
“Touch Me” Brings Therapy Into Sci-Fi Erotica
(L–R) Marlene Forte, Lou Taylor Pucci, Addison Heimann, Jordan Gavaris, and Olivia Taylor Dudley attend the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of “Touch Me” at

(L–R) Marlene Forte, Lou Taylor Pucci, Addison Heimann, Jordan Gavaris, and Olivia Taylor Dudley attend the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of “Touch Me” at

A still from “Mr. Nobody Against Putin” by David Borestein and Pavel Talankin, an official selection of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance

Nina Kiri attends the premiere of “undertone” by Ian Tuason, an official selection of the 2026 Sundance Film Festival. (Photo by Lauren Hartmann for Sundance

Samrat Chakrabarti, George Basil, Kiran Deol, Katie McCuen and Vishal Vijayakumar attend the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of “Didn’t Die” at the Library Center

By Jessica Herndon Filmmaker Chloé Zhao has a singular way of channeling poetic and visceral energy, both on screen and off. It’s nearly impossible to

Emilie Blichfeldt attends the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of “The Ugly Stepsister” at Library Center Theatre on January 23, 2025, in Park City, UT.

Conan O’Brien and Rose Byrne (photo by Andrew H. Walker / Shutterstock for Sundance FIlm Festival) By Bailey Pennick “This is the first time that

André Ricciardi in a still from “André is an Idiot” by Anthony Benna, an official selection of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. By Shelby Shaw

By Lucy Spicer How does an emerging filmmaker get their first feature all the way to the Oscars shortlist? For writer-director Hasan Hadi, an award-winning

Nina Kiri stars as Evy, the co-host of a paranormal podcast in “undertone,” an official selection of the 2026 Sundance Film Festival. By Lucy Spicer

Chloé Zhao, Michelle Satter, and Ryan Coogler. Photo by Chelsea Lauren for Shutterstock / Sundance Film Festival By Jessica Herndon While accepting her Trailblazer Award

Editor’s Note: We are updating this piece yearly. By Vanessa Zimmer As the 98th annual Academy Awards approach, independent film fans are cheering for the