Emmy-winning filmmakers Davina Pardo and Leah Wolchok trace trailblazing author Judy Blume’s journey from fearful, imaginative child to storytelling pioneer who elevated the physical and emotional lives of kids and teens, to banned writer who continues to fight back against censorship today.

Lisa Cortés’ Sundance opening night documentary tells the story of the Black queer origins of rock n’ roll, exploding the whitewashed canon of American pop music to reveal the innovator – the originator – Richard Penniman. Through a wealth of archive and performance that brings us into Richard’s complicated inner world, the film unspools the icon’s life story with all its switchbacks and contradictions. In interviews with family, musicians, and cutting-edge Black and queer scholars, the film reveals how Richard created an art form for ultimate self-expression, yet what he gave to the world he was never able to give to himself.

Multiracial kids and their families share the joys and struggles of growing up mixed in the Bay Area. Directed by W. Kamau Bell, this lyrical, funny, and conversational documentary proves that kids have what it takes to lead complex conversations about race, place, and identity.

With unprecedented access to the Mary Tyler Moore Estate, friends, family, and colleagues, filmmaker James Adolphus constructs an intimate mosaic of Mary’s sixty-year career in show business. The film reveals a complex icon, weaving Mary’s narrative with an examination of the importance of her on-screen roles, her non-traditional influence as a powerful executive, her humanitarianism, and the indelible mark she left on feminism.

Filmmaker Nancy Buirski’s newest film examines the deeply gifted and flawed people behind the dark and difficult masterpiece that is 1969’s enduring classic Midnight Cowboy. Buriski delves deep into New York City in a troubled time of cultural ferment; and the era that made a movie and the movie that made an era. Featuring extensive archival material and compelling new interviews, this extraordinary documentary illuminates how one film captured the essence of a time and a place, reflecting a rapidly changing society with striking clarity.