Second Row L–R: Sophie Barthes, Azazel Jacobs, Janicza Bravo, Martin Starr, Dr. Andrea Ghez, Ari Handel
Third Row L–R:Jennie Livingston, Toni Kamau, Liv Constable-Maxwell, Nisha Ganatra, Trevor Groth, Justin Chang
Bottom Row L–R: John Cooper, Nicole Perlman, Kirsten Schaffer, So Yong Kim
The 2026 Sundance Film Festival, set to kick off in 2 weeks, revealed the 17-member jury drawn from the world of film, art, and culture.
Complementing this group are the five jury members who award the Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize, each of whom brings a specialized expertise to the intersection of science and story. The jury will select the winners, who will be announced during the Awards Ceremony held at The Ray Theatre on Friday, January 30.
The 2026 Sundance Film Festival jury includes: Janicza Bravo, Nisha Ganatra, and Azazel Jacobs for the U.S. Dramatic Competition; Natalia Almada, Justin Chang, and Jennie Livingston for the U.S. Documentary Competition; Ana Katz, So Yong Kim, and Tatiana Maslany for the World Cinema Dramatic Competition; Toni Kamau, Bao Nguyen, and Kirsten Schaffer for the World Cinema Documentary Competition; Liv Constable-Maxwell, A.V. Rockwell, and Martin Starr for the Short Film Program Competition; and John Cooper and Trevor Groth for the NEXT section.
The jury for the Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize deliberated ahead of the Festival and awarded the prize to In The Blink of An Eye director Andrew Stanton and screenwriter Colby Day. The jury, which includes both film and science professionals, presents the award to an outstanding feature film focusing on science or technology as a theme or depicting a scientist, engineer, or mathematician as a major character. This jury includes Sophie Barthes, Dr. Heather Berlin, Dr. Andrea Ghez, Ari Handel, and Nicole Perlman.
“This year’s jury represents a rare depth of creative conviction and exceptional range, made up of artists and thinkers who know what it means to take risks,” said Eugene Hernandez, Director, Sundance Film Festival and Public Programming. “They bring curiosity, rigor, and a deep respect for bold storytelling, qualities that are essential to discovering the films that will define the future of independent cinema.”
The Festival will be held from January 22–February 1, 2026, in person in Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah, with the at-home program available online from January 29 to February 1, 2026, for audiences across the country.
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