Cinépolis and the Sundance Institute have officially announced the exciting lineup for the second edition of the Sundance Film Festival: CDMX 2025, set to captivate Mexico City audiences from May 29 to June 1. The program boasts 15 acclaimed feature films and five compelling short films, all specially curated from the 2025 Sundance Film Festival held earlier this year in the United States. Alongside the screenings, a series of engaging panels featuring filmmakers from the selected movies will offer invaluable insights.
The festival will kick off with the powerful documentary Prime Minister, directed by Michelle Walshe and Lindsay Utz. This opening night film offers an intimate portrait of the Right Honourable Dame Jacinda Ardern, former Prime Minister of New Zealand. The film, which secured the 2025 Sundance Film Festival Audience Award: World Cinema Documentary, chronicles Ardern’s leadership through unprecedented national challenges, her bold policy implementations, and her historic achievement of giving birth while in office, all while championing an empathetic and inclusive leadership style.
Sundance Film Festival: CDMX 2025 will primarily take place at Cinépolis Diana, with additional screenings at Cinépolis Plaza Carso, Cinépolis VIP Plaza Carso, Cinépolis Mítikah, and Cinépolis Oasis Coyoacán.
Spotlight on Short Films: A Must-See for Filmmakers
The Short Film Program, a key highlight for emerging and established filmmakers, includes five diverse and impactful works:
- Out for Delivery, directed by Chelsea Christer.
- Stranger, Brother., directed by Annelise Hickey.
- SUSANA, directed by Gerardo Coello Escalante and Amandine Thomas.
- Tiger, directed by Loren Waters, winner of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival Short Film Special Jury Award for Directing.
- Trokas Duras, directed by Jazmin Garcia, winner of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival Short Film Jury Award: U.S. Fiction.
Acclaimed Documentaries Take Center Stage
In addition to Prime Minister, the documentary lineup features seven other remarkable films:
- 2000 Meters to Andriivka: Directed by Mstyslav Chernov (winner of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival Directing Award: World Cinema Documentary), this film follows a Ukrainian platoon on a perilous mission to liberate the village of Andriivka.
- The Dating Game: This documentary tracks three bachelors attending an intensive dating camp.
- GEN_: Explores the work of a pioneering doctor in fertility care and gender affirmation.
- Mr. Nobody Against Putin: A teacher goes undercover to film the reality within his school, earning the 2025 Sundance Film Festival World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award.
- One to One: John & Yoko: A portrait of the iconic couple John Lennon and Yoko Ono.
- SALLY: Delving into the life of the first American woman in space, this film received the 2025 Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize.
- Selena y Los Dinos: Chronicles the rise of the Mexican-American singer Selena Quintanilla through family archives, recognized with the 2025 Sundance Film Festival U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Archival Storytelling.
Compelling Narrative Features
Seven narrative feature films will also grace the screens:
- DJ Ahmet: Winner of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival Audience Award: World Cinema Dramatic and the World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for Creative Vision, this film follows a teenager discovering the transformative power of music.
- Lurker: A story about a retail employee who infiltrates the inner circle of an artist on the brink of stardom.
- Plainclothes: An undercover cop falls for one of his targets, with the film earning the 2025 Sundance Film Festival U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Ensemble Cast.
- Together: Starring Alison Brie and Dave Franco, this film blends body horror, emotional tension, and couple drama.
- Twinless: Recipient of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival Audience Award: U.S. Dramatic and a U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Acting for Dylan O’Brien, this film explores an unexpected friendship formed in a twin bereavement support group.
- The Ugly Stepsister: A grotesque reinterpretation of the classic Cinderella fairy tale.
- The Virgin of the Quarry Lake: Follows three teenagers over a transformative summer.
Insights from Festival Leaders
Eugene Hernandez, Director of Sundance Film Festival and Public Programming, expressed his enthusiasm: “Coming off of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival in the United States earlier this year, it is our pleasure to introduce these projects and storytellers to our enthusiastic Mexico City audience… We invite audiences to explore this wide range of global works that span genres and themes while individually reflecting distinct perspectives and forms of filmmaking.”
Alejandro Ramírez, CEO of Cinépolis, added, “Not only is it a showcase of the best from the latest edition of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, but it also represents the most outstanding work in independent cinema worldwide. At Cinépolis, we are proud to host a program that brings new perspectives to Mexican audiences and strengthens the dialogue between creators, stories, and viewers.”
Kim Yutani, Sundance Film Festival Director of Programming, remarked, “This year’s Sundance Film Festival: CDMX 2025 program offers stories from around the world that are defined by their ingenuity and impact… Building upon last year’s success of Sundance Film Festival: CDMX, we can’t wait to come together for this special experience with the engaged and enthusiastic audiences in Mexico City.”
Enriching Panels for the Film Community
The festival experience will be further enriched by special panels designed to delve into the creative processes behind the selected films. These include:
- Collaborating with Actors: A conversation with narrative filmmakers.
- Shorts Filmmaking: From Script to Screen: Featuring both 2025 Sundance Film Festival and Sundance Film Festival alumni short film directors.
- Urgency in Documentary Storytelling: Documentary filmmakers discussing the complexities of capturing ongoing, urgent stories.
- A conversation with Giulia Caruso, Sundance Institute Director of Catalyst and Industry, and the filmmaking team behind Queendom about the Catalyst program, Sundance Institute’s film financing initiative.
Further details about these panels and their participants will be shared soon.
This carefully curated program promises a must-attend event for film enthusiasts and the filmmaking community alike. Full information regarding ticket sales for Sundance Film Festival: CDMX 2025 will be announced shortly. This second edition in Mexico City is poised to once again champion new voices and innovative independent artists, transforming cinema for audiences.