The Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, is once again providing audiences with a virtual viewing option, allowing many films from its 2026 lineup to be streamed online from January 29 through February 1. This method, which gained traction as a necessity during the COVID-19 pandemic, has evolved into a valued complement to the traditional festival experience, accommodating those unable or unwilling to attend in person amid the unpredictable winter weather and long queues.
To watch the available Sundance films, viewers can access the festival's website, which details technical prerequisites. Films can be watched on computers as well as televisions once the "Watch Now" button has been selected. Upon initiating a film, viewers have a five-hour window to complete viewing that feature. Streaming access is currently limited to audiences within the United States due to international rights restrictions.
The online catalog primarily features all the major competitive feature films scheduled for the festival’s main contests, along with several additional selections lacking confirmed theatrical distribution. Among the highlighted titles is "Josephine," directed by Beth de Araújo, which centers on an 8-year-old girl portrayed by Mason Reeves who witnesses a sexual assault in Golden Gate Park. The drama explores the dynamics of her parents, played by Channing Tatum and Gemma Chan, as they grapple with guiding their child through complex emotions.
Another significant offering is the romantic drama "Carousel," starring Chris Pine and Jenny Slate. Additional films from the U.S. Dramatic Competition include "Ha-chan, Shake Your Booty," set within Tokyo’s ballroom dance scene, and "The Musical," a comedic portrayal featuring Rob Lowe as a middle school teacher attempting to prevent his school from winning an award by producing an inappropriate play.
The festival also presents films from the NEXT category available for streaming, such as Kogonada’s poetic "zi," with performances by Michelle Mao and Haley Lu Richardson, and "The Incomer," a quirky comedy featuring Domhnall Gleeson.
Documentary selections accessible online include several diverse topics: "Seized," which examines a police raid on the Marion County Record; "The Lake," addressing Utah’s pressing environmental concerns; "Everybody To Kenmure Street," depicting civil resistance efforts in Scotland; and "Hanging by a Wire," recounting the harrowing experience of six schoolboys and two others stranded 900 feet above a ravine in the Himalayan foothills following a cable car malfunction.
Conversely, certain films will not be available for streaming. This category includes works already secured by distributors, such as the Charli XCX mockumentary "The Moment," set for a January 30 theatrical release; Daniel Roher and Charlie Tyrell’s "The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist," scheduled for theaters on March 27; and "When a Witness Recants," a film about wrongly convicted Baltimore teenagers, which is slated for HBO release at an undetermined future date.
Additionally, films falling under the festival’s premieres section are excluded from online availability regardless of current distribution status. Notable titles in this group include Olivia Wilde’s marital dramedy "The Invite," Gregg Araki’s "I Want Your Sex," Jay Duplass’ "See You When I See You," and "Once Upon a Time in Harlem."
Access to the streaming festival is granted over a four-day period, from January 29 to February 1, with individual film tickets priced at $35. Proceeds from streaming purchases support the artist programs and funding efforts of the Sundance Institute.