It was amazing to be roaming the streets of Park City again, hurrying from one screening to the next. I have to admit that it was pretty emotional to be back! And while yes, it is much better to see them in a theater, the online component of the festival also made it exceedingly convenient to watch every last short.

Between the 64 shorts and multiple features from S/W alums, there was a lot to watch and I left Utah very happy about the new films I discovered. Tasked with picking ten shorts for this article, I found the directive truly impossible! And, since I don’t like rules, here are eleven that I particularly enjoyed, followed by special shout-outs to our talented alums who cleaned up in both the short and feature film award categories. 

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A still from Simo by Aziz Zoromba, an official selection of the Shorts Program at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute.

سيمو (Simo) by Aziz Zoromba
After its premiere at TIFF where it won Best Canadian Short, Simo has been traveling all over Canada, earning an audience award at Montreal’s FNC. It had its international premiere at Sundance a few weeks before its European premiere in the Generation section of the Berlinale. Needless to say that this film is a strong contender for next year’s FYC season. Walking a line between family drama and action film, the film is a poignant coming of age that touches on identity and coming into our own. H264 (Fauve, Like The Ones I Used To Know) is handling sales.

A Folded Ocean by Ben Brewer
The synopsis simply says “a couple get lost in each other” and while that is factually accurate, it certainly downplays the fascinating and literal approach director Ben Brewer applies to the idea! Brewer is Oscar-nominated this year for his VFX work on Everything Everywhere All At Once, and the special effects here are breathtaking. The performances truly commit to this insane idea too.  S/W alum Emily Murnane (Outside) produces, and the film overall proves how effective a simple metaphor can be when executed this well. 

Airhostess-737 by Thanasis Neofotistos
After selections at Locarno and Toronto, it was no surprise to us that we’d love S/W alum Thanasis Neofotistos’ (Patision Avenue) latest film. The aerial setting already intrigued me but it is the lead, Lena Papaligoura’s, pitch-perfect delivery of the screenplay that proves the winning factor. With the arc evolving as she slowly breaks down, I was just stuck to the screen. Radiator IP Sales (The Nipple Whisperer) handles sales.

Christopher At Sea by Tom CJ Brown

A standout animation of the current festival season, S/W alum Tom CJ Brown (Teeth) uses the medium with lyricism and poetry to immerse us in its main character’s experience. A man taking a transatlantic voyage on a cargo ship experiences attraction to one of the sailors and journeys into solitude, fantasy, and obsession. Effortlessly, we are taken on a ride that captivates its audience with how emotionally engaging and visually mesmerizing it is. Miyu (Steakhouse, Negative Space) handles sales.

Der Molchkongress (The Newt Congress) by Immanuel Esser & Matthias Sahli

Under the disguise of its absurd premise, this Swiss film is an incredibly clever and powerfully dark satire. The film is based on a novel, but the directors’ voices are very much resonant. The newt they crafted is incredible, and between the editing and the cinematography, their take on the material is not only entertaining it leaves you with a couple of things to think about when it ends. OUAT Media (Exam, Funfair) handles sales.

Margie Soudek’s Salt and Pepper Shakers by Meredith Moore

With good vibes and heartwarming fun, this personal documentary has a universal appeal that is undeniable. A young artist connects with her grandmother through collecting and art-making. With such personal material, there is the worry of self-indulgence, but Meredith Moore brings an admirable self-awareness to the project. There was one shot that truly put a smile on my face, and if you know me, you know that doesn’t happen very often.

Nocturnal Burger by Reema Maya

After Counterfeit Kunkoo, Reema Maya is back with an equally compelling social drama set in India. It is a long film, but it earns every single one of its minutes. The performances are really impressive, the screenplay is incredibly well written, and the approach shows just how well Maya controls her filmmaking craft. It’s frustrating, infuriating, and holds your attention until its last second.

Power Signal by Oscar Boyson

I am not one for sci-fi/genre films but this one has “it”. Incredibly creative, fresh, and surprising, its originality truly sets it apart. Boyson is a long-time producing collaborator of the Safdie brothers and steps out with his most ambitious directing project yet. Deeply entertaining, it crafts an engaging tension and builds stakes that make sure the audience won’t want to miss a second. A feature adaptation has already been announced.

A still from Pro Pool by Alec Pronovost, an official selection of the Shorts program at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute.

Pro Pool by Alec Pronovost
Sometimes, a good comedy is exactly what the doctor ordered, just like when this film showed up on my screen. With lots of humor and self-awareness, this film actually has more heart than it seems. The editing truly creates a super funny narrative that remains light and makes you root for its main character. Travelling (Mutants, Brotherhood) handles sales

The Dalles by Angalis Field

The summer vibe of this film is contagious. I liked how quiet and subtle it is, and within the queer, coming-of-age sub-genre, those qualities are not often found. One line was especially poignant for me, but overall it is the main performance that buoys an otherwise thin plot and lends the film the depth it aims to have.

Will You Look At Me by Shuli Huang
This Semaine de la Critique documentary can’t leave anyone indifferent. This unflinching authentic tale of identity and acceptance is exceptionally compelling and gripping. Lights On handles sales.

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Short of the Week alums had an amazing day on Friday with the announcement of the festival’s awards. We want to take the time to acknowledge their universally excellent films and their well-deserved honors. 

Award Winners

Teyana Taylor and Aaron Kingsley appear in a still from A Thousand and One by A.V. Rockwell, an official selection of the U.S. Dramatic Competition at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Focus Features

The U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic went to A.V. Rockwell for A Thousand and One. Her short film Feathers took the festival circuit by storm a few years ago so I was excited to catch her feature debut… she did not disappoint! Gorgeously shot, with a strong screenplay that paints complex emotions which are brought to life via stong performances, the film follows Terry from the age of six to young adulthood and focuses on his relationship with his mother. A Thousand and One counts Lena Waithe as one of the producers and was produced and distributed by Focus Features.

The World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic went to Charlotte Regan for Scrapper. Another impressive feature debut by a filmmaker we’ve been following for years (Standby, Fry Up, Drug Runner). With a distinct visual flair, Regan plays with the codes of British social realism films and infuses her humor and emotional depth into a compelling feature that truly delivers the feels. Michael Fassbender is credited as an Executive Producer and Charades is handling international sales.

A World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award: Creative Vision went to Fantastic Machine by Axel Danielson and Maximilien Van Aertryck. Definitely, one of the documentaries I looked the most forward to, the directing duo bring their unique storytelling approach and impressive editing skills, already present in Jobs for All!, to the history of cameras, film, and moving images. Wildly entertaining, their sharp sense of humor makes the film truly fun to watch, while never shying away from hard truths. Ruben Östlund is credited as an Executive Producer.

The Short Film Grand Jury Prize went to When You Left Me On That Boulevard by Kayla Abuda Galang. Just like Learning Tagalog with Kayla, this new film feels very personal. Instead of building the arc of her film around a specific event, she opted for character development in a mundane moment. It’s an approach that makes the film surprisingly effective and immersive as if we were present and knew the characters. It was undoubtedly a highlight of the shorts program.

The Short Film Jury Award: Animation went to The Flying Sailor by Wendy Tilby and Amanda Forbis. Already featured on Short of the Week, and on our favorites from the Oscars shortlist, we were more than excited to see the film earn the nomination and a few days later this award. Hopefully, this win is an indicator of more to come!

Lastly, I also want to highlight the winner of the Sundance Institute | Amazon Studios Producers Award for Fiction which went to none other than producer extraordinaire Kara Durett for her work on Laurel Parmet’s The Starling Girl. Durett’s work in the short film world has been showcased on S/W before, as she produced Celine Held and Logan George’s Caroline and Lockdown. 

Congrats to all these amazing filmmakers, and thanks to Sundance for a great event! We will work to bring many of these films to your screens in the coming months. 

To view more films from the festival, check out our dedicated Sundance Channel.