The nonprofit Sundance Institute announced today the Legacy program for the 2027 Sundance Film Festival, marking the first announcement of selections for the Festival’s inaugural edition in its new home of Boulder, Colorado. The Legacy program, formerly known as From the Collection, features projects from the Sundance Film Festival’s long and proud history showcasing groundbreaking independent cinema, including archival and restoration screenings of fiction and nonfiction works as well as special events. Also announced today, Letterboxd, the film discovery platform with over 30 million members globally, joins as co-presenter of the Legacy program, with additional details for onsite activations during the Festival to come.
The 2027 Sundance Film Festival will take place January 21–31, in Boulder, Colorado. World premieres of new films will be held Thursday, January 21, to Tuesday, January 26 — Festivalgoers will be part of the first audiences ever to see soon-to-be-announced films, episodic projects, and more. Throughout the entire run of the Festival, additional showings of the 2027 program will continue along with talks and additional programming. From Thursday, January 28–Sunday, January 31, audiences anywhere in the U.S. can enjoy a selection of the 2027 Festival lineup online; find more details at festival.sundance.org.
Legacy screenings will include director appearances and select cast members in attendance, inviting audiences to start new conversations about old favorites as well as discovering previously missed gems. Screenings include brand-new restorations of every film: the 2002 Sundance Film Festival version of Better Luck Tomorrow (Justin Lin); a digital 4K restoration of Dogtown and Z-Boys (Stacy Peralta); a 35th anniversary screening of Fool’s Fire (Julie Taymor); Nitrate Kisses (Barbara Hammer), which premiered in the U.S. at the Festival 35 years ago and whose director is at the center of Brydie O’Connor’s 2026 Sundance Film Festival documentary Barbara Forever; a 25th anniversary screening of Real Women Have Curves (Patricia Cardoso); a 35th anniversary screening of Swoon (Tom Kalin); and a 25th anniversary screening of a 4K restoration of Y tu mamá también (Alfonso Cuarón). The Legacy program will also include a two-part session on the final weekend of the Festival called “Sundance Film Festival presents: Cinema Interruptus featuring Memento” (Christopher Nolan), featuring a 4K restoration and a communal discussion. Additional programming for the category will be announced in the coming weeks. The Legacy program will take place from Tuesday, January 27, through Sunday, January 31, during the second half of the Festival.
In 2027, we celebrate the 30th anniversary of Sundance Institute and UCLA Film & Television Archive jointly establishing a vital film preservation initiative, the Sundance Institute Collection at UCLA, to ensure the long-term preservation of independent film. The Collection currently holds material from over 1,000 titles and has participated in restorations of Hoop Dreams, River of Grass, Mysterious Skin, Doom Generation, Just Another Girl on the IRT, High Art, Go Fish, Three Seasons, Paris Is Burning, Superstar, Unzipped, The Hours and Times, SLAM, and, this year, Better Luck Tomorrow and Swoon.
“We’re excited to kick off the Festival season in earnest with this first 2027 Sundance Film Festival announcement, revealing some of our Legacy programming,” said Eugene Hernandez, Director, Sundance Film Festival and Public Programming. “Each year we honor the legacy of our founder Robert Redford and the history of the Sundance Film Festival by looking back at just a few of the films and filmmakers who have shaped our history. Our first festival in our new home in Boulder, Colorado will bring change, but as we evolve, we’ll keep at our core what we celebrate: our rich history. Sundance will always uplift independent voices, and our Legacy slate is a beautiful example of that. We are also pleased to announce Letterboxd’s co-partnership for the Legacy category — it’s great to collaborate with organizations that build momentum and excitement for a culture of cinematic discovery, and we look forward to having them at the Festival with us in January.”
“Revisiting and becoming newly acquainted with films from our previous lineups in a theatrical setting, in community, and with some of the talent behind the films is a rare treat — even more so when these projects have been restored,” said Kim Yutani, Director of Programming, Sundance Film Festival. “We’re really looking forward to welcoming back these artists and know that audiences will enjoy the opportunity to complement the new films we will soon be announcing with these classics.”
“Our Legacy programming at the Sundance Film Festival grew out of a partnership with the UCLA Film & Television Archive and its continued growth is running in parallel to the incredible moment repertory cinema is having across the country right now,” said John Nein, Sundance Film Festival Senior Programmer and Director of Strategic Initiatives. “This program offers a space for brand-new restorations of classic independent films to be discovered or rediscovered by audiences as the creative teams behind these films reunite — it’s an exciting way of celebrating what these artists have brought to independent storytelling.”
In-person ticket packages and passes and online ticket packages and passes are currently on sale at festival.sundance.org/tickets. Single Film Tickets will go on sale starting January 8, 2027.
The Sundance Film Festival is an artist program of Sundance Institute, a nonprofit that has supported thousands of artists every year plus thousands more through its public programming. Proceeds earned through Festival ticket sales go to supporting and developing emerging artists on a year-round basis through focused labs, direct grants, fellowships, residencies, and more.
LEGACY FILMS
Legacy films (formerly known as From the Collection) are restorations of titles that screened at previous editions of the Sundance Film Festival, inviting film lovers to experience these stories in a theatrical setting and giving them the opportunity to discover and rediscover the projects that have shaped the heritage of both Sundance Institute and independent storytelling.
Better Luck Tomorrow / U.S.A. (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Justin Lin, Screenwriters: Ernesto Foronda, Fabian Marquez, Producers: Julie Asato, Ernesto Foronda) — To escape the crushing pressure of academic perfection, a group of high-achieving teens lead a secret, thrill-seeking double life of petty crime that quickly spins out of control. Cast: Karin Anna Cheung, John Cho, Roger Fan, Sung Kang, Parry Shen, Jason Tobin. Fiction.
- 25th anniversary. Better Luck Tomorrow premiered at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival as part of the U.S. Dramatic Competition. It was subsequently released with small changes in the edit. The original 2002 Sundance Film Festival cut of Better Luck Tomorrow was restored by the UCLA Film & Television Archive in collaboration with Sundance Institute and Perfect Storm Entertainment, with funding provided by Chris Quintos Cathcart, co-CEO of Unapologetic Projects. The 4K restoration utilized the original 35 mm camera negatives, 35 mm Sundance Film Festival print, and DA-88 sound materials and was supervised by filmmaker Justin Lin at Resillion and Deluxe Audio Services. Additional lab services by Roundabout Entertainment, Inc. The release version has also been restored and archived. Special thanks to Paramount Pictures for permission to screen the film.
Dogtown and Z-Boys / U.S.A (Director and Screenwriter: Stacy Peralta, Screenwriter: Craig Stecyk, Producer: Agi Orsi) — The Z-Boys: outcast surf rats from the run-down Dogtown neighborhood in Venice, California, who revolutionized skateboarding with their innovative style and attitude. An exploration of the birth of a cultural phenomenon, narrated by Sean Penn and featuring old-school skating footage, a blistering soundtrack, and interviews with Tony Alva, Jay Adams, and Tony Hawk. Documentary.
- 25th Anniversary of U.S. Release. Dogtown and Z-Boys premiered at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival as part of the U.S. Documentary Competition and won the Audience Award: Documentary and Directing Award: Documentary. 2027 marks the 25th anniversary of its theatrical release. The 4K digital restoration was undertaken from the original 35 mm elements by Sony Pictures Classics. The restoration was approved by the filmmakers.
Fool’s Fire / U.S.A. (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Julie Taymor, Producer: Kerry Orent) — A captured dwarf, Hopfrog, is forced to become jester to a tyrannical king. But when the King is gifted with another little person, whom the king debases and shames, Hopfrog plots a terrible revenge. Based on the story “Hop-Frog” by Edgar Allan Poe. Cast: Michael J. Anderson, Tom Hewitt, Mireille Mossé. Fiction.
- 35th anniversary. Fool’s Fire premiered at the 1992 Sundance Film Festival as part of the U.S. Dramatic Competition. This new restoration was created by the nonprofit IndieCollect in collaboration with Julie Taymor and with support from the Golden Globe Foundation, using a 6.5K scan of the original 35 mm negative and a soundtrack restored by Endpoint Audio Labs from the optical track negative. Featuring an extended conversation with Julie Taymor and clips from The Making of Fool’s Fire, exploring the film’s artistry and cutting-edge use of high definition.
Nitrate Kisses / U.S.A. (Director: Barbara Hammer) — A liberating portrait of queer sexuality that weaves striking images of four lesbian and gay couples with archival footage, interviews, sexual imagery, and queer cinema dating back to the 1930s to unearth forbidden and long-invisible histories. Documentary.
- Nitrate Kisses had its U.S. premiere at the 1993 Sundance Film Festival as part of the U.S. Documentary Competition. Nitrate Kisses was preserved by the Academy Film Archive. The original 16 mm A/B-rolls were scanned at 4K and restored by BB Optics. The mono mix was digitized from the original 16 mm mag track. The restoration was funded by Frameline and supervised by The Estate of Barbara Hammer and Brydie O’Connor.
Real Women Have Curves / U.S.A. (Director: Patricia Cardoso, Screenwriters: George LaVoo, Josefina López, Producers: George Lavoo, Effie Brown) — Ana, a first-generation Mexican American teenager, fights for her independence and her curves in a war of wills with her mother. Based on the play by Josefina López. Cast: America Ferrera, George Lopez, Ingrid Oliu, Lupe Ontiveros, Brian Sites. Fiction.
- 25th anniversary. Real Women Have Curves premiered at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival as part of the U.S. Dramatic Competition and took home the Audience Award: Dramatic and the Special Jury Prize for Acting for America Ferrera and Lupe Ontiveros. Supervised by director Patricia Cardoso and director of photography Jim Denault, this new 4K restoration was undertaken by Criterion in collaboration with Warner Bros. Pictures, Sundance Institute, and the Academy Film Archive from the 35 mm original camera negative.
Swoon / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Tom Kalin, Producers: Christine Vachon) — The true story of Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb, who kidnapped and brutally murdered 14-year-old Bobby Franks in Chicago in 1924. The revelation that these wealthy Jewish college students had a sexual relationship scandalized the nation. After their arrest and trial, they were sentenced to life plus 99 years. Cast: Craig Chester, Michael Kirby, John A. Mudd, Daniel Schlachet, Natalie Stanford, Michael Stumm, Ron Vawter. Fiction.
- 35th anniversary. Swoon premiered at the 1992 Sundance Film Festival as part of the U.S. Dramatic Competition and took home the Excellence in Cinematography Award: Dramatic. Swoon was restored by the Academy Film Archive and UCLA Film & Television Archive in collaboration with Frameline, Strand Releasing, and Sundance Institute in 4K from the original 16 mm A/B camera negatives, 35 mm interpositive, 35 mm dupe negative, and 35 mm magnetic track. The restoration was supervised by Tom Kalin and Ellen Kuras at Roundabout Entertainment, Inc. and Deluxe Audio Services. Restoration funding was provided by the Academy Film Archive and UCLA Film & Television Archive with additional support from Frameline, Ellen Kuras, Strand Releasing, and Sundance Institute.
Y tu mamá también / Mexico (Director, Screenwriter and Producer: Alfonso Cuarón, Screenwriter: Carlos Cuarón, Producer: Jorge Vergara) — After their girlfriends jet off for the summer, a pair of Mexico City teenagers become bewitched by an older Spanish woman they meet at a wedding. When she agrees to accompany them on a road trip, the three form an increasingly intense and sensual bond. Cast: Gael García Bernal, Diego Luna, Maribel Verdú. Fiction.
- 25th anniversary. Y tu mamá también screened at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival as part of the Special Events category. Newly restored by Esperanto Films in 4K under the supervision of filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón and cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki. A Janus Films release.
LEGACY SPECIAL EVENTS
Sundance Film Festival presents: Cinema Interruptus featuring Memento
A unique tradition established at the University of Colorado Boulder’s Conference on World Affairs (CWA) by film critic Roger Ebert and CWA founder and sociology professor Howard Higman, Cinema Interruptus is communal film criticism in two sessions. As Memento screens, participants can yell “Stop!” at any point to make a comment or ask a question, after which the film will resume. Critic and author Josh Larsen — who hosted Interruptus at CWA on campus from 2017 to 2024 — will moderate the discussion and keep things on track, with the goal of finishing the entire movie by the end of the second session.
Memento / U.S.A. (Director: Christopher Nolan) — A former insurance investigator who now suffers from anterograde amnesia uses notes and tattoos to hunt down his wife’s murderer. Fiction.
- Memento had its U.S. festival premiere at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival in the U.S. Dramatic Competition and it took home the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award. Restored in 4K from original interpositive materials by Umbrella with approval from director Christopher Nolan.
- Cinema Interruptus is also part of our Offscreen program, to be announced in its entirety soon.
