2009 PROGRAM CATEGORIES

U.S. Documentary Competition

From explorations of cultural trends and political movements to examinations of deeply personal issues, documentary films offer new ways to understand our world. With spectacular variety, these 16 films represent the best new work in American nonfiction filmmaking.

U.S. Dramatic Competition

The vision and creativity of independent filmmakers can be seen through the Festival’s diverse perspectives and aesthetics, these 16 films signal the arrival of the newest voices and storytelling in American film.

World Cinema Documentary Competition

The Sundance Film Festival proudly presents a selection of 16 extraordinary documentaries from talented filmmakers around the world—and invites us to explore the complexity of the human experience.

World Cinema Dramatic Competition

These 16 films provide a window into the thematic and aesthetic concerns of artists around the globe. We present these exceptional works as a way to honor the independent spirit in filmmakers everywhere.

Shorts Programs

Fueled by artistic expression, shorts have the ability to transcend traditional storytelling. The Festival’s Shorts Programs showcase the creative, boundary-pushing work of filmmaking’s newest talent.

Animation Spotlight

Adding the explosion of digital technologies to their palette of traditional techniques, today's animators can give full rein to their imaginations. This year's Animation Spotlight offers a rich sampling of an ever-expanding alternate universe.

Out of Competition

Premieres
Presented by Entertainment Weekly

To showcase the diversity of contemporary cinema, the Sundance Film Festival’s Premieres program offers a selection of the latest work from established directors and world premieres of highly anticipated films.

Spectrum

Presenting out-of-competition films from around the world, the Spectrum program is a tribute to the abundance of the compelling new voices and creative spirit in independent filmmaking.

Park City at Midnight

Park City at Midnight is a lively last stop on the nightly social circuit. With films ranging from horror to comedies to explicit animation, this mind-bending program is a treat for true cinephiles and casual filmgoers alike.

New Frontier

New Frontier celebrates experimentation and the convergence of film and art as an emerging hotbed for cinematic innovation. This program highlights work that explores the limits of traditional aesthetics and the narrative structures of filmmaking and presents the moving image in theatres, gallery spaces, and other surprising ways at the Festival.

From the Collection

Each year, the Sundance Film Festival presents screenings of archival films pulled from the holdings of the Sundance Collection at UCLA. Established as a joint partnership between Sundance Institute and the UCLA Film and Television Archive, the Sundance Collection at UCLA is a groundbreaking archive of independent films shown at the Festival and supported by the Institute’s artist development programs. Thanks to the contributions of individual filmmakers, as well as the generous support of donors, the Collection has steadily grown over the past 10 years to include more than 600 films.