The Sundance Film Festival takes place each year in Utah. The festival brings the most original storytellers together with the most adventurous audiences for its annual programme of dramatic and documentary films, installations, performances, panel discussions, and music events. Since 1985, hundreds of films launched at the festival have gained critical recognition, received commercial distribution, and reached audiences worldwide.

The short film program is assembled by a team of seven programmers who watch every single one of the more than 9,000 short film submissions that come in each year. During our 2020 online edition there were four short film programs, as well as short programs in sections for documentary and animation. All short films are considered for jury awards.

The selection presented here has been curated for The Norwegian Short Film Festival by Sundance shorts programmer Lisa Ogdie. It offers a sampling of the 2020 short film catalogue, including thought-provoking documentaries, stunning animation, and heartfelt narratives. In addition to new American talent, the program features strong contributions from Mongolia, Switzerland and Canada. The program begins with White Wedding, a charming portrait of unresolved relationships finding closure in new beginnings. Misery Loves Company is a sweet, animated ode to momentary melancholy. BJ’s Mobile Gift Shop, a lovely take on kindness and discovering what is truly important. Black Bodies is a heartbreaking spoken word piece on the modern black experience. Mountain Cat beautifully explores the nuance and constraints of familial obligation. In the Air Tonight is the enrapturing imagined origin story of an iconic piece of rock music. Little Miss Fate is an energetic animated piece on the choices we make and how much control we truly have. And with stunning originality, Lizard follows a young girl as she navigates a surreal and dangerous world.