Australian movies, ICE protests and Charli XCX
The Sundance Film Festival has a long history of featuring some of Australia’s best independent cinema. Shine with talk to me. But this year has proven to be one of the best in history for Australian talent, with seven local films selected for the 2026 roster.
This year is also the festival’s last in Utah and the first year without its legendary founder, Robert Redford. died in september. But while attendees celebrated Redford’s legacy and the films on display, ICE protests and real-world politics cast a somber tone on Park City’s Main Street.
Five feature films and two short films from Australia made this year’s roster. this is close recording set (six) in 2019, but these were all exclusively feature films. At the time, the record had not been broken since 1997, when five Australian films were selected.
Two of the 10 documentaries competing in Sundance’s World Cinema Documentary Competition are Australian. sensitiveTony Jones’ searing review of animal testing and silencedA study is being conducted examining the weaponization of libel laws in the post-#MeToo era.
Other local fare includes two shorts – Nash Edgerton’s candy bar and Tom Noakes Worm – and family movie starring Taika Waititi Finger! Two Australian horror films, Leviticus And SaccharinHe also made the cut. Actually, Saccharin (directed by Australian-American Natalie Erika James) was one of several early sales at Sundance this year, having been acquired by horror streamer Shudder.
Big stars attending Sundance spoke against recent times Raids conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and border patrol agents in the United States. Meanwhile, a mass protest took place in Park City in response to the weekend’s deadly shootings. Alex is beautiful And Renee Good In Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Lord of the Rings star Elijah Wood attended a “Sundancers Melt ICE” protest that took place on Park City’s Main Street on Sunday afternoon (Utah time). wood told Deadline: “People being shot and killed illegally in Minnesota – that’s terrible. We’re here at this film festival that’s meant to bring people together; it’s about telling stories from around the world. We’re not divided here, we’re coming together.”
Natalie Portman starring in Sundance pick galleristHe wore “ICE Out” and “Be Good” badges while attending the festival. “The federal government, Trump’s government, [US Secretary of Homeland Security] Kristi NoemICE – what they do is actually the worst of the worst of humanity,” Portman said. Deadline.
Film directed by Olivia Wilde Invitation Features of this year’s squad: said Diversity He was “horrified and sickened” by recent events. “If we can do anything here to support the movement to abolish ICE and delegitimize this incredibly criminal organization, then that’s what we need to do.”
This year’s festival selection has proven solid in terms of female representation, highlighting female voices in front of and behind the camera. This year, 63.6 percent of the films competing in the U.S. Dramatic Competition are directed by women. According to a study From the USC Annenberg Engagement Initiative.
This includes: Bedford ParkStephanie Ahn’s debut feature film about two loners in the Korean-American community and JosephineDrama by Beth de Araujo, starring Channing Tatum and Gemma Chan.
The cast also includes Wilde’s features Invitationa relationship drama with Penelope Cruz and Seth Rogen; galleristCathy Yan’s satirical art-world comedy starring Portman and Jenna Ortega; and James’ horror Saccharin.
Pop star Charli XCX is also leaving her mark on this year’s festival. He starred in three of the selected films: Gregg Araki’s flashy comedy I want your sex; Momenta mockumentary in which he plays an exaggerated version of himself; And gallerist.
The star who posted the photo top of the charts Brat album In 2024, he had previously appeared in the movie (Erupcja; Sacrifice) However Moment marks his first leading role. The singer was photographed all over Park City last week, and many people viewed Sundance that way. “Westernized”but he hopes the festival will herald the end of the cultural phenomenon.
“I really want Brat To stop,” he said during the Sundance Q&A. “It’s not because I don’t love it. “The reason for that is, I think as artists, you want to challenge yourself and … completely change the creative soup you’re in and go live in a different bowl for a while and feel enriched by that.”
Sundance 2026 will continue until Sunday, February 1.
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Nell Geraets is a Culture and Lifestyle reporter for The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect with: X or email.
