By Jessica Herndon

There’s a particular charge to films by Black artists that capture what it feels like to be Black. Not as an abstract idea, but as a lived experience shaped by resilience, ambition, and joy. These stories don’t just reflect culture; they shape it, push it forward, and sometimes unsettle it.

At the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, the slate of films by artists who identify as Black or of African descent across documentaries, narrative features, episodic storytelling, and short films, asks audiences to recognize and understand Black life as multifaceted.

Once Upon A Time In Harlem revisits an unforgettable soiree thrown by filmmaker William Greaves, who captured a 1972 gathering of Harlem Renaissance icons. Alexandra Stapleton, makes her Fest debut with The Brittney Griner Story, which follows the basketball player through her detainment in Russia. Both films will debut in the Premieres section.

Debuting in the Episodic Pilot Showcase, FreeLance follows a young filmmaker and his tight-knit crew of creatives hustling toward their first big break. In the Documentary Short Film Program, the Stephen Curry and Ben Proudfoot’s co-directed The Baddest Speechwriter of All offers a look at the man behind some of Martin Luther King Jr.’s most enduring words, unpacking the personal toll of shaping history. And Reginald Hudlin’s classic House Party, the hilarious comedy about Black teens navigating a wild night, returns as part of the Festival’s Park City Legacy program. 

Below, check out 17 titles premiering and screening at the 2026 Festival by Black artists on the Black experience. Then head to the Festival Program Guide to add these projects to your Favorites list ahead of our ticket selection and sales dates.