Barbara Forever, The Lake, Closure and Other Sundance Docs Still Seeking Distribution

""I want to have something to give. And I want to exist forever," the indomitable Barbara Hammer tells us in Brydie O'Connor's compelling archival dive into the pioneering lesbian/avant-garde filmmaker's life and work. While the film serves as an intricately crafted portrait of perhaps the first woman to put lesbian sex on screen, it's more far-reaching than that niche theme might imply."

"Hammer fought for queer art ("if we're experimenting with our lives and how we're gonna live, then our art form should also be experimental") to receive wider recognition and, as a filmmaker, wanted audiences to "feel" her images. In other words, O'Connor introduces us to a revolutionary director on a lifelong mission to transform cinema itself."

"The Lake (acquisition title) US Documentary Special Jury Award: Impact for Change Abby Ellis's suspenseful film is a character-driven look at how one religious community, in this case Mormons, combine science and faith to try to defuse a ticking "environmental nuclear bomb" in Salt Lake City. By following two scientists as dedicated to their chosen professions as they are to biblical teachings-along with the Great Salt Lake Commissioner tasked with bringing various stakeholders, from farmers to the governor, together-a pi"

Sundance nonfiction offerings produced fewer standout titles than 2025, yet several documentaries made strong impressions. Barbara Forever presents an archival portrait of pioneering lesbian avant-garde filmmaker Barbara Hammer, highlighting her wish to "exist forever," her advocacy for experimental queer art, and her drive for audiences to "feel" cinematic images. The Lake follows a Mormon community's effort to reconcile science and faith while confronting an escalating environmental crisis at the Great Salt Lake, centering two scientists and the Great Salt Lake Commissioner as they coordinate stakeholders from farmers to the governor. Both films emphasize personal conviction and collective responsibility.

Read at Filmmaker Magazine