Sundance 2025: The 12 Films Poised for Awards Season Glory
Photo By: Joanthan P. Moustakas
The 2025 Sundance Film Festival may not have delivered an immediate Oscar frontrunner in the vein of A Real Pain or Past Lives, but that doesn’t mean the festival’s impact on awards season will be negligible. Despite a subdued atmosphere, affected by external factors such as the ongoing fallout from the Los Angeles wildfires, political anxieties surrounding a second Trump administration, and a slow sales market, the festival still delivered a compelling slate of films that could make an impression in the coming months.
Historically, Sundance has been a crucial launching pad for films that go on to dominate critics’ awards and even break into the Oscar conversation. While no single title emerged as a juggernaut, several films stood out as potential players across multiple categories. From powerhouse performances to socially resonant documentaries, here are the films that could forge their way onto the awards circuit with the right distribution strategy and campaign.
Awards Contenders
From Sundance 2025
If I Had Legs I’d Kick You – Best Actress Contender
Mary Bronstein’s harrowing portrayal of motherhood unraveling is one of the festival’s most divisive films. However, what is indisputable is Rose Byrne’s fearless, high-wire act of a performance. As a Long Island therapist on the verge of collapse, Byrne delivers a portrayal packed with wit, raw emotion, and physicality that demands attention. While the film’s bleak subject matter may make it a challenging Oscar play, the Spirit Awards and critics' groups will likely rally behind Byrne’s tour de force.
Sorry, Baby – A Dark Horse for Screenplay and Directing
Eva Victor’s Sorry, Baby isn’t an obvious Oscar contender, but in an ever-evolving Academy, it shouldn’t be counted out. The film, which won the Sundance Screenwriting Award, is a tender, melancholic yet sharp dramedy about trauma and resilience. Victor’s triple-threat status as writer, director, and lead actor is an undeniable feat, and if critics start championing the film as the year’s indie darling, it could gain enough momentum to cross over into major categories. At the very least, expect it to be a major player at the Spirit Awards.
Train Dreams – A Prestige Contender
Netflix made one of the festival’s biggest acquisitions with Train Dreams, a visually stunning period drama spanning decades. Directed by Clint Bentley and starring Joel Edgerton, this pensive Western grapples with grief, change, and the American frontier. It’s the kind of film that could benefit from a festival rollout at Venice or Telluride to bolster its prestige credentials. Given Netflix’s track record with award campaigns, Train Dreams may find itself in contention for cinematography, production design, and potentially even a Best Actor bid for Edgerton.
Kiss of the Spider Woman – A Possible Golden Globes Player
Musicals are a tricky proposition at Sundance, but Kiss of the Spider Woman could find awards life thanks to Jennifer Lopez’s sultry, haunting turn as a 1950s movie star manifesting in the memory of an imprisoned gay man in 1980s Argentina. The film’s fate hinges on its acquisition and marketing strategy, but if positioned correctly, Lopez could find herself in the mix for a Golden Globe nomination, particularly in the comedy/musical category.
Twinless – A Special Performance Worth Noting
Dylan O’Brien’s performance in Twinless won him a Special Jury Prize at Sundance, and for good reason. Playing dual roles as twin brothers with vastly different personalities, O’Brien showcases impressive range. While the film itself may not be an obvious Oscar vehicle, a strong distributor could propel O’Brien into conversations for critics’ prizes and the Spirit Awards.
Peter Hujar’s Day – An Indie Darling
Ben Whishaw continues his streak of exceptional performances, this time in Ira Sachs’ intimate character study Peter Hujar’s Day. As the legendary queer photographer, Whishaw brings warmth, humor, and gravity to a film that could resonate in the indie awards circuit. Though it may not have mainstream crossover potential, it will likely be a festival favorite throughout the year.
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Photo By: Joanthan P. Moustakas
Documentaries Poised for Recognition
Sundance has long been a dominant force in the documentary categories at the Academy Awards, and this year’s lineup provided several strong contenders.
Predators – A shocking exposé on the mechanics behind To Catch a Predator, this film is both disturbing and essential viewing.
The Perfect Neighbor – A deeply unsettling portrait of paranoia and violence in suburban America, told through a vast trove of body cam footage.
Seeds – This year’s top doc prize winner, Seeds is a stirring examination of Black farmers in the American South and the struggles they face in preserving their land and heritage.
Mr. Nobody vs. Putin – A compelling look at a Russian schoolteacher’s defiance against an oppressive regime, making it a timely and politically charged contender.
2000 Meters to Andrivka – Director Mstyslav Chernov follows up his Oscar-winning Mariupol with another unflinching, on-the-ground portrait of war in Ukraine. Given the Academy’s track record with war documentaries, this could be a strong contender.
Sundance Reviews
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While Sundance 2025 may not have produced a runaway Oscar frontrunner, it still delivered an impressive array of films that could make an impact in the coming months. With strategic festival runs, distribution deals, and campaign rollouts, several of these films could carve out space in the awards season conversation. The Academy’s evolving voter base means that surprises are always possible, and smaller indie films like Sorry, Baby and Twinless could break through with the right momentum.
What remains to be seen is how distributors handle these films, how audiences react, and whether the shifting landscape of awards season will allow more intimate, personal stories to shine. But one thing is certain: the spirit of Sundance remains as strong as ever, championing bold storytelling and independent voices that deserve to be heard.
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