When Robert Redford founded the Sundance Institute, he ensured that support for Indigenous voices would be a pillar of the organization. From iconic Indigenous artists like Sydney Freeland, Sterlin Harjo, and Taika Waititi to rising stars Erica Tremblay, Taietsarón:sere ‘Tai’ Leclaire, and Fox Maxy, the Indigenous films showcased at the previous Sundance Film Festivals have left a rich legacy of storytelling that encompasses the many facets of Indigeneity.
At this year’s Festival, we are excited to bring four new films into that legacy. Sundance Institute Indigenous Program director and a short film programmer for the festival Adam Piron is “thrilled with this year’s selection of Indigenous films, not only for their thematic breadth, but also for their formally daring cinematic experiences. It’s an exciting year for Indigenous cinema and these films point to what’s on the horizon.”
In addition to the projects premiering at the Festival, the Indigenous Program is proud to host and highlight its Native Lab Fellows attending the Festival and whose films and episodic works are being supported throughout their development. Stay tuned throughout the Fest for the announcement of the 2026 Merata Mita Fellow and the 2026 Graton Fellows.
Check out the full list of films by Indigenous artists below and make sure to favorite the films that speak to you to make sure you don’t miss them.
FEATURES
Directors: Adam Khalil (Ojibway) & Zack Khalil (Ojibway)
Section: NEXT
Trapped in museum archives, Ancestors bend time and space to find their way home. History, spirituality, and the law collide as tribal repatriation specialists fight to return and rebury Indigenous human remains, offering a revealing look at the still-pervasive worldviews that justified collecting them in the first place.
Co-Director: Andrew H. Brown (Huron-Wendat Nation) & Bea Wangondu (Kikuyu)
Section: WORLD CINEMA DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
As a Nairobi journalist probes a land battle entangling the local government and a powerful multinational corporation, covered wounds are revealed and family secrets are exposed.
SHORTS
Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Lindsay Aksarniq McIntyre (Inuit/settler)
Section: DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM PROGRAM
An exploration of the close and enduring connections between Inuit, caribou, lichens, and land use. A handmade caribou gelatin emulsion reveals the land where caribou struggle to survive burn events and habitat disruption. Available online for public.
Mangittatuarjuk (The Gnawer of Rocks)
Director, Co-Screenwriter, Producer: Louise Flaherty (Inuit)
Section: ANIMATION SHORT FILM PROGRAM
Two young women are trapped in the lair of the Mangittatuarjuk, the Gnawer of Rocks. The young women and their village use the teachings of the elders to try to defeat the monster. Cast: Nellie Enuaraq, Joan Joanas, Andrea Flaherty.
