The 2026 Sundance Film Festival kicks off its final Utah edition on January 22, showcasing 105 feature and episodic projects across Park City and Salt Lake City through February 1, and online January 29- February 1 Across five of the festival’s 13 program sections, we have rounded up the 11 science and technology-themed projects to look out for, organized by section, with descriptions excerpted from the festival’s programmers. Highlights include the 2026 winner of the Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize, Andrew Stanton’s IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE. Developed from screenwriter Colby Day’s script – which earned a coveted spot on the prestigious Black List in 2016 – the film makes its world premiere at the festival before a wide release on Hulu and Disney+ in February 2026. Previous winners of the annual Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Feature Film Prize include Cristina Costantini’s documentary SALLY, Sam Zuchero and Andy Zuchero’s LOVE ME , and Sophie Barthes’ THE POD GENERATION.

On January 26, Andrew Stanton and Colby Day will also participate in The Big Talk, a special discussion moderated by science communicator, neuroscientist and clinical psychologist Dr. Heather Berlin.

Sloan Science & Film will be covering Sundance, so check back for more as the festival gets underway.

U.S. DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION

JOYBUBBLES. Dir. Rachael J. Morrison. World Premiere. “Joybubbles discovers he can manipulate the telephone system by whistling a magic tone. Born blind and yearning for connection, his early obsession unwittingly lays the groundwork for a subculture that shapes the future of hacking and technology.” Available online for public.

THE LAKE. Dir. Abby Ellis. World Premiere. “An environmental nuclear bomb looms in Utah. Two intrepid scientists and a political insider race the clock to save their home from unprecedented catastrophe.” Available online for public.

NUISANCE BEAR. Dirs. Gabriela Osio Vanden, Jack Weisman. World Premiere. “A polar bear is forced to navigate a human world of tourists, wildlife officers, and hunters as its ancient migration collides with modern life. When a sacred predator is branded a nuisance, it becomes unclear who truly belongs in this shared landscape.” Available online for public.

Still from NUISANCE BEAR. Courtesy of Sundance Film Festival.

PUBLIC ACCESS. Dir. David Shadrack Smith. World Premiere. “An unprecedented look inside one of the greatest media experiments to hijack American screens. Rare archives from New York’s underground capture a world of creators who shattered rules, defied censors, and transformed our televisions into a free-speech battleground where anyone could be a star.” Available online for public.

WORLD CINEMA DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION

SENTIENT. Dir. Tony Jones. World Premiere. “An investigation into laboratory research on animals exposes a hidden world in which it’s not just the animals getting hurt. The story of Dr. Lisa Jones Engel, a primatologist turned animal welfare advocate, asks whether harming animals and ourselves in science’s name is justified.” Available online for public.

NEXT

GHOST IN THE MACHINE. Dir. Valerie Veatch. World Premiere. “The untold origins of artificial intelligence lie not in machines but in power, revealing the fantasies behind the hype that got us here and where we go next.” Available online for public.

Still from GHOST IN THE MACHINE. Courtesy of Sundance Film Festival.

PREMIERES

THE AI DOC: OR HOW I BECAME AN APOCALOPTIMIST. Dirs. Daniel Roher, Charlie Tyrell. World Premiere. “A father-to-be tries to figure out what is happening with the AI insanity, exploring the existential dangers and stunning promise of this technology that humanity has created.”

IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE. Dir. Andrew Stanton. World Premiere. “Three storylines, spanning thousands of years, intersect and reflect on hope, connection, and the circle of life.” 2026 Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize Winner.

TIME AND WATER. Dir. Sara Dosa. World Premiere. “Facing the death of his country’s glaciers and the loss of his beloved grandparents, Icelandic writer Andri Snær Magnason turns his archives into a time capsule to hold what is slipping away — family, memory, time, and water.” Available online for public.

Still from TIME AND WATER. Courtesy of Sundance Film Festival.

SHORT FILM PROGRAM

STILL STANDING. Dirs. Victor Tadashi Suárez, Livia Albeck-Ripka. “On January 7, 2025, the Eaton fire destroyed over 9,000 structures in Altadena, California. Thousands more were left standing but contaminated with toxic ash. Residents face the impossible decision of whether they should risk their health to return home.”

Still from STILL STANDING. Courtesy of Sundance Film Festival.

TUKTUIT : CARIBOU. Dir. Lindsay Aksarniq McIntyre. “An exploration of the close and enduring connections between Inuit, caribou, lichens, and land use. A handmade caribou gelatin emulsion reveals the land where caribou struggle to survive burn events and habitat disruption.”

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