Hundreds of members of the press are currently attending the 2025 Sundance Film Festival to experience bold independent films and conversation-starting events in Utah and beyond (via festival.sundance.org) from January 23–February 2 and to share their discoveries with audiences globally. Some members of this media community are part of a select group of press participating in the Press Inclusion Initiative (PII), a program designed to elevate diverse voices in journalism and cultural criticism.
In its seventh year, the Press Inclusion Initiative was created to remove systemic barriers faced by critics from underrepresented groups who have not seen themselves represented in cultural criticism in large numbers by facilitating financial support, networking opportunities, guidance on how to navigate the Festival, and the amplification of their work.
Film criticism and conversations in mainstream outlets are primarily being written from a perspective dominated by cis, white, male, non-disabled, heteronormative voices, and PII seeks to address this imbalance in the critical landscape by creating a more culturally abundant press corps at the Sundance Film Festival while supporting these talented critics and reporters in their career progression.
This highlight selected program has supported upwards of 200 journalists from BIPOC, queer, and disabled communities — many of them freelancers.
The 2025 Press Inclusion Initiative cohort is made up of 34 members of the press covering the Sundance Film Festival and you can read some of their selected work created during the Festival here — more will be added as it publishes!
“‘GEN_’ Review: A Zany Italian Doc on Transgender Healthcare” by Siddhant Adlakha on Variety
“Dispatches from Sundance 2025” by Gloria Alamrew on Culture Craft – Substack
“Legend of Ochi Stars Red Carpet” by Sean Boelman on FandomWire
“Come See Me In The Good Light is a soul roadmap for trans people under Trump” by Daniela Capistrano on IntoMore
“From the Cordilleras to Sundance: Don Eblahan’s ‘Vox Humana’ amplifies indigenous voices” by Yong Chavez on ABS CBN
“The Legend of Ochi tem charme retrô de sobra para compensar sua narrativa frágil” by Caio Coletti on Omelete
“Gala del Sol Creates a Healing, Queer Alternate Dimension with “Rains Over Babel”” by Cristina Escobar on Latina Media
“9 Latinx Films to Catch at Sundance 2025” by Cristina Escobar on Latina Media
“Le festival de Sundance reste fidèle à la vision fondatrice de Robert Redford” by Constance Jamet on Le Figaro
“L’ombre des incendies de Los Angeles obscurcit le festival de Sundance” by Constance Jamet on Le Figaro
“Dos mexicanas triunfan en Sundance con sus cortos “Trokas Duras” y “Como si la tierra se las hubiera tragado”” by Rafael Cores on La Opinión
“‘Life After’ Review: An Empathetic and Confrontational Doc About Disabled People’s Right to Be in Control” by Murtada Elfadl on Variety
“15 Picks from Sundance 2025: what to watchlist from Park City this year” by Zachary Lee on Letterboxd
“Sundance 2025: Un espacio para conectar y celebrar la diversidad” by Mariana Mijares on Esquire Latin America
“The Film Comment Podcast: Sundance 2025 #1” by Ruun Nuur on The Film Comment Podcast
“War Stories and Memories from Sundance 2025” by Ikeade Oriade on What Kept Me Up
“‘Seeds’ Review: Documentary About Black Farming Preserves a Legacy and Delivers a Eulogy” by Ronda Racha Penrice on The Wrap
“Cruising through the years: These two films are reclaiming queer history & the great gay pastime” by Cameron Scheetz on Queerty
““Like a Knife to the Stomach”: Amy Berg on the Singer’s Relationships in ‘It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley’” by Ishita Sengupta on Documentary.org
“James Sweeney’s Twinless Is The Breakout Film Of 2025” by Ishita Sengupta on OTTPlay
“صندانس 2025: عن معسكرات اعتقال وآلام خفية” by Ahmed Shawky on Filfan
“15 Picks from Sundance 2025: what to watchlist from Park City this year” by Adesola Thomas on Letterboxd
“‘Jimpa’ Review: John Lithgow and Olivia Colman Charm in Sophie Hyde’s Personal but Distant LGBTQIA+ Centered Feature [C-] – Sundance Film Festival” by Martin Aubert Tsai on Awards Watch
