Our team embarks on an annual pilgrimage to Park City, Utah, fueled by an insatiable curiosity: Where is the trajectory of cinema pointing? Who are the extraordinary voices shaping cinematic narratives today? And how can the Staff Picks channel elevate and amplify their compelling perspectives on life?
2024 marks the Sundance Film Festival’s 40th birthday. This year, a record 12,000 short films applied for inclusion in Sundance’s short film program, and only 53 made it in. Our team watched each and every one, and, as is tradition, made a list of shorts we loved which were not formally recognized with an award from the festival.
Our compilation is not intended to diminish the achievements of the official winners — special recognition goes out, particularly, to Staff Pick alumni who clinched the coveted pink glass trophy: Jack Dunphy for his raw and poignant documentary, "Bob's Funeral," and Makoto Nagahisa for the charming and rebellious "Pisko the Crab Child is in Love."
And now, our faves:
Grand Jury Prize: “27” by Flora Anna Buda
U.S Fiction: “BUST” by Angalis Field
International Fiction: “SHÉ (SNAKE)” by Renee Zhan
Non-Fiction: “Ekbeh” by Mariah Eli Hernandez-Fitch
Animation: “Drago” by Daniel Zvereff
Special Jury Prize – Acting: Lux Pascal and Nicky DeMarie in “BUST,” directed by Angalis Field
Special Jury Prize – Directing: Carlos A.F Lopez for “Dream Creep”
What else we got up to
Str8 outta the lineup and onto the Staff Picks channel, Johanna Gustin’s “Dicks That I Like” will make its online debut on Vimeo on Tuesday, February 6th, and Alexandra Qin’s “Thirstygirl” will wear a badge this summer. Bookmark our Sundance channel to see more of this year’s lineup as it becomes available.
On the feature film side, an unprecedented 20 (!) Staff Pick alumni were included in this year’s lineup, 14 of which with their very first full-length film — including Haley Elizabeth Anderson, Titus Kaphar, Caroline Lindy, India Donaldson, and many more. The handful we had the privilege of catching were all excellent: Jane Schoenbrun’s gorgeous and engrossing “I Saw the TV Glow,” Nathan Silver’s charming comedy “Between the Temples,” and Sean Wang’s nostalgic and joyful Audience Award-winner “Dìdi 弟弟” 🏆✨.
Lastly, we stuffed our condo like a clown car with as many filmmakers as we could — to shake their hand, ask for their autograph, and plop a few in front of the camera. Check out our Instagram for excerpts from our interviews with directors Sean Wang and Sterling Hampton, and keep your eye on the grid for additional insights from Sundance’s brightest.
Was Park City unseasonably warm from January 18th to 28th because of global warming, or because the art being shown in various theaters throughout the city was pure hot spicy fire? 🔥 We’re being cheeky…obviously it was the shorts. We’re following the heat as we head to SXSW and more fests this year to find more exceptional videos for the Staff Picks channel. See you next year!
