2022 Sundance Film Festival

The 2022 Sundance Film Festival took place from January 20 to 30, 2022. Due to COVID-19 pandemic protocol, it was initially intended to be an in-person/virtual hybrid festival, but on January 5, 2022, it was announced that the in-person components would be scrapped in favor of a wholly virtual festival due to the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. The first lineup of competition films was announced on December 9, 2021.

U.S. Dramatic Competition

 * Alice, written and directed by Krystin Ver Linden
 * blood, directed by Bradley Rust Gray
 * Breaking (premiered as 892), directed and co-written by Abi Damaris Corbin
 * Cha Cha Real Smooth, written, produced and directed by Cooper Raiff
 * Dual, written, produced and directed by Riley Stearns
 * Emergency, directed by Carey Williams
 * Master, written and directed by Mariama Diallo
 * Nanny, written and directed by Nikyatu Jusu
 * Palm Trees and Power Lines, directed and co-written by Jamie Dack
 * Watcher, written and directed by Chloe Okuno

U.S. Documentary Competition

 * Aftershock, produced and directed by Paula Eiselt and Tonya Lewis Lee
 * Descendant, directed by Margaret Brown
 * The Exiles, directed by Ben Klein and Violet Columbus
 * Fire of Love, directed, co-written and co-produced by Sara Dosa
 * Free Chol Soo Lee, directed by Julie Ha and Eugene Yi
 * I Didn't See You There, directed by Reid Davenport
 * The Janes, directed by Tia Lessin and Emma Pildes
 * Jihad Rehab, directed by Meg Smaker
 * Navalny, directed by Daniel Roher
 * TikTok, Boom., directed by Shalini Kantayya

Premieres

 * 2nd Chance, directed by Ramin Bahrani
 * Am I OK?, directed by Stephanie Allynne and Tig Notaro
 * Brainwashed: Sex-Camera-Power, directed by Nina Menkes
 * Call Jane, directed by Phyllis Nagy
 * Downfall: The Case Against Boeing, directed and co-produced by Rory Kennedy
 * Emily the Criminal, written and directed by John Patton Ford
 * God's Country, directed and co-written by Julian Higgins
 * Good Luck to You, Leo Grande, directed by Sophie Hyde
 * Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul., written, directed and co-produced by Adamma Ebo
 * jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy, directed by Clarence "Coodie" Simmons and Chike Ozah
 * La Guerra Civil, produced and directed by Eva Longoria Bastón
 * Living, directed by Oliver Hermanus
 * Lucy and Desi, directed and co-produced by Amy Poehler
 * My Old School, directed by Jono McLeod
 * The Princess, directed by Ed Perkins
 * Resurrection, written and directed by Andrew Semans
 * Sharp Stick, written, directed and co-produced by Lena Dunham
 * To the End, directed by Rachel Lears
 * We Need to Talk About Cosby, directed by W. Kamau Bell
 * When You Finish Saving the World, written and directed by Jesse Eisenberg

World Cinema Dramatic Competition

 * Brian and Charles, directed by Jim Archer
 * The Cow Who Sang a Song Into The Future, directed by Francisca Alegría
 * Dos Estaciones, directed by Juan Pablo González
 * Gentle, directed by Anna Eszter Nemes and László Csuja
 * Girl Picture, directed by Alli Haapasalo
 * Klondike, written, directed and edited by Maryna Er Gorbach
 * Leonor Will Never Die, written and directed by Martika Ramirez Escobar
 * Marte Um (Mars One), directed by Gabriel Martins
 * Utama, directed by Alejandro Loayza Grisi
 * You Won't Be Alone, written and directed by Goran Stolevski

World Cinema Documentary Competition

 * All That Breathes, directed by Shaunak Sen
 * Calendar Girls, directed by Maria Loohufvud and Love Martinsen
 * A House Made of Splinters, directed by Simon Lereng Wilmont
 * Midwives, directed by Snow Hnin Ei Hlaing
 * The Mission, directed by Tania Anderson
 * Nothing Compares, directed by Kathryn Ferguson
 * Sirens, directed by Rita Baghdadi
 * Tantura, directed by Alon Schwarz
 * The Territory, directed and co-produced by Alex Pritz
 * We Met in Virtual Reality, directed by Joe Hunting

Midnight

 * Babysitter, directed by Monia Chokri
 * Fresh, directed by Mimi Cave
 * Hatching, directed by Hanna Bergholm
 * Meet Me in the Bathroom, directed by Dylan Southern and Will Lovelace
 * Piggy, written and directed by Carlota Pereda
 * Speak No Evil, directed and co-written by Christian Tafdrup

Next

 * The Cathedral, written, directed and edited by Ricky D'Ambrose
 * Every Day in Kaimukī by Alika Tengan
 * Framing Agnes, directed by Chase Joynt
 * A Love Song, written, directed, produced and co-edited by Max Walker-Silverman
 * Mija, directed by Isabel Castro
 * Riotsville, U.S.A., directed by Sierra Pettengill
 * Something in the Dirt, directed by Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead

Spotlight

 * After Yang, written, directed and edited by Kogonada
 * Happening, directed and co-written by Audrey Diwan
 * Neptune Frost, directed by Saul Williams
 * Three Minutes: A Lengthening, directed by Bianca Stigter
 * The Worst Person in the World, directed by Joachim Trier

Awards
The following awards were given out:

Grand Jury Prizes

 * U.S. Dramatic Competition – Nanny (Nikyatu Jusu)
 * U.S. Documentary Competition – The Exiles (Ben Klein and Violet Columbus)
 * World Cinema Dramatic Competition – Utama (Alejandro Loayza Grisi)
 * World Cinema Documentary Competition – All That Breathes (Shaunak Sen)

Audience Awards

 * Festival Favorite – Navalny (Daniel Roher)
 * U.S. Dramatic Competition – Cha Cha Real Smooth (Cooper Raiff)
 * U.S. Documentary Competition – Navalny (Daniel Roher)
 * World Cinema Dramatic Competition – Girl Picture (Alli Haapasalo)
 * World Cinema Documentary Competition – The Territory (Alex Pritz)
 * NEXT – Framing Agnes (Chase Joynt)

Directing, Screenwriting and Editing

 * U.S. Dramatic Competition – Jamie Dack for Palm Trees and Power Lines
 * U.S. Documentary Competition – Reid Davenport for I Didn't See You There
 * World Cinema Dramatic Competition – Maryna Er Gorbach for Klondike
 * World Cinema Documentary Competition – Simon Lereng Wilmont for A House Made of Splinters
 * Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award – K.D. Dávila for Emergency
 * Jonathan Oppenheim Editing Award: U.S. Documentary – Erin Casper and Jocelyne Chaput for Fire of Love
 * NEXT Innovator Prize – Chase Joynt for Framing Agnes

Special Jury Prizes

 * U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award: Ensemble Cast – The cast of 892
 * U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award: Uncompromising Artistic Vision – Bradley Rust Gray for blood
 * U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award: Creative Vision – Margaret Brown for Descendant
 * U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award: Impact for Change – Paula Eiselt and Tonya Lewis Lee for Aftershock
 * World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award: Acting – Teresa Sánchez for Dos Estaciones
 * World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award: Innovative Spirit – Martika Ramirez Escobar for Leonor Will Never Die
 * World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award: Excellence in Verité Filmmaking – Snow Hnin Ei Hlaing for Midwives
 * World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award: Documentary Craft – Alex Pritz for The Territory

Short Film Awards

 * Short Film Grand Jury Prize – The Headhunter's Daughter
 * Short Film Jury Award: U.S. Fiction – If I Go Will They Miss Me
 * Short Film Jury Award: International Fiction – Warsha
 * Short Film Jury Award: Nonfiction – Displaced
 * Short Film Jury Award: Animation – Night Bus
 * Short Film Special Jury Award for Ensemble Cast – A Wild Patience Has Taken Me Here
 * Short Film Special Jury Award for Screenwriting – Stranger Than Rotterdam with Sara Driver

Special Prizes

 * Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize – After Yang
 * Sundance Institute/Amazon Studios Producers Award for Nonfiction – Su Kim for Free Chol Soo Lee
 * Sundance Institute/Amazon Studios Producers Award for Fiction – Amanda Marshall for God's Country
 * Sundance Institute/Adobe Mentorship Award for Editing Nonfiction – Toby Shimin
 * Sundance Institute/Adobe Mentorship Award for Editing Fiction – Dody Dorn
 * Sundance Institute/NHK Award – Hasan Hadi for The President's Cake

Acquisitions

 * 2nd Chance: Showtime Documentary Films (North American distribution)
 * A Love Song: Stage 6 Films and Bleecker Street (worldwide distribution); Cinetic Media (North American sales); Films Boutique (International sales)
 * Aftershock: Onyx Collective and ABC News
 * Alice: Vertical Entertainment and Roadside Attractions (North American distribution)
 * Am I OK?: Warner Bros. Pictures and HBO Max
 * Breaking: Bleecker Street (US distribution)
 * Brian And Charles: Focus Features (worldwide rights; US distribution); Universal Pictures (International distribution)
 * Calendar Girls: Juno Films (North American distribution)
 * Call Jane: Roadside Attractions (US distribution)
 * Cha Cha Real Smooth: Apple TV+
 * Descendant: Netflix and Higher Ground Productions
 * Dual: RLJE Films (US distribution)
 * Emily the Criminal: Vertical Entertainment and Roadside Attractions (US distribution); Universal Pictures (International distribution)
 * Fire of Love: National Geographic Documentary Films
 * Free Chol Soo Lee: MUBI (select territories including North America)
 * Fresh: Searchlight Pictures and Hulu
 * God's Country: IFC Films (North American distribution)
 * Good Luck To You, Leo Grande: Searchlight Pictures and Hulu (US distribution)
 * Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul: Focus Features, Peacock and Monkeypaw Productions
 * Leonor Will Never Die: Music Box Films (North American distribution)
 * Living: Sony Pictures Classics (select territories including North America)
 * Mars One: Magnolia Pictures (international sales)
 * My Old School: Magnolia Pictures (North American distribution)
 * Nanny: Amazon Studios and Blumhouse Productions
 * Navalny: Warner Bros. Pictures (North American theatrical distribution)
 * Neptune Frost: Kino Lorber
 * Nothing Compares: Showtime Documentary Films
 * Piggy: Magnet Releasing (US distribution); Filmax (distribution in Spain)
 * Resurrection: IFC Films and Shudder (North American distribution)
 * Sharp Stick: Utopia (US distribution)
 * Speak No Evil: Shudder (select territories including North America)
 * The Cathedral: MUBI (North American distribution)
 * The Territory: National Geographic Documentary Films
 * Utama: Kino Lorber (US distribution)
 * Watcher: IFC Midnight and Shudder (North American distribution); Focus Features and Universal Pictures (International distribution)