While a few lauded Sundance Film Festival titles like “The Farewell” and “The Report” still seek 2020 awards attention, the 2019 narrative selection became more talent discovery than Oscar launchpad as heated buys like “Late Night” and “Brittany Runs a Marathon” fizzled at the box office.
For the documentary section, however, it’s a different story.While Sundance’s nonfiction program has always been strong, it’s now becoming the festival’s premier showcase.
The intensely competitive Sundance doc selections yield a high percentage of Oscar nominations, including four out of last year’s final five.
Many of this year’s doc contenders debuted at Sundance 2019, including Gotham Awards winner “American Factory,” “Apollo 11,” “Edge of Democracy,” New York Film Critics Circle winner “Honeyland,” “Knock Down the House,” “One Child Nation,” and “Sea of Shadows.”Sundance’s fictional narratives remain impressive, producing a countless number that generate great reviews, and launch careers across the industry spectrum.
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