The 2026 Sundance Film Festival announced 54 short films for its Short Film Program. From 11,480 submissions (4,914 U.S., 6,566 international), three films with African narratives made the selection:
- BIRDIE / U.S.A.
Dir: Praise Odigie Paige
In 1970, a 16-year-old Nigerian refugee in Virginia tries to keep her family together when a newcomer draws her sister away. Cast: Eniola Abioro, Precious Maduanusi, Sheila Chukwulozie. World Premiere. U.S. Fiction. - JAZZ INFERNAL / Canada
Dir: Will Niava
Koffi, a young Ivorian trumpeter, arrives in Montréal with nothing but the legacy of his father to guide him. Lost between the city’s noise and the silence of his past, he must confront his roots to finally find his voice. Cast: Ange-Eric N’guessan, Alexis Belhumeur, Kalombo Kasongo. U.S. Premiere. International Fiction. - THE BIRD’S PLACEBO / Tunisia
Dir: Rami Jarboui
In a marginalized Tunisian neighborhood, a young man in a wheelchair dreams of crossing the Mediterranean Sea until a surreal encounter shifts his path. Cast: Yassine Bardaa, Fatrma Falhi, Mohamed Hassine Grayaa. North American Premiere. Animation.
The Festival runs from January 22 to February 1, 2026, in Park City and Salt Lake City, with an online component from January 29 to February 1.
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