Nigeria’s Olive Nwosu and Kenyan’s Bea Wangondu to Screen at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival

The Sundance Institute has announced 90 feature films and seven episodic projects set to participate in the 2026 Sundance Film Festival. This official selection includes a sparse three African titles and one Nigerian film participating at the World Cinema Dramatic Competition section. The 2026 Sundance Film Festival runs January 22–February 1, in Park City and Salt Lake City, with online screenings January 29–February 1.

The African and Nigerian titles showing at the festival include Lady, written and directed by Olive Nwosu and will be playing at the World Cinema Dramatic Competition section of the festival. In the sprawling African metropolis of Lagos, a fiercely independent young cab driver meets a band of radiantly reckless sex workers whose sisterhood pulls her into danger and joy, setting her on a journey toward her own transformation. The film stars Jessica Gabriel’s Ujah, Amanda Oruh, Tinuade Jemiseye, Binta Ayo Mogaji, Seun Kuti, Bucci Franklin and others. Lady is produced by Alex Polunin, John Giwa-Amu and Stella Nwimo.

At the Premieres section, Antoine Fuqua’s Troublemaker, from South Africa/United States/United Kingdom will play. In this film, the struggle against apartheid is recounted in Nelson Mandela’s own voice, drawn from recordings he made while writing his autobiography Long Walk to Freedom. The film is written by Michael Toomey Mann and Antoine Fuqua, Mac Maharaj,  Arthur Landon, Kevin Mann, Mark Bauch and Thabang Lehobye are credited as producers. 

Andrew H. Brown and Bea Wangondu’s Kikuyu Land from Kenya will be competing at the World Cinema Documentary block. The documentary documents a Nairobi journalist investigating a land battle between local government and a multinational corporation. The film is produced by Moses Bwayo, Mike Morrisroe and Joseph Njenga.

From January 29–February 1, audiences nationwide can enjoy a curated program online that will include all competition titles (U.S. Dramatic, U.S. Documentary, World Cinema Dramatic, World Cinema Documentary, and NEXT presented by Adobe) as well as additional selections from the feature and episodic programs and the Short Film Program presented by Ketel One Vodka.