By Lucy Spicer
Lending credence to the theory that social history is cyclical, many Y2K trends appear to be back. And while younger folks become new fans of low-rise pants and physical media, those of us who’ve been around a bit longer can still remember what life was like 20 years ago.
With digital projection technology and the launch of the World Cinema Competition among a slew of other developments, the 2000s were an eventful time for the Sundance Film Festival. By the middle of the decade, the Festival celebrated its 20th edition, and a whole new generation of audiences was introduced to independent cinema through titles that would prove to be some of the most iconic associated with the Sundance Film Festival, including Y tu mamá también, Memento, Napoleon Dynamite, Grizzly Man, Hustle & Flow, Little Miss Sunshine, and many more.
As we count down the days to the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, we’re looking back through our archives and remembering the atmosphere, the premieres, and the artists that have kept audiences coming back to the Festival for the past four decades. Check out some of our favorite images from the 2000s below.
