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, […]
Sundance 2026: How Inuk filmmaker Lindsay Aksarniq McIntyre Made a Sundance Film From Caribou and Lichen
Lindsay Aksarniq McIntyre is an Indigenous experimental filmmaker based in Canada with a filmography spanning over 40 short films almost exclusively shot on 16mm film. Her work is deeply personal, giving her an artistic pathway to deal with struggles, learn new ways of being, and experiment with ways to connect to her land and ancestors. […]
Sundance 2026: Finding Barbara Hammer—A Late Awakening to Queer Experimentation
Barbara Hammer once said, “If we’re experimenting with our lives and the way we’re going to live, our film and our art should also be experimental. It breaks tradition, and makes you think in a broader way. It’s the way I experience the world.” I’ve been carrying that quote with me lately, especially as I […]
Sundance 2026: “The Lake,” “Silenced,” and “Saccharine”
When I landed in what would be the last Sundance in Park City, Utah, a notable feeling of gratitude washed over me. My first day was a frenzy of badge pick up, press screenings, and a star-studded “The Moment” premiere that evening. I ran from theater to theater, caught people’s names, an instagram handle, and […]
Sundance 2026: Rachael Morrison chronicles a radical life in her documentary “Joybubbles”
“Joybubbles” is filmmaker Rachael J. Morrison’s debut feature documentary, which just premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival in the U.S. Documentary Competition. Built almost entirely from archival film footage and audio recordings, the film resurrects the singular life and voice of Joe Engressia—later known as Joybubbles—a blind phone phreak who, as a child, discovered […]
Breaking Through the Lens at Sundance: Filmmakers on Resilience, Risk, and Not Selling Out
There’s a particular kind of honesty that surfaces at Sundance—usually not on the red carpet, but in the quiet spaces where filmmakers gather to tell the truth about how hard this all really is. At the Canon Creative Studio Space in Park City, Breaking Through the Lens created one of those moments. The room was […]
Sundance 2026: Unapologetically Imperfect: Siri Hjorton Wagner on Female Desire and Motherhood in “Without Kelly”
“Without Kelly” screened at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival as part of the Shorts Program, following its Orizzonti International Short Film Award win at the Venice Film Festival. Made by Swedish filmmaking duo Lovisa Sirén (director) and Siri Hjorton Wagner (producer), the short offers a raw, intimate portrait of young single motherhood and the layered […]
Sundancing on My Own: My Four Extraordinary Days in Park City
Sundance has always been a festival I had admired at a distance. How Robert Redford had gone about using his platform to launch the careers of countless filmmakers for over four decades had always left me in awe. So many of my favorite films had premiered at Redford’s festival nestled in the snow-capped mountains of […]
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 […]
Cinema Femme’s Top 10 Films of 2025
I often think about a particular scene from the second series of “Fleabag” as the year draws to a close. Kristin Scott Thomas’s character, Belinda, is at a bar with the show’s titular heroine (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) after winning an award. Their discussion, however, steers away from her esteemed accomplishment and instead focuses on menopause, celebrating […]
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,” […]