Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw’s “Gaucho Gaucho” won the U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Sound at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.
By Lucy Spicer
The year may be coming to an end, but we’re not resting on our laurels. Even as we gear up to bring film lovers an exciting new slate of projects next month at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival (click here to explore our in-person and online pass and package options!), we’re still keeping track of all the Sundance-supported titles that have been waiting in the wings for their chance to reach new audiences.
This month’s offerings — two films from the 2024 Fest and one Institute-supported feature that went through the Feature Film Program’s Directors and Screenwriters Labs — include an Austrian satire about an invincibly wealthy family, a women-led police procedural set in rural northern India, and a documentary that invites us into the world of cowboys in Argentina.
Gaucho Gaucho — Directing duo Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw (The Truffle Hunters, 2020 Sundance Film Festival) returned to the Festival in 2024 with a visually striking documentary set on the sweeping plains of Argentina. Shot in black and white, Gaucho Gaucho observes the daily life of Argentine cowboys and cowgirls, known as gauchos, as they embrace a traditional lifestyle and pass their customs on to the next generation. A purposefully still camera and a focus on authentic atmosphere — the film took home the U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Sound — create an intimate portrait of a community with deep ties to the natural landscape around them. Streaming on Jolt December 1.
Veni Vidi Vici — Amon Maynard (Laurence Rupp) has fabulous wealth, a loving family, and a stellar reputation. He also has a deadly hobby that he practices in broad daylight without experiencing any repercussions. Written by Daniel Hoesl and co-directed by Hoesl and Julia Neimann, this unflinching Austrian satire presents a society — perhaps not so different from our own — where the rich can truly get away with anything. Veni Vidi Vici premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. Coming to select theaters December 18.
Santosh — After Santosh is left a widow, a government program allows her to take over her late husband’s job as police constable in rural northern India. Feeling out of her depth, Santosh (Shahana Goswami) seeks guidance from a fellow woman officer (Sunita Rajwar) when a low-caste girl’s murder reveals a web of corruption. Santosh marks the narrative feature debut for writer-director and Sundance alum Sandhya Suri (I for India, 2006 Sundance Film Festival). Supported by Sundance Institute’s Feature Film Program, Santosh premiered in the Un Certain Regard section of the 77th Cannes Film Festival. Coming to select theaters December 27.
The 2024 Sundance Film Festival Short Film Tour is underway! Traveling to all corners of the United States and beyond in the following months, the 110-minute program features seven short films selected from the 2024 Festival, including three Festival Award–winning titles. Check here for dates and venues; see below for dates in December.
- Colorado Springs, Colorado, December 6–7, Independent Film Society of Colorado
- Los Angeles, California, December 13, American Cinematheque: Los Feliz 3
- Rockford, Illinois, December 13, 815HORTS
