2022 Film Festival Movies

Film festivals are the lifeblood of the movie industry. Thousands of people descend upon a town for a week to watch dozens of films that are brand spanking new and looking for adoring fans. Some independent films are there looking for distributors to put them in theaters or on streaming platforms. Others are there to compete for prizes, in hopes that a glitzy win will launch the flick into the Oscar conversation or a hefty box office. Still more are there just for publicity. After all, the most coveted eyes of the industry will all be gathered in one place, so why not bring your film for them to see? Journalists are scuttling around town, frantically filing reviews in between screenings. Studio executives are whispering into their phones, deciding which movies to buy and for how much. Filmmakers, actors, and publicists are attending after parties and premieres selling their work to the masses. And then of course there are the festival-going cinephiles there to take in as many movies as they can in a few short days. 

While the fall boasts a quartet of high profile festivals primarily used to launch Oscar campaigns (Venice, Telluride, Toronto, and New York), the four prominent festivals of the spring are each unique in what they bring to the film world. The earliest, Sundance, set in snowy, winter Park City, Utah, is the US’s largest independent film festival. Founded by Robert Redford, it tends to birth indie darlings and documentaries. Whiplash, Palm Springs, and last year’s CODA all got their start at Sundance. Typically in March, South by Southwest (SXSW or “South By” if you’re cool) arrives, and unlike most of the other festivals that are film-specific, this is also a television, music, and interactive media festival. It’s usually got some Sundance repeats along with new indies and a few big budget premieres. Films as different as A Quiet Place, Ready Player One, and Booksmart have all entered the world at the Austin-based fest. The Tribeca Festival (previously Tribeca Film Festival, but the “film” was dropped as the event has expanded into other media spheres) has typically run in April in NYC. Started by Robert DeNiro to revitalize lower Manhattan post-September 11, the festival is a celebration of indie film. This year post-COVID, it was moved to June, and became a launchpad for summer indies in addition to its competition and acquisition titles. And last, but certainly not least, there is the prestigious French competition the Cannes Film Festival. This primarily international auteur-driven event brings the world’s best to compete for the coveted Palme d’Or, and while fewer buzzy US titles come out of this festival (as with the Berlinale), it is certainly the height of global cinema and often launches the Oscar contenders for Best International Film. 

Because each of these festivals produce hundreds of films, many of which don’t have distributors at the time they premiere or have release dates much later, it can be hard for non-industry cinephiles to keep track of what to watch (and where/when you can get your hands on it). To that end, I’ve compiled this handy dandy list of the biggest, buzziest titles form Sundance, South By, Cannes, and Tribeca and where you can watch them. I’m here to make you seem very in the know at dinner parties, so check out the list, watch some of these great films and prepare to dazzle as the cinema expert you are!