Sundance didn’t have the plethora of late night bidding wars we used to see in the good old days of the festival, but a number of buzziest titles are actually closing deals late into the spring and into the early summer. Over 60 films came into this year’s Sundance looking for homes, and slowly but surely a number of those are finding homes. As we previously reported, the hope was that even more distributors could get creative.
Below we’ll update all the acquisitions following the festival as they arrive.
“Hal & Harper”
Section: Indie Episodics
Buyer: MUBI
Director: Cooper Raiff
Buzz: The “Shithouse” and “Cha Cha Real Smooth” writer/director’s serialized debut follows two tight-knit siblings forced to face a past tragedy when their dad decides to sell their childhood home. It’s got a strong cast, including Raiff himself, Mark Ruffalo, Betty Gilpin, and Lili Reinhart, but reviews were mixed on how much it actually works as a series. MUBI will release it on its streaming service this fall. Deadline was the first to report the news.
Related Stories
“Folktales”
Section: Premieres
Buyer: Magnolia
Director: Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady
Buzz: It’s a reunion 20 years in the making after Magnolia also released Ewing and Grady’s Oscar-nominated “Jesus Camp.” “Folktales” is a verité documentary about a traditional folk high school in Arctic Norway and the kids relationships growing with a pack of sled dogs by their side, taking an unconventional gap year to learn to dog sled and survive in the wilderness. Magnolia is planning a July 25 theatrical release for the film and believe the film’s cinematography of the wintery vistas need to be seen on a big screen.
“Twinless”
Section: U.S. Dramatic Competition
Buyer: Roadside Attractions and Lionsgate
Director: James Sweeney
Cast: Dylan O’Brien, James Sweeney, Lauren Graham, Aisling Franciosi
Buzz: This is the one we were waiting for. Reports started swirling at the start of April that Roadside Attractions and Lionsgate were circling, but the deal has finally closed. “Twinless” was one of the more celebrated titles out of Sundance and was the Audience Award winner in the dramatic competition. The film is a dark comedy starring Dylan O’Brien as a person who goes to a support group for twins who have recently lost their other half, where he meets and forms a bromance with director James Sweeney’s character, who isn’t everything he claims to be. After waiting out others for the starry “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” Roadside and Lionsgate teamed again to pounce on another that should have some commercial appeal. The studios have set a fall theatrical release date for the film of September 5. Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions also teamed up to distribute internationally. The film was produced by David Permut and Sweeney, with O’Brien and Miky Lee serving as executive producers alongside Ali Jazayeri, David Gendron, and Liz Destro. Alex Astrachan is co-producer. Republic Pictures premiered the film at Sundance and the deal was negotiated by Sejin Croninger for Republic Pictures.
“Omaha”
Section: U.S. Dramatic
Buyer: Greenwich Entertainment
Director: Cole Webley
Cast: John Magaro, Molly Belle Wright, Wyatt Solis
Buzz: John Magaro gives a strong performance in this sobering road trip drama that marked director Webley’s feature directorial debut. The film is set amid the backdrop of the 2008 economic crisis and follows a single dad struggling with money bringing his two children across the country for mysterious purposes. Greenwich is planning a theatrical release in theaters later this year. “Omaha” was produced by Preston Lee with executive producers Adam Thomas Anderegg, Nicholas Hill, Russ Kendall, Micah Merrill, and Nick Warner.
“Plainclothes”
Section: U.S. Dramatic
Buyer: Magnolia Pictures
Director: Carmen Emmi
Cast: Tom Blyth, Russell Tovey, Maria Dizzia, Christian Cooke, Gabe Fazio, Amy Forsyth
Buzz: The debut film of director Carmen Emmi won the Special Jury Award for Ensemble Cast, anchored by the “Hunger Games” star Tom Blyth and “Looking” actor Russell Tovey. The film is a thriller about an undercover officer assigned to lure and arrest gay men who defies orders when he falls in love with a target. Magnolia picked up worldwide rights to the film with the intention of releasing it theatrically this fall and shopping it to international buyers at the Cannes Market next month. IndieWire ahead of Sundance also debuted a clip from the film you can watch here.
“Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore”
Section: U.S. Documentary
Buyer: Kino Lorber
Director: Shoshannah Stern
Buzz: The acclaimed documentary on Deaf Oscar-winning actress Marlee Matlin has found a home with Kino Lorber, which picked up U.S. rights and plans to release it theatrically on June 20. Before that, it plays the San Francisco Film Festival and the Tribeca Film Festival later this summer. Kino is also planning a home video release and even making it available through an educational release. “American Masters” holds the broadcast rights and will air it on PBS following the theatrical run. Stern’s film removes conventional voiceover and includes open captions as a means of making it accessible to Deaf audiences, and it charts Matlin’s career journey and personal and professional struggles through split-screen interviews with Deaf and hearing contributors.
“Rebuilding”
Section: Premieres
Buyer: Bleecker Street
Director: Max Walker-Silverman
Cast: Josh O’Connor, Lily Latorre, Meghann Fahy, Kali Reis, Amy Madigan
Buzz: Two days before it is set to debut as the opening night film at the San Francisco International Film Festival on April 17, Bleecker closed a deal to distribute Max Walker-Silverman’s drama that IndieWire called a “tender and timely” Western. It’s a reunion between Bleecker and director Walker-Silverman, as the distributor previously released his debut film “A Love Song,” which also premiered at Sundance. “Rebuilding” follows Dusty, a cowboy who loses his ranch to devastating wildfires and is forced into a FEMA camp when he unexpectedly begins reconnecting with his estranged daughter and ex-wife and reconstructing his life alongside fellow survivors. The film is produced by Jesse Hope, Dan Janvey, and Paul Mezey, and Bleecker will plan a theatrical release for later this year.
“Come See Me in the Good Light”
Section: Premieres
Buyer: Apple Studios
Director: Ryan White
Buzz: For Apple’s only buy out of Sundance, it acquired the rights to the film that won the Fan Favorite Award, Ryan White’s poignant and hilarious documentary about poets Andrea Gibson and Megan Falley. Though tracking how the couple navigates an incurable cancer diagnosis, the film touchingly and with a lot of laughs gives an insight into Gibson’s career and the deep connection Gibson and Falley have. Tig Notaro and Kevin Nealon are among the film’s executive producers, and it also features an original song from Brandi Carlile and Sara Bareilles featuring lyrics actually written by Gibson, so the film could be a sleeper awards contender in several categories. Apple is planning to release the film on Apple TV+ this fall.
“The Things You Kill”
Section: World Dramatic
Buyer: Cineverse
Director: Alireza Khatami
Cast: Ekin Koç, Erkan Kolçak Köstendil, Hazar Ergüçlü, Ercan Kesal
Buzz: Best known for releasing the “Terrifier” franchise, Cineverse picked up the U.S. rights to this Turkish-set film from an Iranian director that IndieWire called a must-see. The film is a mind-bending thrill ride that won the Directing Award Jury Prize in the World Dramatic competition. The distributor is planning a theatrical release this fall.
“The Thing With Feathers”
Section: Premieres
Buyer: Briarcliff Entertainment
Director: Dylan Southern
Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, David Thewlis, Richard Boxall, Henry Boxall
Buzz: It speaks to how long it has taken films to close out of Sundance that a movie starring Benedict Cumberbatch has been sitting available for so long. It allows a growing distributor like Briarcliff to make a splash with a wide, U.S. theatrical release, which the company is planning for October 31. “The Thing With Feathers” is the narrative feature debut of Dylan Southern, who cut his teeth with documentaries like the rock doc “Meet Me in the Bathroom.” The film is based on an acclaimed novella from Max Porter called “Grief Is the Thing With Feathers” about a father who recently lost his wife and now has to care for his two young children alone, all while coping with his own grief, which in the book and the film takes the form of a monstrous, towering crow that mocks him and beats him as the physical manifestation of his mental anguish. Critics were underwhelmed, but it has commercial promise. “Love Lies Bleeding” producer Andrea Cornwell produced for Lobo Films, as did Leah Clarke and Adam Ackland of SunnyMarch Productions.
“Zodiac Killer Project”
Section: NEXT
Buyer: Music Box Films
Director: Charlie Shackleton
Buzz: “Zodiac Killer Project” won the NEXT Innovator Award following its premiere at Sundance for its spin on the true crime genre and was lauded for its witty narration and storytelling in breaks down the tropes and cliches of the genre. It’s not yet another look at the Zodiac Killer unsolved serial murders but follows an abandoned documentary project and the chilling anecdotes left behind by it. The film has since played at SXSW, First Look, True/False, CPH:DOX, and has its Los Angeles premiere April 6 at the Los Angeles Festival of Movies. Music Box Films will set a theatrical release later this year, with a home entertainment release to follow. “Zodiac Killer Project” was produced by Catherine Bray, Anthony Ing, and Shackleton.
“Predators”
Section: U.S. Documentary
Buyer: MTV Documentary Films
Director: David Osit
Buzz: Another one of our favorite docs out of Sundance, this chilling investigation into Dateline’s “To Catch a Predator” series from Peabody-winning director Osit looks into the complicated legacy of the hit show by arguing that we as viewers are complicit in America’s “perverted sense of justice,” as IndieWire’s review wrote. In conversation with the director, Osit said the original series delighted in “the pain of other people.” MTV Documentary Films picked up the worldwide rights to the film and is planning on giving it an awards push later in 2025, starting with a screening internationally at CPH:DOX, a theatrical push, and then a spot on Paramount+ with Showtime. “Predators” is directed, produced, edited, and filmed by David Osit, produced by Jamie Gonçalves and Kellen Quinn, edited by Nicolás Nørgaard Staffolani, and executive produced by Jennifer Ollman and co-executive produced by Arthur Bradford and Chad Beck. The film is presented by Sweet Relief Productions (“Casa Bonita Mi Amor”) in association with Rosewater Pictures.
“Kiss of the Spider Woman”
Section: Premieres
Buyer: Roadside Attractions, Lionsgate, LD Entertainment
Director: Bill Condon
Cast: Jennifer Lopez, Diego Luna, Tonatiuh
Buzz: This one took a while to close despite the star power, and that’s because it’s such an oddly huge movie to have premiered at Sundance in the first place. Roadside Attractions, Lionsgate, and LD Entertainment are in final negotiations to acquire the film, IndieWire has learned, but an official deal still hasn’t solidified. The musical adaptation of the 1993 stage play (before that a book and a narrative feature starring William Hurt in 1985) was produced by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck’s Artists Equity for a reported $30 million budget and demanded a big commitment, and even this acquisition is just for domestic rights.
“Oh, Hi!”
Section: Premieres
Buyer: Sony Pictures Classics
Director: Sophie Brooks
Cast: Molly Gordon, Logan Lerman, Geraldine Viswanathan, John Reynolds
Buzz: SPC nabbed the worldwide rights to director Sophie Brooks’ sophomore feature, a big commitment to the Molly Gordon-led indie comedy that took some time to sell and find the right home. “Oh, Hi!” stars Gordon as Iris as she and and Isaac (Lerman) have their first romantic weekend getaway as a couple, only for it to go awry. Convinced that he’s just confused, Iris goes to extreme lengths to prove to him that they are meant to be together. Brooks told IndieWire the film is a “love letter to the hopeless romantic,” so SPC is crossing its fingers for a commercial hit. The film was produced by David Brooks, Dan Clifton, Julie Waters, Sophie Brooks, and Molly Gordon. Evan Dyal, Justin Brown, and Evan Moore are executive producers alongside Sabina Friedman-Seitz, Molly Quinn, Matthew M. Welty, and Elan Gale.
“Dead Lover”
Section: Midnight
Buyer: Cartuna x Dweck
Director: Grace Glowicki
Cast: Grace Glowicki, Ben Petrie
Buzz: Though it sold out of SXSW, “Dead Lover” first premiered at Sundance. It was scooped up by a brand new distributor, a team-up between physical media company Cartuna and production company Dweck Productions as the boutique’s first release. Read more here.
“East of Wall”
Section: NEXT
Buyer: Sony Pictures Classics
Director: Kate Beecroft
Cast: Tabatha Zimiga, Porshia Zimiga, Scoot McNairy, Jennifer Ehle
Buzz: Winning the Audience Award in the NEXT section at Sundance, IndieWire adored Kate Beecroft’s debut as a portrait of the modern American West as captured through a docu-fiction film that blends genres. Stars Tabatha Zimiga and Porshia Zimiga play themselves in the film alongside two acting heavyweights in McNairy and Ehle, and the film follows echoes the real life of a young horse trainer wrestling with financial insecurity and grief while providing refuge for a group of wayward teenagers on her ranch in the South Dakota Badlands. SPC acquired worldwide rights to the project with the likelihood of giving it another festival push later in the year. “East of Wall” is a Station Road & Stetson’s Kingdom Production in association with Picture Movers, Stadium, Working Barn Productions, Low Road Films and Tan Bark Pictures. The film is executive produced by Scott Frank, Al Engemann, Naia Cucukov, Peter Richards, Randy Wooten, Caitlin Gold, Ryan Hawkins, John Martin and Staci Hartman and is produced by Lila Yacoub, Kate Beecroft, Melanie Ramsayer, and Shannon Moss.
“OBEX”
Section: NEXT
Buyer: Oscilloscope
Director: Albert Birney
Cast: Albert Birney, Callie Hernandez
Buzz: In a slow Sundance, it’s good to see some of the smaller titles get some love. Oscilloscope’s acquisition of Birney’s “OBEX” will give the film a theatrical release later this year, and it’ll even be shopped to international buyers at the European Film Market occurring this month (Magnify is selling globally). That’s a plus considering IndieWire in its review called it one of Sundance’s “weirdest and most inventive movies” this year that’s destined for Midnight Movie status. The black-and-white period film borrows from ’80s kitschy aesthetic and is a cross between the late David Lynch’s “Eraserhead” and playing a “Legend of Zelda” game. It stars Birney as a man whose reality starts to blur with fantasy when he begins playing a computer game, forcing him to track down his dog that has now gone missing. This is the first film Birney directed solo, but he co-wrote it with Pete Ohs, who also produced and was the cinematographer and has his own film debuting at SXSW next month. Other producers are Emma Hannaway and James Belfer, the founder of Cartuna who helped make “Hundreds of Beavers” an indie smash last year.
“Lurker”
Section: U.S. Dramatic
Buyer: MUBI
Director: Alex Russell
Cast: Archie Madekwe, Théodore Pellerin
Buzz: Another competitive situation with multiple distributors in on it, this time it was MUBI that won out in a reported mid-seven-figure deal, a source told IndieWire. Russell’s “Lurker” played in competition at Sundance and earned raves for the performances of Madekwe and Pellerin, and IndieWire called the film “tense and absorbing” and one of the buzzier movies to play at the festival. The film follows a man who becomes obsessed with a budding pop star, sparking a toxic relationship that makes a pointed commentary about modern day Los Angeles. Russell is a supervising producer on both “The Bear” and “Beef” and made his directorial debut on the project. Madekwe also produced the film alongside Alex Orlovsky, Duncan Montomery, Galen Core, Francesco Melzi D’Eril, Jack Selby, Marc Marrie, Charlie McDowell, and Olmo Schnabel.
“The Perfect Neighbor”
Section: U.S. Documentary
Buyer: Netflix
Director: Geeta Gandbhir
Buzz: The first documentary to sell out of what has been a slow Sundance market is this film about the controversial Florida “Stand Your Ground” law, in which a person inside their home has the right to use deadly force, with no need to retreat, in self-defense. Netflix will pick up “The Perfect Neighbor” for $5 million, according to a report first in Variety. Netflix declined to comment. Gandbhir’s film is constructed via police body cam footage and examines gun regulations and how race plays a factor in such decisions. IndieWire’s review called it an “unforgettable” and “devastatingly powerful” documentary.
“Peter Hujar’s Day”
Section: Premieres
Buyer: Sideshow and Janus Films
Director: Ira Sachs
Cast: Ben Whishaw, Rebecca Hall
Buzz: Ira Sachs’ latest may be just a 75-minute filmed version of a 50-year-old transcript of a conversation between Peter Hujar and his friend Linda Rosenkrantz, but it found the ideal home with Sideshow and Janus, who will bring it to Berlin next and then release the movie theatrically in the fall after acquiring all North American rights. IndieWire fell in love with its surprising drama and intimacy, and Sachs was almost just as surprised, telling IndieWire at Sundance that before filming he asked himself, “what the hell do I do with this?” The film was produced by Jordan Drake and Jonah Disend, and co-produced by Fred Burle and Aaron Craig.
“Sorry, Baby”
Section: U.S. Dramatic Competition
Buyer: A24
Director: Eva Victor
Cast: Eva Victor, Naomi Ackie, John Carroll Lynch, Louis Cancelmi, Kelly McCormack
Buzz: Winner of the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award, Eva Victor’s tragi-comic debut was one of the most talked-about narrative features at Sundance and one that indie powerhouse A24 couldn’t pass up, not to mention one of the best-reviewed titles from the festival. Despite sales taking some time this Sundance, the sale for “Sorry, Baby” to A24 — which is still in the process of closing — was described by a source as “incredibly competitive” and is another worldwide deal for the indie distributor. The social media star and comedian Eva Victor’s debut, which she wrote, directed, and starred in, is about Agnes, whom “something bad happened to,” as the logline describes, “But life goes on…for everyone around her, at least.” The producers are Adele Romanski, Mark Ceryak, and Barry Jenkins.
“Train Dreams”
Section: Premieres
Buyer: Netflix
Director: Clint Bentley
Cast: Joel Edgerton, Felicity Jones, William H. Macy, Kerry Condon
Buzz: A day after Bela Bajaria responded to a press question about whether or not this was a slow Sundance, Netflix swooped in to buy one of the more ambitious titles on the Sundance slate, director Clint Bentley’s period drama “Train Dreams,” multiple sources confirmed to IndieWire. The film reunites Bentley with “Sing Sing” partner Greg Kwedar in adapting Denis Johnson’s novella. The film follows Robert Grainer, an average man living in extraordinary times, who worked as a day laborer in the American West at the beginning of the 20th century. Battered by the death of his family, he struggles to adjust to this new environment. Marissa McMahon, Teddy Schwarzman, Will Janowitz, Ashley Schlaifer, and Michael Heimler produced. Edgerton was also an EP along with Scott Hinckley, Kwedar, and John Friedberg. Black Bear produced and fully financed the film, and Kamala Films also produced.
“Together”
Section: Midnight
Buyer: Neon
Director: Michael Shanks
Cast: Alison Brie, Dave Franco
Buzz: It’s the first — and only — big deal of the festival so far, one of the rare titles this year that attracted a classic, aggressive bidding war following its Sunday night premiere at the Eccles. Neon beat out other bidders including A24 and Searchlight to release the film, with a source saying the deal was likely north of $10 million and another estimate coming in between $15-17 million, which would make it among the highest deals in Sundance history. Neon’s financing outfit 30West was also behind this one, making it a good fit. “Together,” director Michael Shanks’ body horror film, is about a married couple whose relationship is already being tested and who decides to move to the countryside to get closer, only for a supernatural encounter to grant them their wish in spades — and in flesh. Stars and producers Brie and Franco are a real life married couple, so the film has a meta element that made this one especially juicy. Neon picked up worldwide rights and has already set a release date of August 1 in theaters.
“The Reality of Hope”
Section: Documentary Short Film Program
Buyer: Asteria and Documentary+
Director: Joe Hunting
Buzz: Ahead of its premiere on Saturday, Jan. 25, AI animation studio Asteria and the documentary free streaming platform Documentary+ swooped in to acquire this doc short that blends VR and live action filmmaking. The film follows Hiyu, a virtual reality world builder based in Stockholm who is suffering from kidney failure and is set to get a transplant from a friend, New York-based Photographotter, who he knows only through an online VR community where they’re each seen as an animal “furry” avatar. Doc+ will release the film later this year on its AVOD platform and through its various FAST channels. Asteria’s Bryn Mooser and Justin Lacob are joining the project as executive producers.
“One to One: John and Yoko”
Section: Spotlight
Buyer: Magnolia
Director: Kevin MacDonald
Buzz: First premiering at the Venice Film Festival and then at Telluride, Magnolia bought “One to One” just ahead of its Sundance screening and made a splash to give it an IMAX exclusive release on April 11, the first time Magnolia has partnered with IMAX on a release. It will then land on Max and HBO in late 2025. The film follows the 18 months that John Lennon and Yoko Ono spent living in Greenwich Village in the early 1970s, including restored footage from the only full concert Lennon performed after breaking up from The Beatles, the One to One Madison Square Garden benefit concert. The film has an audio restoration as overseen by Sean Lennon Ono.
Films Arriving with Distribution
“2000 Meters to Andriivka”
Section: World Documentary
Distributor: Frontline/Associated Press
Director: Mstyslav Chernov
Buzz: The director of “20 Days in Mariupol” returns with a film in which he embeds himself with a Ukrainian platoon slowly realizing that the Russian campaign may be seemingly endless.
“The Alabama Solution”
Section: Premieres
Distributor: HBO Documentary Films
Director: Andrew Jarecki
Buzz: The “Capturing the Friedmans” director examines a cover-up within one of America’s deadliest prison systems.
“April”
Section: Spotlight
Distributor: Metrograph Films
Director: Dea Kulumbegashvili
Buzz: The film about women’s rights from the Georgian filmmaker won the jury prize at last year’s Venice and will open from Metrograph, fittingly, in April.
“The Ballad of Wallis Island”
Section: Premieres
Distributor: Focus Features
Director: James Griffiths
Cast: Tom Basden, Carey Mulligan, Tim Key, Sian Clifford, Akemnji Ndifornyen
Buzz: Basden and Key are longtime comedy partners reuniting with a sweet, tuneful film about a lottery winner who gets one of his old favorite duos to reunite for a private concert.
“Deaf President Now!”
Section: Premieres
Distributor: Apple Studios
Director: Nyle DiMarco and Davis Guggenheim
Buzz: The “Deaf U” producer teams with the “Still” director for a story about the 1988 protest at Deaf college Gallaudet University.
“Enigma”
Section: Premieres
Distributor: HBO Documentary Films
Director: Zackary Drucker
Buzz: The director of “The Stroll” returns to Sundance with this profile of model Amanda Lear and April Ashley, the woman who claimed Lear worked with her in Parisian transgender revues in the ’50s.
“If I Had Legs I’d Kick You”
Section: Premieres
Distributor: A24
Director: Mary Bronstein
Cast: Rose Byrne, A$AP Rocky, Conan O’Brien, Danielle McDonald
Buzz: The director of “Yeast” makes her sophomore feature with this darkly comedic, uncomfortably funny film about a woman’s hostile relationship with her therapist.
“The Legend of Ochi”
Section: Family Matinee
Distributor: A24
Director: Isaiah Saxon
Cast: Helena Zengel, Finn Wolfhard, Emily Watson, Willem Dafoe,
Buzz: This A24 family fantasy adventure film uses elaborate and meticulously crafted puppetry and paintings (not AI!) to tell an environmental parable.
“Magic Farm”
Section: Premieres
Distributor: MUBI
Director: Amalia Ullman
Cast: Chloe Sevigny, Alex Wolff, Simon Rex
Buzz: The director of “El Planeta” returns to Sundance with this English-language satire about media a film crew that travels to Argentina for a profile, only to wind up in the wrong country.
“Opus”
Section: Midnight
Distributor: A24
Director: Mark Anthony Green
Cast: Ayo Edebiri, John Malkovich, Juliette Lewis, Murray Bartlett, Amber Midthunder
Buzz: Mark Anthony Green’s debut feature is a horror film about a young journalist invited to visit a compound of a pop star who mysteriously disappeared 30 years earlier.
“Sally”
Section: Premieres
Distributor: Nat Geo
Director: Cristina Costantini
Buzz: The director of “Mucho Mucho Amor” and “Science Fair directs this profile of Sally Ride, the first American female astronaut to make it to space, and her secret romance.
“Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius)
Section: Premieres
Distributor: Onyx Collective
Director: Questlove
Buzz: Four years after Questlove had a record-breaking Sundance sale for a documentary, Questlove is back with a documentary about Sly and the Family Stone leader Sly Stone.
“The Wedding Banquet”
Section: Premieres
Distributor: Bleecker Street
Director: Andrew Ahn
Cast: Bowen Yang, Lily Gladstone, Kelly Marie Tran
Buzz: The “Fire Island” filmmaker’s latest film is a comedy about a man who exchanges a green card marriage for an expensive IVF procedure, only to be surprised with an elaborate Korean wedding ceremony.
