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Next month film critics and cinephiles everywhere will make plans to travel to the wintery mountain-filled terrain of Park City, Utah to witness the debut of works that often shape the cinematic landscape for years to come. From thought-provoking documentaries to genre-defying narratives, Sundance is the birthplace of films that challenge norms, champion diversity, and connect audiences to stories they never knew they needed.

Each year, we work to highlight films featuring Black talent and movies directed by Black filmmakers. Whether it’s exploring the legacies of history, celebrating Black joy, or grappling with systemic challenges, these films do more than entertain, they provoke, inspire, and spark essential conversations. This list includes films with a Black lead, Black ensemble cast and/or Black filmmakers as well as films centered on Black-focused stories.

So if you need to know what Black films are playing at Sundance 2025? We’ve got you covered!

• BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions – Preeminent West African curator and scholar Funmilayo Akechukwu’s magnum opus, The Resonance Field, leads her to the heart of the Atlantic Ocean, drawing a journalist into a journey that shatters her understanding of consciousness and time. Cast: Shaunette Renée Wilson, Kaneza Schaal, Hope Giselle, Peter Hernandez, Penny Johnson Jerald, Zora Casebere

• How to Build a Library — Two intrepid Nairobi women decide to transform what used to be a whites-only library until 1958 into a vibrant cultural hub. Along the way, they must navigate local politics, raise millions for the rebuild, and confront the lingering ghosts of Kenya’s colonial past.

• Khartoum – Forced to leave Sudan for East Africa following the outbreak of war, five citizens of Khartoum — a civil servant, a tea lady, a resistance committee volunteer, and two young bottle collectors — reenact their stories of survival and freedom through dreams, revolution, and civil war. 

• Love, Brooklyn – Three longtime Brooklynites navigate careers, love, loss, and friendship against the rapidly changing landscape of their beloved city. Cast: André Holland, Nicole Beharie, DeWanda Wise, Roy Wood Jr., Cassandra Freeman, Cadence Reese

• Move Ya Body: The Birth of House –– Out of the underground dance clubs on the South Side of Chicago, a group of friends turn a new sound into a global movement. 

• Ricky — Newly released after being locked up in his teens, 30-year-old Ricky navigates the challenging realities of life post-incarceration, and the complexity of gaining independence for the first time as an adult. Cast: Stephan James, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Titus Welliver, Maliq Johnson, Imani Lewis, Andrene Ward-Hammond

• Seeds — An exploration of Black generational farmers in the American South reveals the fragility of legacy and the significance of owning land. 

• SLY LIVES! (aka The Burden of Black Genius) –– An examination of the life and legacy of Sly & The Family Stone — the groundbreaking band led by the charismatic and enigmatic Sly Stone — captures the band’s rise, reign, and subsequent fadeout while shedding light on the unseen burden that comes with success for Black artists in America.

Whether through groundbreaking premieres or quiet, resonant moments, Sundance reaffirms its legacy as a place where stories begin and where they leave an indelible mark on the world. The 2025 Sundance film festival runs from January 23rd – February 2nd. 

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