Written and directed by Hailey Gates, “Atropia” won the U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival.
By Lucy Spicer
With less than two months to go until the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, we’re getting ready to expand our cinematic horizons and meet our new favorite independent films — as well as the unique artists behind them. In the meantime, we’re thrilled to continue following the filmmakers from Festivals past as their work reaches new audiences.
This month, three titles — two documentaries and one fiction film — from the 2025 Sundance Film Festival are coming to the big screen. Fans of nonfiction can enjoy an animated documentary about two Canadian half brothers or an inspiring portrait of a councilwoman who fights for the rights of women and girls in a remote Iranian village. On the fiction side is a satirical feature debut about a love story that blossoms in a facility used for war games by the U.S. military.
Cutting Through Rocks (اوزاک یوللار) — In rural Iran, Sara Shahverdi is the first-ever woman elected to her village council. And that’s far from the only thing about her that defies the gender norms that society keeps trying to enforce. She also campaigns against child marriage and teaches teenage girls to ride motorcycles. When men around her disapprove of her influence and question her intentions, Shahverdi must stand firm in her identity. Directed by Sara Khaki and Mohammadreza Eyni, this inspiring documentary premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, where it was awarded the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Documentary. Coming to select theaters December 5.
Endless Cookie — Two Canadian half brothers — one Indigenous, one white — come together to create a truly unique documentary full of memories that span decades, from 1980s Toronto to present-day in the remote Shamattawa First Nation community. Through whimsical, colorful animation, Peter and Seth Scriver’s stories come to life with emotion, humor, and the occasional — or frequent — interruption from Peter’s kids. Coming to select theaters December 5.
Atropia — In writer-director Hailey Gates’ feature debut, Alia Shawkat portrays an aspiring actor just waiting for her big Hollywood break. But in the meantime, she’s a regular in Atropia, a fictional locale in a facility situated outside of Los Angeles that’s used for war game exercises by the U.S. military. Even in this bizarre landscape, her dedication to her craft is unshakable — until an alluring soldier (Callum Turner) arrives, stirring feelings of romance. Gates’ satirical film premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic. Coming to select theaters December 12.
The 2025 Sundance Film Festival Short Film Tour is underway! Traveling to all corners of the United States and beyond in the following months, the 100-minute program features seven short films selected from the 2025 Festival, including two Festival Award–winning titles. Check here for dates and venues; see below for dates in December.
- Colorado Springs, Colorado, December 5, IFSOC
