Leading the U.S. dramatic competition jury at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival will be Janicza Bravo, Nisha Ganatra and Azazel Jacobs, all of whom have premiered films at the festival.
“Planning this special year, it felt especially meaningful to invite a slate of jurors who have a rich history with the Festival, all deeply rooted in the creative community they will now help champion,” said Kim Yutani, Sundance’s director of programming.
Elsewhere in the lineup, Natalia Almada, Justin Chang and Jennie Livingston will judge the U.S. documentary competition, while Ana Katz, So Yong Kim and Tatiana Maslany will be the jurors for the world cinema dramatic competition.
Toni Kamau, Bao Nguyen and Kirsten Schaffer will judge the world cinema documentary competition, with Liv Constable-Maxwell, A.V. Rockwell and Martin Starr handling the short film program competition. John Cooper and Trevor Groth wil judge the festival’s NEXT section.
“This year’s jury represents a rare depth of creative conviction and exceptional range, made up of artists and thinkers who know what it means to take risks,” said Sundance Film Festival director Eugene Hernandez. “They bring curiosity, rigor and a deep respect for bold storytelling, qualities that are essential to discovering the films that will define the future of independent cinema.”
The 2026 festival includes features from directors Olivia Wilde, David Wain, Antoine Fuqua and Jay Duplass. Sundance will run from Jan. 22 to Feb. 1 and will be the final fest in Park City, Utah, before the move to Boulder, Colorado.