Get to Know This Fall and Winter's Filmmakers Through These 24 Sundance Institute-Supported Films

07/09/2026

By Ramona Flume and Lucy Spicer

There'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 24 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 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 startling immediacy. Check here for viewing options.

BEFORE YOU SEE OASIS: DON'T LOOK BACK IN ANGER...

Decades of feuding, one sold-out world tour, and a whole lot of Wonderwall - this documentary follows Liam and Noel Gallagher as they patch things up in front of fan-filled arenas during their supersonic Oasis Live '25 run. Directors Will Lovelace and Dylan Southern deliver backstage footage, unscripted rehearsals, and the oft-warring brothers' first joint interview in over a decade to paint a fuller picture of their infamous fallout, their highly anticipated reunion, and why their music still hits. Coming to theaters September 11.

...WATCH MEET ME IN THE BATHROOM

Directors Will Lovelace and Dylan Southern drop viewers into the early 2000s rock resurgence scene in downtown New York, in a city not yet reshaped by the creatively suffocating influence of social media or skyrocketing rents. This 2022 Sundance Film Festival selection, adapted from Lizzy Goodman's oral history, traces the lo-fi rise of seminal bands like The Strokes, LCD Soundsystem, Interpol, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and The Moldy Peaches through rare live recordings, grainy home videos, and candid audio confessions from the artists themselves. Check here for viewing options.

BEFORE YOU SEE HEART OF THE BEAST

LINK:	https://www.sundance.org/blogs/get-to-know-this-fall-and-winters-filmm...
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Get to Know This Fall and Winter's Filmmakers Through These 24 Sundance Institute-Supported Films

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