Sundance Film Festival announced the 16 jurors granting awards along with the five jury members who present the Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize at the upcoming festival.
The 2025 Festival will kick off on Thursday, January 23, with premieres in Park City every day through the end of Tuesday, January 28. Additional showings will take place in Park City and Salt Lake City throughout the Festival until Sunday, February 2.
The 16 jury members, reflecting a range of diverse and influential perspectives, will select the winners to be announced during the Awards Ceremony held at The Ray Theatre on Friday, January 31. The 2025 Sundance Film Festival jury includes: Reinaldo Marcus Green, Arian Moayed, and Celine Song for the U.S. Dramatic Competition; Steven Bognar, Vinnie Malhotra, and Marcia Smith for the U.S. Documentary Competition; Ava Cahen, Wanuri Kahiu, and Daniel Kaluuya for the World Cinema Dramatic Competition; Daniela Alatorre, Laura Kim, and Kevin Macdonald for the World Cinema Documentary Competition; Kaniehtiio Horn, Maggie Mackay, and Kibwe Tavares for the Short Film Program Competition; and Elijah Wood for the NEXT section.
The jury for the Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize deliberated ahead of the Festival and awarded the prize to SALLY, directed by Cristina Costantini. This jury includes Michael Almereyda, Nia Imara, Monica Lopez, Nicholas Ma, and Sam and Andy Zuchero.
“We are thrilled to announce the incredible and accomplished group that comprise the 2025 Sundance Film Festival’s jury,” said Eugene Hernandez, Director, Sundance Film Festival and Public Programming. “The jury plays a pivotal role in helping us recognize and amplify a new generation of storytellers, which is a crucial part of our work in independent cinema.”
“The jury will embark on an exciting journey to recognize the storytelling and artistic achievements that are a part of this year’s program,” said Kim Yutani, the Festival’s Director of Programming. “We are truly appreciative of their commitment and are looking forward to having them join us at the Festival.”
Festivalgoers attending in person will participate in selecting the 2025 Audience Awards, which are available to films in the U.S. Competition, World Competition, and NEXT categories. Attendees will also have the opportunity to vote for the Festival Favorite, chosen from all in-person eligible feature film screenings. The Audience Awards will be announced at the Awards Ceremony on Friday, January 31. The Festival Favorite film will be announced at the conclusion of the Festival on Sunday, February 2.
Following are the 2025 Sundance Film Festival Jury members and their respective sections:
2025 Sundance Film Festival Jury members
U.S. DRAMATIC COMPETITION JURY
Reinaldo Marcus Green is a writer, director, and producer. (Bob Marley: One Love, King Richard)
Arian Moayed, an Iranian-born actor. Credits include Tony Award nominations for Broadway’s A Doll’s House and Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, The Humans (Drama Desk Award), Guards at the Taj (Obie Award), Succession (two Emmy nominations), Inventing Anna (Netflix), and Ms. Marvel.
Celine Song (Past Lives, 2023 Sundance Film Festival).
U.S. DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION JURY
Steven Bognar (American Factory, 2019 Sundance Film Festival, (9to5: The Story of a Movement, A Lion in the House, 2006 Sundance Film Festival), and The Last Truck.
Vinnie Malhotra, an Emmy- and Peabody Award–winning producer, leads the film and TV division of President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground.
Marcia Smith is a filmmaker, writer, and a co-founder and president of Firelight Media.
WORLD CINEMA DRAMATIC COMPETITION JURY
Ava Cahen is the artistic director of Cannes Critics’ Week.
Wanuri Kahiu (Rafiki) (Disney’s Once on This Island)
Daniel Kaluuya (Judas and the Black Messiah, Get Out, Nope, Widows, Sicario, Black Panther, and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse) (The Kitchen)
WORLD CINEMA DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION JURY
Daniela Alatorre, Mexican producer and filmmaker.
Laura Kim was executive vice president of marketing at the recently shuttered Participant Media, where she contributed to campaigns for Academy Award–winning American Factory, A Fantastic Woman, Spotlight, and Citizenfour, as well as All the Beauty and the Bloodshed, Descendant, Flee, and The Look of Silence.
Kevin Macdonald is a Scottish director and producer who has made BAFTA- and Oscar-winning documentaries and features over a 30-year career. His work includes The Mauritanian, One to One: John and Yoko, Touching the Void, One Day in September, Marley, and Life in a Day.
NEXT JUROR
Elijah Wood is a partner and co-founder of SpectreVision, the indie genre production company behind A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night and Mandy. His acting credits include The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Ice Storm, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Wilfred, and Over the Garden Wall.
SHORT FILM PROGRAM COMPETITION JURY
Kaniehtiio Horn is a Mohawk actress, writer-director, and producer. (Seeds, 2024 Toronto International Film Festival) Acting credits include Reservation Dogs, Alice, Darling, Rutherford Falls, and Letterkenny.
Maggie Mackay, Vidiots Foundation’s executive director.
Kibwe Tavares (Robots of Brixton, Jonah, The Kitchen)
ALFRED P. SLOAN FEATURE FILM PRIZE JURY
Michael Almereyda. Marjorie Prime (2017) and Tesla (2020) won the Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize, and Skinningrove (2013) won the Sundance Film Festival Short Film Jury Award: Nonfiction.
Nia Imara is an artist, an astrophysicist, a professor of astronomy at UC Santa Cruz, and the founder of Onaketa.
Dr. Monica Lopez is an entrepreneur and one of 100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics.
Nicholas Ma is an award-winning director, writer, and producer. (Mabel, 2024 San Francisco International Film Festival), (Faith)
Sam and Andy Zuchero have been making art together since their teens. (Love Me, 2024 Sundance Film Festival)