Yes, 2026 is going to be an epic year for the Sundance Film Festival. It’s the last time Sundance will take place in Park City, having decided that Boulder, Colorado – with its Blue State policies and similar mountain vibe – is a better home for the festival that aims to foster diverse, indie voices. Legendary founder Robert Redford also passed away this year, giving organizers and attendees even more reason to commemorate what he built.
Thankfully, Latinx filmmakers are representing again and I sorted through the more than 100 feature films to find the ones where our gente are stepping out to tell big, provocative stories. Here’s what to watch for:
American Pachuco: The Legend of Luis Valdez
American Pachuco is the big Latinx title at Sundance 2026, telling the story of Luis Valdez, the Chicano artist behind Zoot Suit and La Bamba. This doc promises to show how the playwright and director partnered with Cesar Chavez to use theater to change how our community saw itself. Thankfully, this film comes from Latino director David Alvarado, who uses a “pachuco narrator” to drive home the fact that our voice matters.
The Gallerist
Co-starring Jenna Ortega, The Gallerist lampoons the art world by following a gallerist trying to sell a dead body at Art Basel Miami. It’s got a stellar cast, starring Natalie Portman with support from not only Jenna Ortega but also Zach Galifianakis and Da’Vine Joy Randolph. The elite space of high-end contemporary art is notoriously exclusionary, so we’re glad to see it satirized by Sundance director Cathy Yan.
The Huntress (La Cazadora)
In this film inspired by true events, Adriana Paz stars as Luz, a mother in Juárez, searching for her missing teenage daughter. Mexican American writer-director Suzanne Andrews Correa explores what it means to resist the pervasive violence against women at the border with The Huntress (La Cazadora). The film promises us a haunting tale of one woman pushed to the brink, along with those who will help her.
If I Go Will They Miss Me
LA-native son turned New York Times journalist Walter Thompson-Hernández brings us this father-son tale set in Watts. The writer-director uses surreal elements to create If I Go Will They Miss Me, mixing Greek mythology and modern life to tell the story of a formerly incarcerated father, trying to reconnect with his family. Expect insight into what it means to grow up in Black and Brown Los Angeles from this insightful filmmaker.
Jaripeo
Jaripeo promises a queer look into “Michoacán’s hypermasculine rodeos” as the film follows Mexican cowboys who drink too much, perform toughness, and sometimes fall into bed together. It’s in Sundance’s “NEXT” category, meaning it’s an experimental documentary, sure to push boundaries. Filmmakers Efraín Mojica and Rebecca Zweig mix interviews and narrative footage to give us the rodeo like we’ve never seen it before.
Josephine
Brazilian and Chinese American writer-director Beth de Araújo brings us Josephine, which tells the story of its titular 8-year-old heroine who witnesses a crime in Golden Gate Park, and her parents (Channing Tatum and Gemma Chan) who do everything they can to help her process the trauma. It’s a semi-autobiographical feature, building off de Araújo’s similar experience, which she also recounted on The Moth.
The Musical
From Latino Film Institute x Netflix Inclusion Fellow Giselle Bonilla, The Musical follows middle-school educators willing to sabotage their school and students for the sake of personal revenge. Starring Rob Lowe and Gillian Jacobs, this film critiques both the politics of the public school system and the youth theater world to deliver something that’s hopefully both insightful and hilarious.
TheyDream
Borricua director William David Caballero explores his family’s past in partnership with his mother through motion-capture technology in TheyDream. Together, the mother-son pair recreates past conversations and scenes using homemade animation. The resulting vignettes deal with a series of devastating losses, proving that family life is both specific and universal.
We’ll be checking out all these films and more as Latina Media Co heads to Sundance 2026. Yes, Denise and I will be in Park City along with some of our favorite contributors, who are joining online (Alejandra, Ariana) and off (Toni, Nicola). Wish us luck!
