Charli XCX is making a trip to the Sundance Film Festival in January. The pop singer-songwriter appears in three films premiering at the 2026 festival, including a mockumentary that she produced and stars in. Programmers on Wednesday unveiled a lineup of 90 feature films set for the festival’s last hurrah in Park City, Utah.
The slate includes documentaries on basketball great Brittney Griner, Nelson Mandela, Salman Rushdie, Courtney Love and Billie Jean King. There are starry features with the likes of Natalie Portman, Jenna Ortega, Seth Rogen, Channing Tatum, Danielle Brooks, Olivia Colman, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Alexander Skarsgård and Ethan Hawke. Olivia Wilde directs her first feature since “Don’t Worry Darling,” in “The Invite.” Judd Apatow chronicles comedian Maria Bamford’s mental health journey. And Gregg Araki will be back in Park City with a restoration of his 2004 coming-of-age drama “Mysterious Skin” and a new film as well.
“It’s a broad, eclectic and bold program,” Sundance public programming director Eugene Hernandez told The Associated Press. He said the lineup for the festival's final year in Park City “really honors that well with this mixture of new, exciting voices paired with some really, really great familiar faces from Sundances past that I think will create a great alchemy for this really unique edition in Utah.”
Ever a festival of discovery, of the 90 features culled from 4,255 submissions, 40% are from first-time directors. The programmers laugh when they hear people say things like “that’s a Sundance movie,” as if it’s one, easily categorizable thing.
“I look at the films in this program and say, ‘You tell me what a Sundance film is’ because they’re so different,” said programmer John Nein.
Charli XCX plays a rising pop star prepping for her first arena tour in the mockumentary “The Moment,” which Hernandez said is “like her version of ‘This is Spinal Tap’.” She also appears in Araki’s “I Want Your Sex,” in which Cooper Hoffman plays an intern who gets wrapped up in the world of an artist and provocateur (Wilde). And she’s among the ensemble of “The Gallerist.”
“There’s a sense of humor that she has about herself and her work, but also a creativity and a star quality that is apparent. I mean, she is magnetic on the screen,” Hernandez said. “It’s great to have someone who represents sort of a next generation of creativity embracing the world that we inhabit.”
This year’s slate includes more than a few exciting comedies in unexpected places. Cathy Yan directed and co-wrote “The Gallerist,” a satirical look at the art world and attempting to sell a corpse at Art Basel Miami, with a large ensemble including Portman, Ortega, Sterling K. Brown and Zach Galifianakis. David Wain also has “Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass” about a woman out to even the score after her fiance uses the “free pass,” starring Zoey Deutch and Jon Hamm.
Programmer Kim Yutani said she thinks “Wicker,” about a woman who asks a basket maker to weave her a husband, starring Colman and Skarsgård, will be a big crowd pleaser.
Other standouts are Jay Duplass’s grief-themed “See You When I See You,” with Cooper Raiff and David Duchovny, “Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty!” set inside Tokyo’s ballroom dance scene and Wilde’s “The Invite,” about a crumbling marriage in which she stars alongside Rogen.
“They are finding comedy in some of the toughest places,” Nein said.
In the Midnight section, there’s “Buddy,” from “Too Many Cooks” creator Casper Kelly, about a girl who has to escape a kids TV show. There are some quirky, humorous documentaries too, including “Joybubbles” and John Wilson’s “The History of Concrete.”
Sundance has become famous for its documentary programming, many of which go on to be nominated for and win Oscars. This year is likely to be no different.
“Across the board, both in the U.S. and internationally, you have a program that deals with the world where it is right now,” Nein said. “These documentaries, they're incredibly sophisticated, they’re very mindful of how complex world issues are, and they bring you into that process.”
One that might make waves is “When A Witness Recants,” in which author Ta-Nehisi Coates revisits the case of the 1983 murder of a boy in his Baltimore middle school and learns the truth. “American Doctor” follows three professionals trying to help in Gaza. “All About the Money” looks at heir-turned -communist Fergie Chambers. Daniel Roher and Charlie Tyrell take on artificial intelligence in “The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist” and “Sentient” is about animal testing.
“A lot of them are sort of optimistic in one sense, in that they’re about people power,” Nein said. “It’s about the power of community to affect change, the power of one person who you haven’t heard of necessarily.”
Those include “Jane Elliott Against the World,” about an Iowa schoolteacher who taught anti-discrimination in 1968, and “Seized,” about the police raid on the Marion County Record in Kansas.
New talents often emerge from Sundance, like Eva Victor last year with “Sorry, Baby.” This year programmers noted several gems in the lineup, including Beth de Araújo’s “Josephine,” about an 8-year-old who witnesses a crime, with Tatum and Gemma Chan.
TV veteran Molly Manners’ “Extra Geography,” about boarding school friends in England, is one that Nein said is one of the funniest, most sophisticated debut features that he’s seen from the U.K. in years.
He also spotlighted “LADY,” a first feature from Nigerian filmmaker Olive Nwosu about a cab driver in Lagos, as well as the queer genre film “Leviticus.”
As in years past, the Sundance competition titles will also be available to watch online. Yutani said her go-to recommendation for the remote audience is the world dramatic competition title “Levitating,” from Indonesian director Wregas Bhanuteja.
“It’s set in this community where there’s these trance parties,” Yutani said. “It is a thrilling film.”
This year’s festival will also honor its late founderRobert Redford with legacy screenings and serve as a celebration of its 40+ years in Park City before it relocates to Boulder, Colorado in 2027.
The 2026 festival kicks off on Jan. 22 and runs through Feb. 1.
FILE - The marquee of the Egyptian Theatre appears during the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah on Jan. 28, 2020. (Photo by Arthur Mola/Invision/AP, File)
MANCHESTER, England (AP) — The pressure was already on Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso and a 2-1 defeat to Manchester City in the Champions League on Wednesday raised further questions about his future.
Arsenal remains perfect in this season's competition and three points clear at the top of the standings after a 3-0 win against Club Brugge, while defending champion Paris Saint-Germain was held 0-0 at Athletic Bilbao.
Alonso had faced reports this week that he had lost control of the locker room and speculation over his position is likely to be intense after a latest defeat. It’s now just two wins in eight games for Madrid and back-to-back home losses.
There were jeers inside the Bernabeu at the final whistle.
“We know it’s a tough moment for us and for the coach,” Madrid winger Rodrygo said. “Things are not going our way and I wanted to show that we are behind our the coach. He has been trying. I wanted to show that we are together and we need to be united to keep moving forward and achieve our goals.”
Rodrygo had put Madrid in front in the 28th minute, but goals from Nico O’Reilly and Erling Haaland before halftime sealed victory for City.
Alonso looked frustrated on the sidelines as he watched his blunt attack waste chances to salvage something in the absence of the injured Kylian Mbappé, who was an unused substitute.
Vinicius Junior failed to hit the target with two chances from close range and Jude Bellingham lifted another effort over the bar with only the goalkeeper to beat.
Bellingham said afterward the squad was “100%” behind Alonso.
“The noise will not be helpful. So it’s about us trying to figure it out inside the dressing room,” Bellingham told TNT Sports.
Record 15-time European champion Madrid is seventh in the standings, with only the top eight teams automatically advancing to the round of 16.
“As a player inside the changing room, seeing what we’ve got in there, working with the coach every day, I think we have everything we need to turn it around,” Bellingham said. “I’ve got full faith that this season isn’t over just because we’ve been on a bad run of form, and obviously as players it kills us and we’re going try to turn it around.”
Top of the Premier League and top of the Champions League, too, Arsenal swept aside Club Brugge to maintain its 100% record in Europe.
Noni Madueke scored twice and Gabriel Martinelli got the other for Mikel Arteta's team, which has seen its lead in England's top flight cut from six points to two in recent weeks.
There are no such concerns in Europe.
“Our mentality is our strength," Arteta said.
PSG couldn't find a winner in Bilbao, but with 13 points after six games, the French giant has already equaled the total amount it picked up in the league phase last season before going on to win the trophy.
Italian champion Napoli lost 2-0 at Benfica, while Weston McKennie was on target for Juventus in a 2-0 win at Pafos.
Both Napoli and Juventus have only won two of their six games in the league phase so far.
Alejandro Grimaldo made the difference again for Bayer Leverkusen, scoring in the 88th to rescue a 2-2 draw against Newcastle.
A hero of Leverkusen’s surprise win at Man City last month, Grimaldo surged into the penalty area to level the score.
Leverkusen took an early lead when Bruno Guimaraes deflected Robert Andrich’s header into his own net. Nick Woltemade won a penalty that Anthony Gordon converted in the 51st before 19-year-old midfielder Lewis Miley headed Newcastle in front.
Leverkusen coach Kasper Hjulmand missed the game for personal reasons, the club said an hour before kickoff.
Jeers rang out at full time at Borussia Dortmund after Norway’s Bodo/Glimt sealed a 2-2 draw, equalizing twice after Julian Brandt goals for Dortmund.
The result helps neither team, with Dortmund’s chances of direct qualification for the round of 16 taking a dent. Bodo/Glimt has three draws but no wins in its debut Champions League season.
Ajax scored three goals late in the game to deny Qarabag a surprise win in one of the early kickoffs.
Four-time European champion Ajax twice trailed against its Azerbaijani opponent, but fought back to win 4-2 in Baku.
Qarabag has been one of the surprise packages in this season’s competition and led after 10 minutes through Camilo Duran. Matheus Silva scored two minutes into the second half to make it 2-1 after Kasper Dolberg had leveled for Ajax.
But Ajax powered back with three goals in 11 minutes. Oscar Gloukh scored in the 79th and 90th, with Anton Gaaei getting the other in the 82nd.
Copenhagen also scored late to win 3-2 at Villarreal.
Substitute Andreas Cornelius struck in the 90th to seal victory in a game where Copenhagen had twice been pegged back after taking the lead.
James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Manchester City's Erling Haaland, center, celebrates with teammates after scoring their side's second goal during a Champions League opening phase soccer match between Real Madrid and Manchester City, in Madrid, Spain, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
PSG's head coach Luis Enrique reacts during the Champions League opening phase soccer match between Athletic Bilbao and PSG in Bilbao, Spain, Wednesday, Dec.10, 2025. (AP Photo/Miguel Oses)
Arsenal's Noni Madueke celebrates after scoring his sides second goal during the Champions League opening phase soccer match between Club Brugge and Arsenal in Bruges, Belgium, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Havana)
Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham reacts after missing a chance during a Champions League opening phase soccer match between Real Madrid and Manchester City, in Madrid, Spain, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe sits at the bench before a Champions League opening phase soccer match between Real Madrid and Manchester City, in Madrid, Spain, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Manchester City's Erling Haaland, center, celebrates with teammates after scoring their side's second goal during a Champions League opening phase soccer match between Real Madrid and Manchester City, in Madrid, Spain, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Real Madrid's head coach Xabi Alonso sits at the bench before a Champions League opening phase soccer match between Real Madrid and Manchester City, in Madrid, Spain, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Copenhagen's Elias Achouri, right, challenges for the ball with Villarreal's Ilias Akhomach during the Champions League opening phase soccer match between Villareal and Copenhagen in Villareal, Spain, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Alberto Saiz)
Ajax's Kasper Dolberg reacts during the Champions League opening phase soccer match between Qarabag and Ajax in Baku, Azerbaijan, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025. (AP Photo)
Real Madrid's head coach Xabi Alonso takes his seat on the bench before the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Celta Vigo in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
