Within the past year, it’s been a rough time for film festivals across the world. Major festivals, such as the 2020 Cannes Film Festival, were postponed indefinitely, with others either receiving the same treatment or having to bite the bullet and transition into a virtual festival instead of in-person.
The 2021 Sundance Film Festival is a different story. Founded by legendary actor Robert Redford (who eponymously starred in “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid”) in 1978, this festival has been a staple of indie filmmaking and diverse stories. Running from Jan. 28 to Feb. 3, the festival featured in-person showings at the Ray Theatre in Park City, Utah, in addition to virtual screenings from the comfort of one’s living room. There were even drive-in premieres across the United States.
So, without further ado, here are six films to look out for from this year’s Sundance Film Festival.
1. ”On the Count of Three” (dir. Jerrod Carmichael)
Winner of the Grand Jury Prize for Best Screenplay, Jerrod Carmichael’s directorial debut, “On the Count of Three,” tells a “different, darkly comedic tale about friendship” that “addresses heavy themes of depression, anxiety and suicide that’s rarely seen in cinema,” according to screen arts junior Ben Caplan. He writes that it “hit something deep in me and I plan on revisiting many, many times in the future.”
2. “Prisoners of the Ghostland” (dir. Sion Sono)
Another insane Nicholas Cage fever dream film? Yes, please and thank you. Marking the director’s first English language debut, “Prisoners of the Ghostland” is a “Mad Max” style action drama that revolves around a bank robber (Cage) who must save the governor’s daughter from a post-apocalyptic nightmare world before the bombs attached to his testicles explode. Count me in.
 3. “CODA” (dir. Sian Heder) 
If anything, “CODA” is surely a movie to look out for. Caplan said that “there are no words to describe [“CODA”], it is sweet; it is smart; it is funny; it is at times tender; just an instant classic.” This coming-of-age picture revolves around Ruby, the only non-deaf member of her family, who must balance saving her family’s fishing business and her passion for music and singing. Just from that description, it sounds like an amazing feel-good film that everyone should be obligated to seek out.
 4. “Jockey” (dir. Clint Bentley)
Starring Clifton Collins Jr. as a lonely, aging horse jockey hoping to win one last championship, “Jockey” is a story about identity and giving so much to a passion that might not give much back, but still earning the respect of those around them. To me, it sounds like an emotional and powerful drama that one will surely not want to miss.
5. “In the Earth” (dir. Ben Wheatley)
After the middling reviews of his “Rebecca” (2020) remake, acclaimed director Ben Wheatley is back with another mind-bending thriller that stars Joel Fry and Ellora Torchia as a scientist and park scout trying to make their way through the arduous Arboreal Forest in search of equipment that could help stop the deadly virus ravaging the outside world. It’s described by Caplan as being extremely trippy that “definitely will be a topic of discussion for years to come.”
6. “Passing” (dir. Rebecca Hall)
Written for the screen and directed by Rebecca Hall in her directorial debut, “Passing” stars Tessa Thompson as a lonely housewife who runs into a former acquaintance played by a mysteriously nuanced Ruth Negga from her adolescence going through somewhat of a quarter-life crisis. The film is shot in stunning black and white that Caplan states “is an incredibly stylish aesthetic to an already brilliant film.”
BONUS: 
“Judas and the Black Messiah” (dir. Shaka King)
Coming to theaters and HBO Max on Feb. 12, “Judas and the Black Messiah” chronicles the betrayal of Fred Hampton, chairman of the Black Panther Party, (Daniel Kaluuya) by FBI informant William O’Neal (Lakieth Stanfield). Aside from being ever timely, this electric dramatization is already garnering major Oscar buzz and even a Golden Globe nomination for Kaluuya’s portrayal Hampton. Definitely add this one to your watchlist.
Many thanks again to Caplan for sharing his wonderful thoughts on some of the best films from this year’s Sundance lineup.

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Variety