“Breakout” films highlight filmmakers who are moving to a new level in their art. Here are a few of the films at Slamdance that fit that category. Zumeca, directed by David Maler, was awarded the Jury Grand Prize in the Breakout section. It is the story of Miguel, a...
I found that the Documentary Features was the strongest section of Slamdance Film Festival this year. It should be noted that all the films in this section represent US directorial debuts and have budgets under one million dollars. Silver, directed by Natalia Koniarz,...
When Werner Herzog puts on his documentarian hat, it is always with a sense of awe about what is in the world. That is certainly true of the National Geographic film Ghost Elephants. He tells the story of a scientific expedition in a way that lets us experience wonder...
Here are a few of the documentary shorts playing at Slamdance 2026. Leveret Road (Rang du Lièvre), 14 minutes, directed by Tim Bouvette. In Quebec, a ten year old who has ADHD, dyscalculia, and other learning issues, struggles to find a way to succeed in school. Her...
One of the wonderful things about Slamdance Film Festival is that it has a section of films that it labels “Unstoppable”. These are films that focus on overcoming barriers, often involving physical or other disabilities. The films may be about such barriers, or made...
The come-on for Meduza, from director Roc Morin, is that it is a documentary about an actor who played a sniper actually becoming a sniper in the war in Ukraine. While that is the bare bones of the story, this is really a more meditative, spiritual, and philosophical...
Here’s a look at a pair of international documentaries that we picked from the selection at Sundance 2026. Both are award winners. Everybody to Kenmure Street, directed by Felipe Bustos Sierra, was perhaps the most timely film at the festival. In 2021, the British...
Here’s a quick look at a pair of US narrative films from Sundance 2026. Take Me Home, directed by Liz Sargent, is a very personal project, but that doesn’t mean it’s not of wider value. Anna (Anna Sagent, the director’s sister) is a 38-year-old Korean-American with...
My wife and I picked well when we chose our films from the offering of international dramatic offerings at Sundance. All three of them got an award of some sort. The Incomer, directed by Louis Paxton, was a very entertaining story with a hit of the Eden story, but...