The Sun Valley Film Festival running from December 3-7, 2025 unveiled the lineup of 16 narrative and documentary features and 32 shorts.
The festival will open with The Brotherhood directed by Mandon Lovett, a documentary about the National Brotherhood of Snowsports—the first all-Black ski group—tracing its history, archival legacy, and mission to elevate Black athletes on the slopes.
Is This Thing On?, directed by Bradley Cooper, will close the festival. As their marriage quietly unravels, Alex (Will Arnett) faces middle age and seeks new purpose in the New York comedy scene while Tess (Laura Dern) confronts the sacrifices she made for their family — forcing them to navigate co-parenting, identity, and whether love can take a new form.
At the festival Arnold Schwarzenegger and Gus Van Sant will be honored with the Vision Award, Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar will receive the Disruptor Award Presented by Deadline, Patrick Schwarzenegger will receive the Rising Star Award, and Ondi Timoner will receive the Impact Award.
“We’ve always been a place for bold voices, for stories that take risks and break rules,” said Teddy Grennan, Executive Director of the Sun Valley Film Festival. “This year’s lineup captures that same energy, with filmmakers pushing the boundaries of what cinema can be. It’s thrilling to gather in these mountains in December, when the world slows down but creativity ignites.”
“Returning in December has become a beautiful new tradition—a time when the community, our sponsors, and creators come together to share in the warmth of great stories,” said Candice Pate, Director of the Sun Valley Film Festival. “There’s a magic that happens here—filmmakers, Academy voters, and audiences connecting in an intimate setting that celebrates the art of cinema at its finest.”
The Festival’s lineup includes:
Above the Line (dir. Jeffrey Scott Collins) with Cedric the Entertainer, Sophia Ali, and Logic in attendance
Ask E Jean (dir. Ivy Meeropol)
Carolina Caroline (dir. Adam Carter Rehmeier)
The Dating Game (dir. Violet Du Feng)
Dead Man’s Wire (dir. Gus Van Sant)
Gregg Allman: The Music of My Soul (dir. James Keach)
Hard Twist: Through the Lens of Barbara Van Cleve (dir. Cynthia Matty-Huber)
The Plague (dir. Charlie Pollinger)
The Testament of Ann Lee (dir. Mona Fastvold)
Tusker: Brotherhood of Elephants
Train Dreams (dir. Clint Bentley)
SVFF will screen over 30 shorts including:
All the Walls Came Down, dir. Ondi Timoner in attendance for a discussion after the screening
All Heart, dir. Michael Govier and Will McCormack, Academy Award winners in attendance
Go Forward, dir. Peter Cambor—NBA star Isaiah Thomas in attendance for a discussion after the World Premiere screening
Idaho Film Block—featuring short films shot exclusively in Idaho
Pine, dir. Lilah Pate in attendance for a discussion after the World Premiere screening
The New Yorker documentary series, followed by a Q&A hosted by George Prentice with Paul Moakley (Executive Producer of Video at The New Yorker). The program includes the live action short Two People Exchanging Saliva (dir. Natalie Musteata, Alexandre Singh), animated short Criminal (dir. Robe Imbriano), and documentary short Cashing Out (dir. Matt Nadel)
Saving Our Ancestors – Reflections by Dr. Biruté Galdikas (dir. Charles Annenberg Weingarten
The Truck, dir. Elizabeth Rao in attendance for a discussion after the screening
Wrecking Party, dir. Elizabeth Giamatti in attendance for a discussion after the screening
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