Sundance 2026: Xiye Bastida and Franco Campos-Lopez Benyunes on Hope, Whales, and Resistance
“The Way of the Whale” tells the untold story of an extraordinary interspecies bond — a connection so profound it feels like love — between humans and gray whales in a remote lagoon along the Pacific coast of Mexico’s Baja California peninsula. Each year, after completing a 5,000-mile migration — the longest of any marine […]
Sundance 2026: Walking Through the In-Between — Malin Barr on “Sauna Sickness” and the Quiet Violence of Emotional Manipulation
My discussion with Swedish-native Malin Barr at Sundance quickly evolved beyond a standard interview. By the time we secured coffee amidst the festival’s intensity, the conversation felt like a continuation of an already established, deeply considered thought. Rather than a conventional, seated Q&A, this piece is a dynamic, walking dialogue. We moved through Park City’s […]
Sundance 2026: Gabriela Ortega Explores Motherhood and Becoming in “Marga en el DF”
Cinema Femme is thrilled to reconnect with director, writer, and actress Gabriela Ortega on the occasion of her latest short film, “Marga en el DF”, which makes its World Premiere in Sundance’s International Fiction Short Films program. Ortega returns to the festival following the acclaimed run of her 2022 short “HUELLA.” The film has also […]
Sundance 2026: Holding the Line — Biljana Tutorov and Petar Glomazić on “To Hold a Mountain”
Gara, the guiding force at the center of “To Hold a Mountain,” is living proof that not all heroes wear capes. Her days begin before sunrise — herding sheep across vast alpine pastures, making cheese by hand, and protecting the land she calls home. Alongside this relentless labor, she is raising young Nada to be […]
Sundance 2026: Writing Herself Into the Frame —Stephanie Ahn on her debut feature “Bedford Park”
At the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, Stephanie Ahn’s “Bedford Park” arrived with quiet force — and left with one of the festival’s top honors, the U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Debut Feature. It’s a fitting recognition for a film that feels at once intimate and expansive: a deeply personal exploration of intergenerational trauma, immigrant […]
Sundance 2026: “Take Me Home” — Liz Sargent on Caregiving, Disability, and Imagining a More Supportive World
When “Take Me Home” premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, it arrived not only as an intimate debut feature but as the expansion of a story Liz Sargent has been living with — and refining — for years. Adapted from her acclaimed short film of the same name, which also screened at Sundance in 2023, […]
Finding Humor and Hope in “4th Dementia”
The short film “4th Dementia” manages to do something incredible: make a film about Alzheimer’s Disease that is funny. It may seem like an unlikely premise, but this 16-minute short film manages to bring humor and dignity to a topic that is often portrayed as tragic and depressing. The film starts with a more typical […]
Ashley Connor, Sole Cinematographer on “The Chair Company”
The Chair Company follows Ron, who investigates a conspiracy after an embarrassing incident at work. How did you get started in cinematography? I grew up a big film lover. I watched movies constantly, and I grew up in Los Angeles. I was also a serious athlete for a long time, but I blew out my […]
When Cinema Becomes a Witness: Kaouther Ben Hania on “The Voice of Hind Rajab”
Kaouther Ben Hania is a two-time Academy Award–nominated filmmaker whose fearless, formally inventive work has positioned her as one of the most vital voices in contemporary international cinema. Moving fluidly between documentary and narrative, her films consistently challenge conventional storytelling while remaining deeply grounded in human experience. Her latest film, “The Voice of Hind Rajab,” […]
Inside “The Museum”: Annette Elliot on Art History, Erasure, and Representation
Annette Elliot is a Chicago-based writer and director whose work sits at the intersection of cinema, art history, and architecture. Drawing consciously from painting, sculpture, and the built environment, her films explore how aesthetic traditions shape—and obscure—cultural meaning. Her latest short film, “The Museum” (2024), which premiered at the Oscar-qualifying Atlanta Film Festival, turns its […]
Being Fully Present: Alicia Witt on David Lynch, “Longlegs,” Her New Concert Tour and More
A longtime holiday wish of mine will be granted this month when I finally get to see one of my favorite actors perform in person. As part of her “Spending Christmas” tour, Alicia Witt will be putting on a holiday concert at Evanston SPACE, featuring tunes from her wonderful album, “I Think I’m Spending Christmas […]
Freya Adams on Craft, Identity, and Building the Stories She Wants to See
Freya Adams is a first-generation Indian American actress best known for her lead role in Jennifer Phang’s “Advantageous” (now streaming on Netflix), where she starred opposite Ken Jeong, Jennifer Ehle, and James Urbaniak. Her television credits include appearances on New Amsterdam, The Blacklist, and a wide range of commercial work. A true multi-hyphenate, Freya is […]