
A still from Past Lives by Celine Song, an official selection of the Premieres program at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. (Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Jon Pack)
By Lucy Spicer
Back in November, the Sundance Film Festival programming team compiled a watchlist as a crash course for anyone who wants to familiarize themselves with the Festival's history. Comprising a whopping 101 features spanning 41 years, such a list might look daunting to a viewer testing the indie film waters. But taking that list one double feature at a time? That sounds doable for anyone who's got time for a movie night! So we're bringing you ideas for Sundance Film Festival 101 Double Features, with film pairings inspired by genre, style, theme, and more.
Two films about evolving relationships, each by a writer-director early in her cinematic career - for our first 101 Double Feature, we're recommending Kelly Reichardt's Old Joy and Celine Song's Past Lives. Celebrating the 20th anniversary of its theatrical release this coming August, Old Joy follows two old friends who reconnect over a quiet camping trip in the Oregon woods. Past Lives - still making audiences weep since its premiere in 2023 - tells the story of two childhood sweethearts who meet again as adults after being separated in their youth.
While distinct in many ways, Old Joy and Past Lives both employ their scripts - and often, silence over long takes - with care, allowing audiences to absorb the full weight of their words and to appreciate the emotional subtleties of the actors' performances. Old Joy cemented Reichardt as a filmmaker whose uvre we'll gladly revisit over and over again (and indeed she would return to the Festival in 2011 and 2016 with Meek's Cutoff and Certain Women respectively), and Past Lives undeniably marked Song as a filmmaker to watch. With this meditative double feature, we invite you to take a breath and enjoy some artfully quiet, intimate storytelling.
After premiering her feature debut, River of Grass, at the Festival in 1994, writer-director Kelly Reichardt returned to Park City in 2006 with a low-budget road movie of a different sort. Based on a short story by Jonathan Raymond, Old Joy follows old friends Mark (Daniel London) and Kurt (Will Oldham) as they reconnect over a short trip to some hot springs in the Oregon woods. The trip was Kurt's idea - while the two men had more of a hippie lifestyle in common back in their youth, Mark is now married and living in Portland with a baby on the way. Kurt is still a free spirit, though aimlessness looks a little different now than it did a decade or so ago. As the two make their way toward their destination with Mark's dog, Lucy (played by Reichardt's own dog, who also stars in her film Wendy and Lucy), in tow, Kurt is still full of stories about transformative retreats and theories about the universe. But it's clear the friendship can't be what it once was.
Boasting a wealth of Oregon wilderness cinematography and a soundtrack by Yo La Tengo, Old Joy is a contemplative piece about the changes in a male friendship that slots right into the slow cinema movement. The film features several themes and techniques that would become signatures of Reichardt's style, such as a focus on minimalism and characters living outside of financial comfort. Check here for viewing options.
In 2023 playwright Celine Song brought her directorial debut to the Sundance Film Festival. Inspired by actual events from Song's life, Past Lives resonated widely with audiences and went on to receive Academy Award nominations for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay. Beginning in Seoul in 1999, the story follows two childhood sweethearts, Na Young and Hae Sung, as they fall out of touch after Na Young's family immigrates to Canada when the children are 12 years old. Played by Greta Lee and Teo Yoo as adults, Na Young - now calling herself Nora - and Hae Sung reconnect over video calls 12 years later when Nora is pursuing a career as a playwright in New York, but they lose touch once more until 2023, when Hae Sung comes to visit her in the city. By this time, Nora is married to Arthur (played by John Magaro, who coincidentally also starred in Reichardt's First Cow and Showing Up), a fellow writer she met at a retreat in Montauk.
Despite taking place in big cities, Past Lives possesses an intimacy that draws the audience into the middle of its characters' relationships. Earnest, memorable dialogue invites us to examine the what-might-have-beens in our own lives and how our choices change our relationships with ourselves as well as others. Meticulous direction on Song's part masterfully builds romantic tension, and nuanced performances result in some unforgettable emotional screen moments. Check here for viewing options.
Introducing the Sundance Film Festival 101 Watchlist
How the Sound of Celine Song's Materialists Elevates Every Beat
Q&A: Director Kelly Reichardt on Making Meek's Cutoff'
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
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...
12/05/2026
Guntermann and Drunck (G&D), a Panoptec Technologies Group company, and CT Square, led by Chandresh Shah, have announced a joint venture to distribute G&D and V...
12/05/2026
With 30 days until the start of the FIFA World Cup 2026, Telemundo, the exclusive Spanish-language home of the tournament in the United States, has announced th...
12/05/2026
The NHL has announced the return of Stanley Pup for its third consecutive year, a 90-minute special featuring adoptable rescue dogs competing on a miniature rin...
12/05/2026
NBCUniversal presented its 2026 Upfront to advertisers at Radio City Music Hall, detailing upcoming programming across NBC, Peacock, Bravo, and Versant properti...
12/05/2026
FOX Sports has announced funding for the Fandom and Social Connection Initiative at Harvard Kennedy School's Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics, and Publ...
12/05/2026
TNDV and Live Media, both divisions of Live Media Group, supported live broadcast coverage around NCAA Final Four weekend in Indianapolis, including the March M...
12/05/2026
The European Football Alliance (EFA) has announced a content distribution agreement with Fubo Sports Network, the free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channel ...
12/05/2026
For the first time, Spanish-speaking fans in the U.S. will have two separate tel...
12/05/2026
CP Communications led a comprehensive spectrum management initiative on behalf of Churchill Downs during Kentucky Derby week, coordinating RF assets across the ...
12/05/2026
LiveU has announced a strategic partnership with DRONERESPONDERS, a 501(c)3 non-...
12/05/2026
Open Broadcast Systems has announced that BMC TV, a specialist in IP transport of broadcast content, has selected the Open Broadcast Systems 5G Flyaway solution...
12/05/2026
NEP Europe, part of NEP Group, has announced it will deliver broadcast solutions...
12/05/2026
Grass Valley has announced continued collaboration with Ravensbourne University ...
12/05/2026
Stats Perform has announced the launch of Opta Pulse, an AI-assisted video creation and distribution platform for leagues, rights holders, and broadcasters. The...
12/05/2026
FOX Sports has announced a collaboration with Sesame Workshop to integrate Sesame Street characters into FOX Sports' FIFA World Cup 2026 programming. Conten...
12/05/2026
To date, NHL Productions has produced 19 broadcasts with commentary in American Sign Language
NHL in ASL (American Sign Language) may be just one show, but the...
12/05/2026
Google's Brian Albert: creators, athletes, highlights, nostalgia, second-scr...
12/05/2026
A still from Past Lives by Celine Song, an official selection of the Premieres program at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. (Courtesy of Sundance Institute | p...
12/05/2026
Spotify is where fans and artists come together, turning discovery into somethin...
12/05/2026
Features patented Marco-MMC clocking technology
Black Lion Audio's latest release combines the company's expertise in clocking with their renowned p...
12/05/2026
New Track Panel, sequencer upgrades & more
Following their recent public beta release, Reason Studios have announced the full release of Reason 14. With the...
12/05/2026
One month to go! SBS reveals expansive FIFA World Cup 2026 lineup beyond the pi...
12/05/2026
Rohde & Schwarz presents its advanced solutions for power electronics testing at...
12/05/2026
aconnic AG (ISIN: DE000A0LBKW6), Munich, has developed a modified fund raising p...
12/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/05/2026
Tyrell Corporation, specialists in high-end live sports and entertainment broadcasts, was tasked with delivering compelling broadcast coverage of premier equest...
12/05/2026
Registration is now open for IBC2026 as the global media, entertainment and technology community prepares to converge on the RAI Amsterdam from 11 14 September ...
12/05/2026
Ross Video, a global leader in live video production technology, will present its latest innovations and integrated production workflows at BroadcastAsia 2026, ...
12/05/2026
500 selected leaders from around the world across start-ups, corporates, and venture capital. Over 50bn in assets under management among attending investors, a...
12/05/2026
CVP, one of Europe's leading suppliers of professional video and broadcast solutions, has appointed Randy Koeman as Sales Manager, Netherlands, marking anot...
12/05/2026
Taiwan Television has expanded its HD content ingest workflow capabilities by investing in the PlayBox Neo Suite - a leading multi-channel multi-server UHD/HD/S...
12/05/2026
Jigsaw24 is strengthening its media team with the appointment of Tom Laker as Client Director and Ashish Chauhan as Project Manager. These strategic hires bring...
12/05/2026
Broadcast playout leader showcases hybrid IP infrastructure and workflow automation with Videoland deployment as regional benchmark...
12/05/2026
dzjinius, the all-in-one production management platform for the media and entertainment industry, will showcase its centralised approach to production workflows...
12/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/05/2026
NUGEN Audio will debut Version 1.1 of DialogCheck, its intelligent dialog intelligibility and compliance tool, at the 2026 Media Production & Technology Show (S...
12/05/2026
The reactive visuals can adapt to any stage or screen setup and comprise 50 layers of Notch content
Today, Disguise announced that its high performance GX 3 m...
12/05/2026
Snapgrid , Snapbag & Airglow Expand Creative Control for the ARRI Modular LED BarFollowing the launch of the ARRI Omnibar, DoPchoice introduces a dedicated li...
12/05/2026
Customer demand for data continues to grow in the first quarter of 2026 at Magya...
12/05/2026
The latest drama underscores Sky's continued investment in regional production and Welsh creative talent.Tuesday 12 May 2026
Wales takes the spotlight in S...
12/05/2026
Back to All News
Macarena Garc a and Carlos Cuevas star in El Acercamiento de l...
12/05/2026
Back to All News
Netflix Unveils Documentary on Norway's 26-Year Journey to...