Sundance selected 95% alumni for their feature film programming in 2025, I haven’t seen the updated numbers this year but I’m sure it will be more of the same. The problem is similar for many festivals: paralysis of programming for fear of not picking “the right” one. Instead Sundance needs to be worried about representing the undertold and misunderstood. Exceptionalism theories need to go out the window to truly disrupt. Stop basing selections based on in person vetting and labs and actually use programmers to select films. They have an army after all. How does it rarely get used?
92%** got it from B Ryan Glick. Here’s the original post: “While congratulations are in order to several film folk the reality is Sundance Film Festival is an insular fest that goes out of its way to not discover. Here's the 2025 lineup on facts
At least 92% of features are directed and/or produced by #Sundance #Alums
Over 50% of features are directed by Sundance Alums
The 7 film exceptions not from alums include Only two films from American directors. So almost all of the films not from Sundance Alums are int titles. At most one feature was a cold submission. That is to say that there is only one feature that I could not quickly find evidence of a direct channel to Sundance programmers! So if you don't have a programmer contact, DON'T BOTHER!
There are more films in the lineup that are from #Oscar nominated/winning directors (8) than there are films not directored or produced by alums!
Notably Sundance did cite #disability (long overdue). But at 8% (7 total) disabled filmmakers are underrepresented so massively that even if they tripled the # it would still not be proportional. Similarly to the above, there are more films from Oscar nominated/winning filmmakers than there are films from filmmakers with disabilities across the spectrum.
While there are four #A24 titles there's an almost total absence of streamers and studio backed titles. Republic Pictures (Paramount), National Geographic (Disney), Shudder, Focus, and Apple each have a feature. That's it. I do expect a few pre-fest announcements from the likes of Netflix and SPC.”
Quick feedback from those who listen to this article. The sheer number of urls the AI reader says out loud make this nearly impossible to listen to. I wonder if you could just use a title for each link and then link that? It would make listening much easier. Thanks!
Thanks for this post on Sundance. I'll be at Sundance briefly (1/23-25). It's my first time having a film there that I worked on, so I'm very excited!
Sundance selected 95% alumni for their feature film programming in 2025, I haven’t seen the updated numbers this year but I’m sure it will be more of the same. The problem is similar for many festivals: paralysis of programming for fear of not picking “the right” one. Instead Sundance needs to be worried about representing the undertold and misunderstood. Exceptionalism theories need to go out the window to truly disrupt. Stop basing selections based on in person vetting and labs and actually use programmers to select films. They have an army after all. How does it rarely get used?
I don't know nothin, but there's no way they selected 95% alumni, that doesn't track at all. Where did you see that number?
92%** got it from B Ryan Glick. Here’s the original post: “While congratulations are in order to several film folk the reality is Sundance Film Festival is an insular fest that goes out of its way to not discover. Here's the 2025 lineup on facts
At least 92% of features are directed and/or produced by #Sundance #Alums
Over 50% of features are directed by Sundance Alums
The 7 film exceptions not from alums include Only two films from American directors. So almost all of the films not from Sundance Alums are int titles. At most one feature was a cold submission. That is to say that there is only one feature that I could not quickly find evidence of a direct channel to Sundance programmers! So if you don't have a programmer contact, DON'T BOTHER!
There are more films in the lineup that are from #Oscar nominated/winning directors (8) than there are films not directored or produced by alums!
Notably Sundance did cite #disability (long overdue). But at 8% (7 total) disabled filmmakers are underrepresented so massively that even if they tripled the # it would still not be proportional. Similarly to the above, there are more films from Oscar nominated/winning filmmakers than there are films from filmmakers with disabilities across the spectrum.
While there are four #A24 titles there's an almost total absence of streamers and studio backed titles. Republic Pictures (Paramount), National Geographic (Disney), Shudder, Focus, and Apple each have a feature. That's it. I do expect a few pre-fest announcements from the likes of Netflix and SPC.”
those #s just don't seem right at all. but idk!
That's including alumni of any Sundance Institute program.
Believe it, system is B👏R👏O👏K👏E👏N👏
Quick feedback from those who listen to this article. The sheer number of urls the AI reader says out loud make this nearly impossible to listen to. I wonder if you could just use a title for each link and then link that? It would make listening much easier. Thanks!