If you didn't attend the 2016 Sundance Film Festival and you feel like you missed out, don't worry. There are a bunch of short films available to watch online that were selected for the festival (shorts winners were announced a few days ago). We've compiled a few of them here, and will add more as we find them — and as they become available. So sit back, relax, and remember: you didn't have to stand in the freezing cold to watch any of these shorts.
The Shorts
A Reasonable Request / U.S.A. (Director: Andrew Laurich, Screenwriters: Gabriel Miller, Andrew Laurich) — A desperate son reconnects with his estranged father to ask an unspeakable favor that will change both of their lives forever.
The Chickening / U.S.A., Canada (Directors and screenwriters: Nick DenBoer, Davy Force) — All pork and no chicken makes Jack a dull boy. Luckily, Jack gets a new job as senior chief night manager at Charbay’s Chicken World and Restaurant Resort, the world’s largest fast-food entertainment complex; however, things quickly get very clucked.
Verbatim: The Ferguson Case / U.S.A. (Director: Brett Weiner, Screenwriter: Grand Jury Transcript) — Unarmed black teenager Michael Brown was shot by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri. Using court transcripts from the case, this short film juxtaposes the reenacted testimony of two key witnesses: Dorian Johnson and the police officer himself, Darren Wilson.
Peace in the Valley / U.S.A. (Directors and screenwriters: Michael Palmieri, Donal Mosher) — Eureka Springs, Arkansas, is home to both the largest outdoor Passion Play in the United States and an important vote on LGBT rights. This film follows the town's inhabitants as they prepare for the historic vote.
Entrapped / U.S.A. (Director: Razan Ghalayini) — The FBI claimed it exposed a dangerous group of men in a massive entrapment operation over an alleged plot to attack a U.S. Army base in New Jersey. But were they really terrorists?
Fuckkkyouuu / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Eddie Alcazar) — With the ability to travel in time, a girl finds love and comfort by connecting with her past self. Eventually faced with rejection, she struggles with her identity, and as time folds onto itself only one of them can remain. [Just as a warning, this one is NSFW beyond the name.]
The Saint of Dry Creek / U.S.A. (Director: Julie Zammarchi) — Patrick Haggerty was a teenager in rural Dry Creek, Washington, in the late 1950s. Here, he remembers the day he first had a conversation with his father about being gay.
The next two in this list aren't free to watch, but you can buy them directly from your browser with Vimeo On Demand.
Limbo Limbo Travel / France, Hungary (Directors and screenwriters: Zsuzsanna Kreif, Borbála Zétényi) — In a country where men seem more interested in their electronic gadgets than their peers, a group of lonely and disillusioned women take the Limbo Limbo bus. Off to a far exotic country, they hope to find happiness.
Over / United Kingdom (Director and screenwriter: Jörn Threlfall) — What has happened in this quiet suburban neighborhood? Has there been a murder, a hit-and-run, an accident? The reality is both profound and deeply unexpected.
Feel free to let us know if we missed any, and we'll add it to the collection above.
For more, see our complete coverage of the 2016 Sundance Film Festival.
No Film School's video and editorial coverage of the 2016 Sundance Film Festival is sponsored by Blackmagic Design.
Your Comment
9 Comments
This is amazing! Must get watching, and I've been hearing some good things about The Chickening.
February 1, 2016 at 7:16AM, Edited February 1, 7:16AM
Man I wish Thunder Road was available for viewing.
February 1, 2016 at 10:26AM, Edited February 1, 10:26AM
#1 reason I clicked...though I knew it wouldn't be.
February 1, 2016 at 10:09PM
That 'Chickening' is one of the worst pieces of trash I've ever seen at a film festival and shows the state of where Sundance is at now. An absolute joke of a fest.
February 1, 2016 at 3:39PM, Edited February 1, 3:39PM
There are no rules that tell us what cinema should be. The Chickening is as much a film as The Shining is. I think you should open up your mind to what a film can be. With that said, I did find The Chickening entertaining but extremely strange. At the very least, I think a film like The Chickening can motivates us to follow through with our craziest film/video ideas and inspire us to stop worrying about how they may be perceived by the public.
February 1, 2016 at 4:08PM
That is a very narrow-minded approach to analyze it. I mean, sure, if you didn't like it, that's your opinion. I might not agree, but what are ya gonna do?
However, if you just look at it objectively, which you should be doing since you're on NFS, you can appreciate the amazing visual effects work done on it. Sure, the story made no sense, but from a VFX standpoint, it is absolutely amazing. And that's not an opinion, but a fact.
February 16, 2016 at 1:19PM
That is a very narrow-minded approach to analyze it. I mean, sure, if you didn't like it, that's your opinion. I might not agree, but what are ya gonna do?
However, if you just look at it objectively, which you should be doing since you're on NFS, you can appreciate the amazing visual effects work done on it. Sure, the story made no sense, but from a VFX standpoint, it is absolutely amazing. And that's not an opinion, but a fact.
February 16, 2016 at 1:19PM
A reasonable request is smart and funny.
The cinematography is awesome as well. I would love to know how it was lit.
February 2, 2016 at 5:01AM, Edited February 2, 5:01AM
Well most of them were... very very Sundance...
February 3, 2016 at 1:06AM, Edited February 3, 1:05AM