Sundance 2020 Lineup Unveiled

Taylor Swift in concert
Taylor Swift. Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Shutterstock (10369398v)

Sundance Film Festival director John Cooper is finishing his reign at the helm with a bang. 

The 35th incarnation of the indie film festival’s lineup has been revealed and it is packed with an unprecedented number of features by female filmmakers. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the lineup of 118 feature films, announced Wednesday features 44 first-time feature filmmakers. Of the 65 directors in the four competition categories, comprising 56 films, 46 percent are women, 38 percent are people of color and 12 percent are LGBTQ+.

A documentary on Taylor Swift will kick off Sundance Film Festival and the Will Ferrell-Julia Louis Dreyfus remake of the Swedish film “Force Majeure” and Benh Zeitlin’s long-awaited follow-up to “Beasts of the Southern Wild” are also set to premiere.

“We have lots of returning alumni this year, which really says a lot about the community that we create,” said festival director John Cooper, also explaining that with newcomers, “We’re seeing a lot more of how they tell a story, even if it’s an old story, with a lot more creativity.”

He added: “There is no Michael Jackson film this year. Not like last year with Leaving Neverland. That was truly controversial. But there will be films that will shock people and change their perception.”

The 2020 Sundance Film Festival runs January 23–February 2 in Park City, Utah.