The 2026 Sundance Film Festival arrives with one of the most powerful showcases of Black films in the festival’s history. Spanning documentary, fiction, political history, supernatural drama, global thrillers, and cultural celebration, this year’s lineup spotlights Black voices across continents and generations. From Harlem to Lagos, from prison cells to cosmic timelines, Sundance 2026 affirms that Black storytelling remains one of cinema’s most vital creative forces.
Among the most anticipated World Premieres is The Brittney Griner Story, directed by Alex Stapleton. The documentary explores the circumstances that led Griner to play basketball overseas despite being one of the greatest athletes in the sport, her wrongful detainment in Russia, and her relentless fight for freedom. The film also captures her evolution into a powerful advocate for other wrongfully detained individuals, positioning her story as both personal and political.
Music, obsession, and mythmaking take center stage in The Disciple, a World Premiere documentary following an outsider whose ambition propels him into the inner circle of the Wu-Tang Clan. The film chronicles the volatile intersection of raw creativity and industry politics as the making of an album threatens to spark global controversy.
Redemption unfolds behind prison walls in Frank & Louis, a World Premiere fiction film starring Kingsley Ben-Adir, Rob Morgan, René Pérez Joglar, Rosalind Eleazar, and Indira Varma. The story follows Frank, a man serving a life sentence who takes a job caring for aging inmates with Alzheimer’s and dementia. What begins as a calculated move toward parole transforms into a deeply human bond with a fellow inmate that reshapes his understanding of guilt, responsibility, and grace.
Black cinema nostalgia gets a celebratory revival with House Party, featuring the legendary cast of Tisha Campbell, Full Force, Robin Harris, A.J. Johnson, Martin Lawrence, and Kid ‘N Play. What begins as a simple decision to attend a party quickly spirals into what may be the wildest night of their lives reviving the spirit of one of the most beloved franchises in Black film history.
The supernatural collides with emotional realism in If I Go Will They Miss Me, directed by Walter Thompson-Hernández and starring Danielle Brooks and J. Alphonse Nicholson. The World Premiere fiction film follows 12-year-old Lil Ant, who begins to see surreal, spectral visions of boys drifting through his neighborhood. These visions unlock hidden connections between father and son while exposing deep ties between family, memory, and place. The film will also be available online for the public.
Time, science, and human hope converge in In the Blink of an Eye, the winner of the 2026 Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize. Featuring Rashida Jones, Kate McKinnon, Daveed Diggs, Jorge Vargas, and Tanaya Beatty, the film interweaves three storylines across thousands of years, reflecting on connection, survival, and the cyclical nature of life itself.
Global Black political drama takes shape in Kikuyu Land, directed by Bea Wangondu. Set in Nairobi, the World Premiere follows a journalist probing a land dispute between local government forces and a powerful multinational corporation. As the investigation deepens, buried wounds and hidden family secrets emerge. The film will be available online for public viewing.
Nigeria commands the screen in LADY, directed by Olive Nwosu. Set in the sprawling metropolis of Lagos, the film follows a fiercely independent young cab driver whose life shifts after she encounters a group of reckless yet radiant sex workers. Their sisterhood pulls her into danger, joy, and ultimately a path toward personal transformation. The cast includes Jessica Gabriel’s Ujah, Amanda Oruh, Tinuade Jemiseye, Binta Ayo Mogaji, Seun Kuti, and Bucci Franklin. The film is also available online to the public.
Black history takes center stage in three major documentaries. Once Upon a Time in Harlem, directed by William Greaves and David Greaves, unveils what Greaves considered the most important event he ever captured on film: a 1972 gathering of living Harlem Renaissance legends, revealed a decade after his death. Soul Patrol, directed by J.M. Harper, uncovers a hidden chapter of American military history as the Vietnam War’s first Black special operations team reunites to confront trauma, memory, and long-delayed reckoning. And Troublemaker, directed by Antoine Fuqua, recounts the struggle against apartheid through Nelson Mandela’s own recorded voice as he wrote Long Walk to Freedom, creating an intimate portrait of resistance, leadership, and sacrifice.
Together, these films reflect not only artistic excellence but cultural urgency proving once again that Black cinema is a powerful archive of truth, survival, imagination, and liberation.
Here’s the full list below:
FEATURE FILMS
- The Brittney Griner Story – Explores the circumstances that led to Brittney Griner playing basketball outside the U.S. despite being one of the best players in the sport, including her harrowing detainment, unwavering determination to secure her freedom, and her advocacy for the release of other wrongful detainees. World Premiere. Documentary.
- THE DISCIPLE – An outsider fueled by relentless determination works his way into the inner circle of the Wu-Tang Clan, where his ambition and creativity converge in the making of an album poised to ignite global controversy. World Premiere. Documentary.
- Frank & Louis – Frank, serving a life sentence, takes a prison job caring for aging inmates with Alzheimer’s and dementia. What begins as a self-interested bid for parole becomes a profound, transformative bond with fellow inmate Louis.
Cast: Kingsley Ben-Adir, Rob Morgan, René Pérez Joglar, Rosalind Eleazar, Indira Varma.
World Premiere. Fiction.
- House Party – Kid decides to go to his friend Play’s house party, but neither of them can predict what’s in store for them on what could be the wildest night of their lives.
Cast: Tisha Campbell, Full Force, Robin Harris, A.J. Johnson, Martin Lawrence, Kid ‘N Play.
- If I Go Will They Miss Me – Twelve-year-old Lil Ant struggles to connect with his father as surreal visions of drifting boys reveal links between family, legacy, and place.
Cast: Danielle Brooks, J. Alphonse Nicholson.
World Premiere. Fiction. Available online for public.
- In the Blink of an Eye – Three storylines spanning thousands of years intersect to reflect on hope, connection, and the circle of life.
Cast: Rashida Jones, Kate McKinnon, Daveed Diggs, Jorge Vargas, Tanaya Beatty.
World Premiere. Fiction. 2026 Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize Winner.
- Kikuyu Land – A Nairobi journalist investigates a land battle between government forces and a powerful corporation as buried wounds and family secrets surface.
World Premiere. Available online for public.
- LADY – In Lagos, a fiercely independent young cab driver meets a fearless group of sex workers whose sisterhood draws her into danger and personal transformation.
Cast: Jessica Gabriel’s Ujah, Amanda Oruh, Tinuade Jemiseye, Binta Ayo Mogaji, Seun Kuti, Bucci Franklin.
World Premiere. Available online for public.
- Once Upon a Time in Harlem – A decade after his death, filmmaker William Greaves reveals what he considered his most important footage: a 1972 gathering of Harlem Renaissance legends.
World Premiere. Documentary.
- Soul Patrol – The Vietnam War’s first Black special operations team reunites to reveal a hidden chapter of American military history.
World Premiere. Available online for public.
- Troublemaker – The fight against apartheid is recounted through Nelson Mandela’s own voice, recorded while writing Long Walk to Freedom.
World Premiere. Documentary.
- When A Witness Recants / U.S.A. (Director and Producer: Dawn Porter, Producers: Miriam Weintraub, Jennifer Oko) — In 1983, author Ta-Nehisi Coates learned that a 14-year-old boy was murdered in his Baltimore middle school. Upon revisiting the case, he uncovers the truth: Three innocent teenagers were wrongfully convicted and spent 36 years in prison — creating a lasting impact on the accused, the witnesses, and their community. World Premiere. Documentary.
FILMMAKERS
- Alex Stapleton – The Brittney Griner Story
- William Greaves – Once Upon a Time in Harlem
- David Greaves – Once Upon a Time in Harlem
- Antoine Fuqua – Troublemaker
- Dawn Porter – When a Witness Recants
- J.M. Harper – Soul Patrol
- Bea Wangondu – Kikuyu Land
- Olive Nwosu – LADY
- Walter Thompson-Hernández – If I Go Will They Miss Me
