The Sundance Film Festival, now in its 40th year, kicked off in the Utah mountains on January 18 through January 28.
This year’s lineup boasts an eclectic roster of features from emerging queer filmmakers that traverse genre and form—from pulse-pounding thrillers to investigative documentaries to razor-sharp satires—and feature exciting LGBTQ+ talent like Justice Smith, Kristen Stewart, River Gallo, John Early, and more.
If you can’t be there, check out these LGBTQ+ streaming picks that premiered or screened at the iconic film fest over the years…
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High Art
Drugs, sex and art collide in this 1998 Sundance pick by Lisa Cholodenko. When Sydney (Radha Mitchell), an assistant editor at a highly regarded photography magazine, has a chance meeting with esteemed photographer Lucy (Ally Sheedy), a work assignment quickly turns into an intense love affair. Sydney’s life spirals as she falls into Lucy’s troubled world, while Lucy’s eye for photography appears to blossom only when Sydney is around. The toxic but tender relationship makes for a compelling, if difficult-to-watch romantic drama.
Now streaming on Realeyz. Available to rent digitally on Vudu.
Jawbreaker
Making its debut at the 1999 Sundance, this dark comedy by gay director Darren Stein, who directed the much sweeter G.B.F. in 2013, tells the story of three proto-Mean Girls (Rebecca Gayheart, Rose McGowan and Julie Benz) who accidentally kill their best friend (Charlotte Ayanna) when a prank involving a sugary jawbreaker goes terribly wrong. While the girls try to cover up their crime, school outcast Fern (Judy Greer) learns the truth and blackmails them. Frequently mean-spirited and always hilarious, this brilliant comedy was skewered by critics at the time of its release but has since gained a cult following for its sharp performances and queer sensibility.
Available to rent digitally on Amazon Video, Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube, Vudu, Microsoft Store, and DirectTV.
The Laramie Project
Moisés Kaufman’s film adaptation of his play screened at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival. The Laramie Project is a dramatization of what happened when Kaufman and the Tectonic Theater Project visited Laramie, Wyoming in the aftermath of Matthew Shepard’s murder in 1998. While Kaufman (played in the film by Néstor Carbonell) and his group are unsure of what they’re going to find in the conservative small town, they eventually realize that Laramie is not simply a hotbed of homophobia and hate but a community rocked by an unthinkable tragedy nobody could ever prepare for.
Now streaming on Max and DirecTV. Available to rent digitally on Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube, Vudu, Microsoft Store and Amazon Video.
Disclosure: Trans Lives on Screen
This 2020 Sundance pick, directed by Sam Feder, is a documentary exploring the history of transgender visibility in Hollywood. It should come as no surprise to anyone that Hollywood’s track record with trans representation is spotty, and this documentary does a good job of highlighting how much work the industry has to do to get to an acceptable place. Look for appearances by Laverne Cox, Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, Brian Michael Smith and many others.
In addition to terrific movies, one of the best features at film festivals are panels. In this inspired Saturday Night Live sketch, several stars—including Viola Davis (Leslie Jones), Marion Cotillard (Cecily Strong) and the, uh, legendary Debette Goldry (Kate McKinnon)—get a little too candid about women’s experiences in Hollywood.
