The 2016 Sundance Film Festival took place from January 21 to January 31, 2016. The first lineup of competition films was announced December 2, 2015. The opening night film was Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You directed by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady. The closing night film was Louis Black and Karen Bernstein's Richard Linklater - Dream Is Destiny.
The following awards were presented:
Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic – The Birth of a Nation by Nate ParkerDirecting Award: Dramatic – Daniel Scheinert and Daniel Kwan for Swiss Army ManWaldo Salt Screenwriting Award – Chad Hartigan for Morris From AmericaU.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award – Miles Joris-Peyrafitte for As You AreU.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Breakthrough Performance – Joe Seo for Spa NightU.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Individual Performance – Melanie Lynskey for The Intervention and Craig Robinson for Morris from AmericaGrand Jury Prize: Documentary – Weiner by Elyse Steinberg and Josh KriegmanDirecting Award: Documentary – Roger Ross Williams for Life, AnimatedU.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Editing – Penny Lane and Thom Stylinski for NUTS!Special Jury Prize for Social Impact: Documentary – Trapped by Dawn PorterU.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Writing – Robert Greene for Kate Plays ChristineSpecial Jury Prize for Verité Filmmaking: Documentary – The Bad Kids by Keith Fulton and Lou PepeWorld Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic – Sand Storm by Elite ZexerWorld Cinema Directing Award: Dramatic – Felix van Groeningen for BelgicaWorld Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for Acting – Vicky Hernandez and Manolo Cruz for Between Land and SeaWorld Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for Screenwriting – Ana Katz and Inés Bortagaray for Mi Amiga del ParqueWorld Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for Unique Vision & Design – The Lure by Agnieszka SmoczyńskaWorld Cinema Jury Prize: Documentary – Sonita by Rokhsareh Ghaem MaghamiWorld Cinema Directing Award: Documentary – Michal Marczak for All These Sleepless NightsWorld Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award for Best Debut Feature – Heidi Brandenburg and Mathew Orzel for When Two Worlds CollideWorld Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award for Best Cinematography – Pieter-Jan De Pue for The Land of the EnlightenedWorld Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award for Editing – Mako Kamitsuna and John Maringouin for We Are XAudience Award: Dramatic – The Birth of a Nation by Nate ParkerAudience Award: Documentary – Jim: The James Foley Story by Brian OakesWorld Cinema Audience Award: Dramatic – Between Sea and Land by Manolo Cruz and Carlos del CastilloWorld Cinema Audience Award: Documentary – Sonita by Rokhsareh Ghaem MaghamiBest of NEXT Audience Award – First Girl I Loved by Kerem SangaShort Film Grand Jury Prize – Thunder Road by Jim CummingsShort Film Jury Award: US Fiction – The Procedure by Calvin Lee ReederShort Film Jury Award: International Fiction – Maman(s) by Maïmouna DoucouréShort Film Jury Award: Non-fiction – Bacon and God's Wrath by Sol FriedmanShort Film Jury Award: Animation – Edmond by Nina GantzShort Film Special Jury Award for Outstanding Performance – Grace Glowicki for Her Friend AdamShort Film Special Jury Award for Best Direction – Ondřej Hudeček for PeacockAlfred P. Sloan Prize – Embrace of the Serpent by Ciro GuerraAs You Are by Miles Joris-PeyrafitteChristine by Antonio CamposEquity by Meera MenonGoat by Andrew NeelJoshy by Jeff BaenaLovesong by So Yong KimMorris from America by Chad HartiganOther People by Chris KellySouthside With You by Richard TanneSpa Night by Andrew AhnSwiss Army Man by Daniel Kwan, Daniel ScheinertTallulah by Sian HederThe Birth of a Nation by Nate ParkerThe Free World by Jason LewThe Intervention by Clea DuVallWhite Girl by Elizabeth WoodAudrie & Daisy by Bonni Cohen, Jon ShenkAuthor: The JT LeRoy Story by Jeff FeuerzeigThe Bad Kids by Keith Fulton, Lou PepeGleason by Clay TweelHoly Hell by Will AllenHow to Let Go of the World (and Love All the Things Climate Can’t Change) by Josh FoxJim: The James Foley Story by Brian OakesKate Plays Christine by Robert GreeneKiki by Sara JordenöLife, Animated by Roger Ross WilliamsNewtown by Kim A. SnyderNUTS! by Penny LaneSuited by Jason BenjaminTrapped by Dawn PorterUncle Howard by Aaron BrooknerWeiner by Josh Kriegman, Elyse SteinbergAgnus Dei by Anne FontaineAli and Nino by Asif KapadiaCaptain Fantastic by Matt RossCertain Women by Kelly ReichardtComplete Unknown by Joshua MarstonFrank & Lola by Matthew RossHunt for the Wilderpeople by Taika WaititiIndignation by James SchamusJacqueline Argentine by Bernardo BrittoLittle Men by Ira SachsLove and Friendship by Whit StillmanManchester by the Sea by Kenneth LonerganMr. Pig by Diego LunaSing Street by John CarneySophie and the Rising Sun by Maggie GreenwaldThe Fundamentals of Caring by Rob BurnettThe Hollars by John KrasinskiWiener-Dog by Todd SolondzBelgica by Felix van GroeningenBetween Sea and Land by Manolo Cruz, Carlos del CastilloBrahman Naman by Qaushiq MukherjeeA Good Wife by Mirjana KaranovićHalal Love (and Sex) by Assad FouladkarThe Lure by Agnieszka SmoczynskaMale Joy, Female Love by Yao HuangMammal by Rebecca DalyMy Friend from the Park by Ana KatzMuch Ado About Nothing by Alejandro Fernández AlmendrasSand Storm by Elite ZexerWild by Nicolette KrebitzAll These Sleepless Nights by Michal MarczakA Flag Without a Country by Bahman GhobadiHooligan Sparrow by Nanfu WangThe Land of the Enlightened by Pieter-Jan De PueThe Lovers and the Despot by Robert Cannan and Ross AdamPlaza de la Soledad by Maya GodedThe Settlers by Shimon DotanSky Ladder: The Art of Cai Guo-Qiang by Kevin MacdonaldSonita by Rokhsareh Ghaem MaghamiWe Are X by Stephen KijakWhen Two Worlds Collide by Heidi Brandenburg and Mathew OrzelJury members, for each program of the festival, including the Alfred P. Sloan Jury, which also took part in the Science in Film Forum Panel, were announced on January 12, 2016.
Ahead of the festival opening distributor Netflix obtained worldwide streaming rights to Tallulah and Iranian horror film Under the Shadow. Oscilloscope Laboratories also obtained U.S. distribution rights to The Fits before its Sundance debut. Amazon also acquired the rights to Manchester by the Sea and Love & Friendship (the latter in collaboration with Roadside Attractions).
