50 Sundance Films from 2014

This film offers a glimpse into a single day experienced through the lens of Australian musician Nick Cave's public image. It presents a semi-fictionalized portrayal, documenting the events and interactions that shape his carefully constructed persona.

In 1988, a teenage girl's life is upended when her mother vanishes.

A laid-back beachgoer's peaceful existence is shattered by devastating news, prompting him to return to his hometown for revenge. Unfortunately, he's a terrible assassin. He unexpectedly finds himself fighting to defend his family, whom he's long estranged from.

Jorge is a quiet, hardworking man who wants a peaceful life for his family. His world changes when he's mugged and humiliated by Kalule, a local thug. Jorge’s son is enraged by his father’s passive reaction to the attack and,…

A kind priest is threatened while speaking in confidence, and then finds himself facing growing darkness. He must fight against these encroaching evil forces.

This is the surprising and entertaining story of Roger Ebert (1942-2013), the celebrated film critic and cultural voice. It follows his early life as a bachelor, his Pulitzer Prize-winning career, his well-known and often lively collaboration with Gene Siskel, his…

Millions of Americans live with Alzheimer's disease and dementia, often isolated in nursing homes. A man with a simple concept learns that familiar songs can unlock memories and alleviate suffering in these patients. Music brings joy and a sense of…

A young man of Chinese and Cambodian heritage passes away, leaving his mother alone and his partner of four years heartbroken. Despite a lack of a common language, they find solace and a deep connection in their shared grief.

Aidan Bloom, a 35-year-old actor and father, feels lost and unsure of his direction in life. He and his wife struggle financially, and often escapes into childhood fantasies of being a heroic Space-Knight. When his father can no longer afford…

A Chechen Muslim enters Germany without authorization and quickly draws the attention of a clandestine government unit monitoring individuals suspected of terrorist activity.

A disheartened musician reconnects with the woman he loves. Their relationship, which has spanned centuries, faces turmoil with the unexpected arrival of her volatile younger sister.

This film offers an inside look at the fight to overturn California's ban on same-sex marriage. Filmed over five years, it chronicles the journey of the unexpected group of people who brought the initial federal marriage equality lawsuit before the…

E-Team follows four dedicated human rights workers as they undertake challenging investigations, providing an intimate glimpse into their personal lives alongside their impactful work defending human rights.

Maggie and Milo, twins who have drifted apart, both narrowly escape a fatal accident on the same day. This shared experience brings them back together, forcing them to address the issues that fractured their past. As they reconnect, they begin…

China is the first country to recognize Internet addiction as a medical condition. *Caught in the Net* explores a Beijing treatment center where teenagers are undergoing intensive therapy. The film follows three boys from their arrival at the center through…

Megan, a 28-year-old struggling with her career and future, feels lost as her friends move forward with their lives. Unsure of where she fits in, Megan avoids the pressures of adulthood. When her high school sweetheart proposes, she panics and…

Kaia and Andrew are renovating Kaia’s isolated family home. Their peaceful life is shattered by the sudden appearance of Kaia’s sister, Christine, and her fiancé, Ira.

Ethan and Sophie, a married couple facing separation, agree to try and repair their relationship. Their therapist suggests a weekend getaway to a scenic vacation home.

A molecular biologist's research into the human eye unexpectedly challenges fundamental assumptions about science and spirituality.

After 39 years together, Ben and George get married. Soon after, George loses his job. The couple then has to sell their New York apartment and live separately, becoming dependent on friends and family for financial support.

Rich Hill is a documentary set in a small Missouri town along Interstate 49, home to 1,396 people. The film follows three teenage boys as they navigate their lives in this often-overlooked community. It explores their struggles and resilience, alongside…

This true story follows a key Israeli intelligence asset who spent over a decade spying on his own community. The film centers on his intricate relationship with his handler, and is a compelling look at terrorism, deception, and difficult decisions,…

Ivan Locke has built a stable life for himself. But tonight, everything he's worked for is about to fall apart. The night before a crucial career moment, Ivan gets a phone call that triggers a chain of events destroying his…

The film follows five interconnected stories of extraordinary bravery, set in locations ranging from Nuremberg to Rwanda, Darfur, and Syria, exploring the journey from indifference to taking action.

In the North Dakota oil fields, struggling men pursue their ambitions while battling inner turmoil. A local pastor's attempt to assist them triggers unforeseen and significant outcomes.

A gifted young drummer pushes himself relentlessly under the strict guidance of a demanding instructor. His pursuit of flawless performance leads him down a dangerous path, blurring the line between artistry and self-destruction.

Consumed by grief after his son's death, a father struggles to cope. He discovers a box of his son’s demo tapes and lyrics, revealing a hidden talent he never knew existed. Driven by a need for healing, the father starts…

A mild-mannered salesman tries to escape a binding contract he made with a secret bondage club, but he finds himself relentlessly pursued by the club's powerful and ruthless dominatrixes.

A father struggling with bipolar disorder desperately tries to reconnect with his wife by dedicating himself to caring for their two lively young daughters. However, the demanding task proves more challenging than he anticipated.

Tensions between Black and white students at a mostly white Ivy League school escalate when the staff of the college newspaper throws a racially insensitive Halloween party.

Sixteen-year-old Billie's journey toward independence is complicated when her mother decides to transition. Their time together becomes restricted to Tuesdays. This emotionally intense story explores themes of desire, responsibility, and change, and was filmed weekly, exclusively on Tuesdays, over a…

In Somalia, Abdi, a young husband and father with strong principles, resorts to piracy to provide for his family. His wife and child await him in Yemen, relying on a basic satellite phone as their only link to him. Abdi…

A small business owner faces the imminent loss of her shop due to an impending corporate development.

Peyangki, an eight-year-old monk, lives a quiet, isolated life in Laya, a remote Bhutanese village in the Himalayas. His peaceful world is about to change when the village gets its first electricity, and a television brings the outside world into…

Feeling trapped by her ordinary life, a Tokyo office worker becomes captivated by a movie she believes is real. She becomes fixated on a scene depicting buried money in North Dakota and travels to the United States to locate it.

After losing her sight, Ingrid finds solace in her home, a space for solitude with her husband and her thoughts. Soon, she begins to sense her husband's presence in their apartment while he's at work. Simultaneously, her lonely neighbor, disillusioned…

In a future with limited water, a farmer fights to protect his land and restore his dry fields. But his daughter’s boyfriend plots to take the land for his own.

A socially inept office worker's life unravels as a charming, confident new employee arrives. This look-alike quickly wins over the woman the protagonist is romantically interested in, pushing the protagonist to the edge.

Four hours from Addis Ababa, a spirited 14-year-old girl is returning from school when she is abducted by men on horseback. Determined to fight back, Hirut takes a rifle and accidentally shoots her intended husband. In her village, the tradition…

Over three years, this film follows two young men in Homs, Syria, from their initial hopes for freedom to the point where they are compelled to alter their paths. Basset, a 19-year-old national football goalkeeper, evolves from a demonstration leader…

A mix-up in Mumbai's reliable lunch delivery service brings a young woman and an older man together. They begin exchanging notes within his lunchbox, creating a shared fantasy world. Slowly, this imaginative space starts to blur the lines between their…

Eve struggles with self-doubt but has a vivid imagination, particularly when it comes to music. During a summer in Glasgow, she connects with Cass, a privileged young woman, and James, a very particular guy, who are also adrift. The three…

A young woman watches as her father, a jazz pianist, battles and ultimately fails to overcome his heroin addiction.

When a 21-year-old ex-gang member is released from prison, his commitment to his family and a new life is challenged as he returns to his neighborhood in Watts, Los Angeles.

This film chronicles the experiences of a divorced couple as they navigate parenthood while raising their young son. The story follows the boy over twelve years, from first grade at age six through his teenage years, exploring his evolving relationship…

With South Sudan newly independent from North Sudan and its leader, Omar al-Bashir, a small, privately built plane arrives from France. The pilot is Hubert Sauper, a documentary filmmaker searching for stories in a country caught between its history and…

A factory worker struggling with mental instability is torn between two conflicting influences: a talking cat urging him towards violence, and a dog encouraging him to maintain a normal life. He must choose which path to follow.

A young musician eager to make it big joins an unusual pop band headed by the enigmatic Frank, and quickly realizes he's in over his head.

During a summer spent searching for connection at a busy lakeside spot in the French countryside, Frank encounters Michel. Michel is attractive and enigmatic, and Frank quickly becomes deeply in love with him.

In 1960s Poland, a young woman named Anna is about to become a nun when she uncovers a hidden family history from the time of the German occupation.