Alexandre Rockwell’s ‘The Projectionist’ to Open 32nd Slamdance Film Festival

Alexandre Rockwell’s The Projectionist will World Premiere as the Opening Night selection for the 32nd edition Slamdance Film Festival.

Returning for its second year in Los Angeles, Slamdance will take place in-person February 19-25, 2026, and virtually from February 24 to March 6, 2026 on the Slamdance Channel.

Produced by Quentin Tarantino and Jack Auen, Rockwell’s The Projectionist follows a reclusive projectionist who is haunted by a wrongful conviction and the loss of his wife. He lives in solitude inside a fading art house theater until one fateful night when his past resurfaces, forcing him to confront the truth, rekindle love, and find peace in the glow of the final reel.

The film stars Vondie Curtis-Hall, Karyn Parsons, Kasi Lemmons, David Proval, Kevin Corrigan, and Michael Buscemi.

“The Projectionist is a love letter to the quiet power of cinema as a refuge where our stories are held, remembered, and reborn — and we couldn’t be more honored to screen our film at the opening night of Slamdance, a festival that embodies the vital spirit of independent film better than anywhere,” stated Alexandre Rockwell, director of The Projectionist.

“Celebrating our second year in LA, Slamdance is proud to shine an even brighter spotlight on the independent filmmakers who are redefining storytelling. With Rockwell’s masterful new film The Projectionist kicking off our slate, we can’t wait to bring new creative visions and new ideas in filmmaking to the LA community and beyond,” stated Peter Baxter, Co-Founder of Slamdance. “At the same time, we recognize the seismic shift of the media landscape, and we’re honored to join with partners like Utopia, the DGA, and Landmark to deliver a meaningful platform for new voices and together champion the art of independent film.

Also featured in the festival’s Spotlight section is The Untitled Ruby Slippers Documentary, directed by Seth Gordon.

“We’re honored to be premiering this documentary at Slamdance 2026. It’s a homecoming of sorts for us on a few levels: 20 years ago, Seth’s first documentary, ‘The King of Kong,’ premiered at Slamdance, and that’s also when he shot the first interview for this film,” stated directors Seth Gordon and Nikki Calabrese. “This film has been two decades in the making and along the way we’ve uncovered some remarkable and harrowing stories connected to a larger-than-life true crime more bizarre than we could possibly dream up, layered with trauma, mafia entanglements, hope and reinvention. It took all of those 20 years for the truth behind the crime to emerge, and we can’t wait for the world to see it.”

Slamdance will also host the return of Market Monday on February 23, bringing the LA film community together for a full day of interactive panels and workshops focusing on distribution, film production in Los Angeles, and finding an audience.

The festival is partnering with Utopia, the award-winning independent studio known for The Last Showgirl, Pavements, Red Rooms, Shiva Baby, as well as Slamdance premiere Therapy Dogs, to offer theatrical distribution opportunities to the Slamdance award winners.

“Peter and the Slamdance team have always been innovative and forward-thinking when it comes to their offerings for filmmakers whether through technologies, resource sharing or partnerships,” said Utopia Co-Founder, Cole Harper. “Our company is thrilled to collaborate with Slamdance to continue on that mission and bring a timely solution to the biggest issue filmmakers face – receiving meaningful distribution services and tools to bring their movies to the masses, from a theatrical strategy that elevates the film to a long-term approach that creates visibility wherever audiences are, both real-world and online. Utopia is uniquely positioned and excited to extend our services to Slamdance’s films and their entire filmmaker community, and we know this is just the beginning of a new offering that benefits everyone, with no ceiling on its potential.”