Kyle Mooney co-wrote and stars in Utah-set “Brigsby Bear,” which premiered at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival.
By Lucy Spicer
With cityscapes, small towns, arid deserts, dunes, mountains, mesas, forests, and so much more, Utah is a state with seemingly boundless stretches of scenery against which many filmmakers have chosen to set their stories. Robert Redford recognized the beauty of the state when he decided to found Sundance Institute in Utah, and for decades artists have been honing their craft here through the Institute’s various ongoing labs and artist programs.
And, of course, during the Sundance Film Festival’s 40-plus-year history in Park City and Salt Lake City, numerous projects that have screened at the Festival have been both filmed and set in the state of Utah.
In preparation for the 2026 Festival in Park City and Salt Lake City, we’ve curated a selection of titles below to kick-start a watchlist for any indie film fan looking for a panoramic view of Utah’s diverse landscape.
Aliens Abducted My Parents and Now I Feel Kinda Left Out — 2023 Sundance Film Festival
In director Jake Van Wagoner’s family-friendly film, Itsy (Emma Tremblay) is disgruntled when her family moves to the remote Utah town of Pebble Falls. When a writing competition offers a ticket back to the big city, Itsy hones in on a thoroughly unique subject for her entry: her high school classmate Calvin (Jacob Buster), who regularly dons a makeshift spacesuit and is adamant that he lost his parents to an extraterrestrial abduction 10 years ago. Check here for viewing options.
Brigsby Bear — 2017 Sundance Film Festival
After being raised in an isolated bunker his whole life, James (Kyle Mooney, who co-wrote the film’s screenplay with Kevin Costello) must adjust to the strange new environment that is Cedar Hills, Utah. Fitting into society is a struggle, but harder to swallow still is the revelation that James’ favorite TV show, Brigsby Bear Adventures, is unknown to the rest of the world. In an effort to finish Brigsby’s story, James sets out to make a movie of his own, forming bonds with his community along the way. Director Dave McCary’s feature debut also stars Mark Hamill, Claire Danes, Greg Kinnear, Andy Samberg, Michaela Watkins, and more. Check here for viewing options.
Deidra & Laney Rob a Train — 2017 Sundance Film Festival
In director Sydney Freeland’s sophomore feature, Deidra (Ashleigh Murray), Laney (Rachel Crow), and Jet (Lance Gray) are left to support themselves when their mother gets put in jail following an incident at her workplace. In addition to finishing high school, Deidra now has to find a way to bail their mother out to prevent her siblings from getting placed in foster care. The savvy teen’s solution? Enlisting her family and friends’ help to rob a train. Check here for viewing options.
Edge of America — 2004 Sundance Film Festival
Inspired by a true story, director Chris Eyre’s Edge of America sees Kenny Williams (James McDaniel) — a new Black educator recently arrived at a Native American reservation in Utah — struggling to find his place in an unfamiliar community. When the English teacher agrees to coach the high school girls’ basketball team, his efforts to help end the athletes’ losing streak prove to be a valuable learning experience for both him and the team. Check here for viewing options.
Hereditary — 2018 Sundance Film Festival
In writer-director Ari Aster’s terrifying feature debut, northern Utah miniature artist Annie (Toni Collette) is surprised to see her secretive mother’s funeral so well attended upon her passing. Annie attempts to navigate her grief and hold her family together, but a series of inexplicable — and disturbing — events soon befall the household and affect all of its members, including Annie’s children, Peter (Alex Wolff) and Charlie (Milly Shapiro), the latter of whom was eerily favored by her late grandmother. Check here for viewing options.
The Killing of Two Lovers — 2020 Sundance Film Festival
Set against the wide skies of a rural Utah town, writer-director Robert Machoian’s drama follows David (Clayne Crawford), who is trying to keep it together while he and his wife, Nikki (Sepideh Moafi), are separated. Amid career struggles and emotional turmoil, David attempts to provide a sense of normalcy for the couple’s four children, but the news that his wife has begun a relationship with a co-worker threatens to unravel him. Check here for viewing options.
Nine Days — 2020 Sundance Film Festival; supported by Sundance Institute’s Feature Film Program
Filmed against the stunning backdrop of Utah’s Bonneville Salt Flats, writer-director Edson Oda’s Nine Days takes place in a surreal, liminal space where a man named Will (Winston Duke) invites a group of souls to go through a nine-day selection process, at the end of which one will be born into the world. Oda’s feature debut also stars Zazie Beetz, Bill Skarsgård, Benedict Wong, Tony Hale, and David Rysdahl and won the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award upon its premiere at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. Check here for viewing options.
Nobody’s Baby — 2001 Sundance Film Festival
In writer-director David Seltzer’s offbeat comedy, Billy Raedeen (Skeet Ulrich) and Buford Bill (Gary Oldman) are two hapless small-time criminals whose escape from a prison van leads down a very unexpected path. After the two split up, Billy finds a baby in the wreckage of a car accident and turns to a trailer park community for child care help while waiting for Buford to return. Check here for viewing options.
Promised Land — 1988 Sundance Film Festival; supported by Sundance Institute’s Feature Film Program
In writer-director Michael Hoffman’s portrait of a disillusioned American Dream, David (Jason Gedrick) and Mary (Tracy Pollan) are contending with a strained relationship: David has become a cop in their hometown in Utah after his basketball scholarship fell through, and Mary’s college ambitions have left her uncertain about settling down. Meanwhile, Danny (Kiefer Sutherland) returns home for the holidays with a volatile new wife (Meg Ryan) in tow and nothing to show for all his high school academic promise. Rising tensions prove to be a powder keg. Check here for viewing options.
SLC Punk! — 1999 Sundance Film Festival
Loosely based on characters from the writer-director’s life, James Merendino’s SLC Punk! follows Stevo (Matthew Lillard) and Heroin Bob (Michael Goorjian) as they pursue their anarchic lifestyle as two of the only punks in Salt Lake City. Committed as they are to the cause, the two find themselves pondering their futures amid advice from sellout parents, unexpected romantic encounters, and the consequences of drug use. Check here for viewing options.
Summering — 2022 Sundance Film Festival
Friends Daisy (Lia Barnett), Dina (Madalen Mills), Mari (Eden Grace Redfield), and Lola (Sanai Victoria) have spent the summer both relishing their childhood and wondering what it will mean to grow up. During the last weekend before the four have to part ways for the start of middle school, the discovery of a dead body sends the girls on a mysterious adventure. Co-written with Benjamin Percy, director James Ponsoldt’s film also stars Megan Mullally, Lake Bell, Ashley Madekwe, and Sarah Cooper. Check here for viewing options.
