Feature films need to: 

• Have a World or International premiere status. 
• Be completed after January 1st, 2026. 
• Not have been released theatrically, screened at festivals, broadcast, or streamed on television or the internet outside of their country of origin prior to February 1, 2027. 

• Complete the “Sundance 2027 preselection screenings” form on Telefilm Canada’s Dialogue platform. 
• Provide a downloadable Vimeo screening link available until September 1, 2026.  
• Your image editing should be final. The programmers are used to viewing work at the post-production/rough cut stage (i.e. with no colour timing, no final mix, temporary music, etc.) and, as such, know how to “fill in the technical gaps.”  

Films entered through this process that meet the eligibility criteria for the festival will be screened by the festival’s delegates. Telefilm Canada does not filter nor preselect films.  

Once the screenings are over, if a film is preselected (“shortlisted”) by the delegates, we will inform the applicant by email. Shortlisted films will move to step 2 and be reviewed by the festival committee in Los Angeles between September and end of October. Final decisions will be communicated directly to the applicant by the festival in late November.  

Founded by Robert Redford in 1981, the Sundance Film Festival is recognized by the industry as the leading festival in the United States. It is organized by the Sundance Institute, a non-profit organization that actively advances the work of independent storytellers in film. Each year, the Sundance Film Festival highlights new trends in independent filmmaking and introduces emerging filmmakers. The festival selects around 120 feature films and 60 short films.  

Canadian feature-length films that have premiered at Sundance in recent years: UNDERTONE, ENDLESS COOKIES, DEAD LOVER, THE THINGS YOU KILL, TWO WOMEN (DEUX FEMMES EN OR), IN A VIOLENT NATURE, KIDNAPPING, INC., THE LONGEST GOODBYE, TWICE COLONIZED, INFINITY POOL, MY ANIMAL, FRAMING AGNES and THE NIGHT LOGAN WOKE UP (Episodic section).  

The festival international programming dedicated to feature-length films comprises:  

• World Cinema Dramatic Competition: a selection of 10 films from emerging filmmakers.  
• World Cinema Documentary Competition: a selection of 10 films from visionary documentary filmmakers. 
• Premieres (fiction/documentaries): a selection of world premieres from established American and international directors. 
• Spotlight (narratives): a tribute to impressive films that have screened on the festival circuit in 2026. 
• Midnight: an eclectic mix of horror, sci-fi, surreal tales, and bizarre stories that defy categorization.  
• New Frontier: Dedicated to experimental films.