bakker. Director Michael Showalter's film releases September 17.
WATCH THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE
This Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato documentary from the 2000 Festival provided the basis for the 2021 fictional version. Consider also checking out Showalter's The Big Sick, a 2017 Festival entry about another real-life couple, Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani, the screenwriters of The Big Sick. [WATCH NOW]
BEFORE YOU SEE CRY MACHO
Clint Eastwood directs and stars in this road trip movie, a modern western about an old horseman and a young boy (Eduardo Minett) traveling across rural Mexico. It opens September 17.
WATCH PIANO BLUES
Eastwood, an accomplished pianist, directed the Piano Blues episode of this seven-part Martin Scorsese documentary project, a series of vignettes tracing the history of blues music. An unfinished version of the project played the 2003 Sundance Film Festival. [WATCH NOW]
BEFORE YOU SEE THE MANY SAINTS OF NEWARK
Michael Gandolfini, son of the late James Gandolfini who originated the Tony Soprano character on the HBO series The Sopranos, plays a younger Tony in this story of the New Jersey mob family. Directed by Sundance alum Alan Taylor, the film opens October 1.
WATCH PALOOKAVILLE
Taylor's offbeat crime comedy, about a trio of good-hearted, inept friends who want to commit the perfect heist, premiered at the 1996 Festival. Taylor also directed the 1991 Festival short film The Burning Question. [WATCH NOW]
BEFORE YOU SEE NO TIME TO DIE
Nooo! James Bond wants to leave the spy business. Not to worry. We expect this 25th film, opening October 8 and directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, won't be his last.
WATCH SIN NOMBRE
Fukunaga's debut feature - a social-political thriller about Central American teenagers and their plight they face on their train ride through Mexico toward the United States - premiered at the 2009 Festival, where it earned a directing prize and a cinematography award. [WATCH NOW]
BEFORE YOU SEE HALLOWEEN KILLS
Michael Myers and Laurie Strode aren't finished yet. The next installment, directed by David Gordon Green, opens October 15. What's more, there's another in the series scheduled for October 2022. It's called Halloween Ends, which we assume it will. Or not. Interestingly, the original Halloween played the Utah/U.S. Film Fest - precursor to the Sundance Film Festival - in its first year (1978)
LINK: | https://www.sundance.org/blogs/sundance-guide-fall-movie-season-2021/... |
See more stories from sundance |
More from Sundance Institute
27/03/2024
Inside the Archives: It's Lights, Curtains, Action When Sundance Films Become Stage Productions
By Jen Scott It's time to unwrap those noisy candies and put your phone on ...
26/03/2024
CHOOSE CHICAGO, CITY OF CHICAGO ANNOUNCE SUNDANCE INSTITUTE X CHICAGO 2024 COMING THIS SUMMER
New event championing creative independence will feature three days of screening...
25/03/2024
Give Me the Backstory: Get to Know Mel Eslyn, the Filmmaker Behind Penelope
By Bailey Pennick One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festival is having a front-row seat for the bright future of independent filmmaking. ...
21/03/2024
Give Me the Backstory: Get to Know Brett Story, the Co-Director of Union
By Lucy Spicer One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festival is having a front-row seat for the bright future of independent filmmaking. Whi...
19/03/2024
2025 Sundance Film Festival Taking Place January 23-February 2
PARK CITY, UTAH, March 19, 2024 - Save the date to be the first to see next year's independent films and projects that entertain, spark cultural conversatio...
11/03/2024
Give Me the Backstory: Get to Know India Donaldson, the Filmmaker Behind Good One
By Lucy Spicer One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festival...
08/03/2024
Back to the '80s: Women Documentary Filmmakers Remember the Festival's First Decade
Paula de Koenigsberg and Lucy Winer in front of a porn shop while filming Rate I...
07/03/2024
Film Festival Watch: 23 Sundance-Supported Films to See at SXSW
[Pictured: Doppelg ngers ] By Stephanie Ornelas The sun is shining, the brisket is smoking, and cinephiles are making their way to Austin, Texas, for the 202...
05/03/2024
Four Weddings and a Funeral and Sin Nombre Among Films With March Anniversaries
dgar Flores stars in Cary Joji Fukunaga's feature debut, Sin nombre, which won two awards at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival....
04/03/2024
Sundance Film Festival Asia returns to Taiwan in 2024
Submissions Now Open for the 2024 Short Film Competition supporting local artists...
01/03/2024
Inside the Archives: One Degree of Sundance Institute at the 2024 Oscars
Director Mira Nair and cinematographer Edward Lachman on the set of Mississippi Masala. Photo by Mitch Epstein...
01/03/2024
Release Rundown: What to Watch This March, From Love Lies Bleeding to Shayda
(L-R) Katy O'Brian and Kristen Stewart star in Rose Glass' thriller Love Lies Bleeding, which premiered in the Midnight section at the 2024 Sundance F...
29/02/2024
Cinpolis and Sundance Institute partner to launch the first edition of the Sundance Film Festival CDMX
Sundance Film Festival CDMX 2024 will take place from April 25th to 28th in Cin ...
29/02/2024
Film Festival Watch: Catch These 10 Sundance-Supported Docs at True/False Film Fest
By Stephanie Ornelas One of the rewards of being part of a filmmaker's jou...
29/02/2024
Give Me the Backstory: Get to Know Angela Patton and Natalie Rae, the Co-Directors of Daughters
By Lucy Spicer One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festival...
28/02/2024
Give Me the Backstory: Get to Know 6 Black Filmmakers With Shorts at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival
A still from Tajana Tokyo's Salone Love, which screened as part of Short F...
27/02/2024
Give Me the Backstory: Get to Know J.M. Harper, the Director of As We Speak
By Bailey Pennick One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festival is having a front-row seat for the bright future of independent filmmaking. ...
26/02/2024
Past Lives Wins Big as Sundance Institute Projects Are Honored at the 2024 Spirit Awards
The vibe inside the big white tent of the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards wa...
26/02/2024
More Life: An Appreciation of Steve Buscemi in Parting Glances
Parting Glances. 1986. USA. Written and Directed by Bill Sherwood. Courtesy First Run Features...
23/02/2024
5 Takeaways From a Sundance Collab Conversation With Alexander Payne, Director of The Holdovers
By Stephanie Ornelas Alexander Payne has deep roots with Sundance Institute, h...
22/02/2024
Sundance Institute Announces 2024 Momentum Fellows
PARK CITY, UTAH, February 22, 2024 - Today the nonprofit Sundance Institute announced eight storytellers selected for the 2024 Momentum Fellowship. Now in its s...
16/02/2024
Give Me the Backstory: Get to Know Nzingha Stewart and Keyonna Taylor, the Director and Co-Writer of Me/We
By Lucy Spicer One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festival...
15/02/2024
Film Festival Watch: 12 Sundance-Supported Films Screening at the 2024 Berlin Film Festival
By Stephanie Ornelas If your film is ready for Sundance, that means you'r...
14/02/2024
Give Me the Backstory: Get to Know Titus Kaphar, the Filmmaker Behind Exhibiting Forgiveness
By Bailey Pennick One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festi...
13/02/2024
Hard Eight, Velvet Buzzsaw, and More Celebrate Anniversaries in February
Rene Russo and Jake Gyllenhaal star in Dan Gilroy's darkly comic Velvet Buzzsaw....
12/02/2024
Give Me the Backstory: Get to Know Dawn Porter, the Filmmaker Behind Luther: Never Too Much
By Lucy Spicer One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festival...
09/02/2024
Release Rundown: What to Watch in February, From Drift to God Save Texas
Cynthia Erivo is mesmerizing as Jacqueline, the lead character in Anthony Chen's film Drift....
08/02/2024
You Have to Feel Safe to Fail: Quotes From a Conversation With Emerald Fennell, the Writer-Director of Saltburn
By Lucy Spicer From what she jokingly describes as a hostile hotel room in Lo...
07/02/2024
Give Me the Backstory: Get to Know Kobi Libii, the Filmmaker Behind The American Society of Magical Negroes
By Bailey Pennick One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festi...
26/01/2024
2024 Sundance Film Festival Announces Award Winners
Grand Jury Prizes Go To In The Summers (U.S. Dramatic Competition), Porcelain War (U.S. Documentary Competition), A New Kind of Wilderness (World Cinema Documen...
24/01/2024
2024 Sundance Film Festival Announces Short Film Award Winners
PARK CITY, UTAH, January 23, 2024 - Tonight at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival the short film jury awards were announced during the Shorts Awards Party presente...
23/01/2024
Past Lives, The Eternal Memory, and 20 Days in Mariupol Are Nominated for Oscars
As we continue to dig into the best of what's next at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, it's always nice to be reminded of our storied past and the incre...
22/01/2024
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and Sundance Institute Announce Recipients of Science-In-Film Initiative's Feature Film Prize and Three Artist Grants
Juried Feature Film Prize Awarded to Love Me; Directors Sam and Andy Zuchero, Pl...
21/01/2024
Sundance Institute Announces 2024 Merata Mita Fellow and Inaugural Graton Fellow
Libby Hakaraia and Tazbah Rose Chavez to Be Honored at Native Forum Celebration During the 2024 Sundance Film Festival...
16/01/2024
Four Decades of the Sundance Film Festival: Our Global Community's Top 10 Features
A top 10 list is a nearly impossible task to take on by yourself, especially whe...
14/01/2024
How sex, lies and videotape Turns Our Gaze Inward
By Shahnaz Mahmud Thirty-five years ago, Steven Soderbergh debuted his feature film sex, lies and videotape at the Sundance Film Festival, forever changing the...
12/01/2024
Sundance Institute Announces 2024 Screenwriters Lab and Screenwriters Intensive Fellows
12 Projects to Be Developed at Annual January Screenwriters Lab in Utah...
05/01/2024
2024 Sundance Film Festival Adds The Greatest Night in Pop to the Feature Film Program and Reveals Beyond Film Lineup
Artist Conversations With Steven Soderbergh, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Sue Bird, Jesse E...
04/01/2024
Release Rundown: Brief Tender Light and Sometimes I Think About Dying Reach Wider Audiences This January
Daisy Ridley portrays the socially awkward Fran in Rachel Lambert's Sometime...
03/01/2024
2024 Sundance Film Festival Names Jury Members
All 16 Members of Competition Jury are Festival Alumni in Honor of 40th Edition...
02/01/2024
Inside the Archives: Looking Back at the Familiar Faces of the 2024 Festival Through the Years
photo by Sandria Miller...
29/12/2023
Watchlist: Pull Up a Seat at These Sundance Film Dinner Tables this Holiday Season
By Stephanie Ornelas We're in the thick of the holiday season, and you know...
12/12/2023
2024 Sundance Film Festival Announces Short Films Lineup and 40th Edition Programming
53 Shorts and Eight 40th Edition Celebration Screenings...
08/12/2023
Affliction and Frank & Lola Among Films Celebrating December Anniversaries
Michael Shannon and Imogen Poots portray the titular characters in writer-director Matthew Ross' thriller Frank & Lola....
06/12/2023
2024 Sundance Film Festival Announces 91 Projects Selected for the Feature Films, Episodic, and New Frontier Lineup for 40th Edition
All Eyes on Independents...
06/12/2023
This Is Your First Look at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival Program
Are you ready for it? Today we're coming at you full blast with the complete lineup of the 2024 Sundance Film Festival program. All eyes will be on independ...
05/12/2023
Passages, Past Lives and Eileen Pave the Way for Sundance-Supported Film Independent Spirit Award Nominees
This morning, Joel Kim Booster and Natalie Morales announced the nominations for...