- Sundance 2026 Final Recap: 10 Favorite Films - The Best from the Fest (February 9, 2026)
The 2026 Sundance Film Festival has wrapped up after another lively 10-day in-person event held up in the Utah mountains (its final year before moving to Colorado in 2027), along with an online counterpart for the second half. Now it's time to present our annual Best of the Fest list from the 2026 selection. I was able to catch a total of 54 films this year (my full list on Letterboxd), half of them at screenings in Park City & Salt Lake City, the other half online previews at home. Always watching. This was my iconic 20th year attending & covering Sundance - ever since 2007 I've been publishing my Best of the Fest faves. This fest is still as vitally important to indie cinema as ever – read my full editorial on the last 20 years. I'm always glad to be back up there, watching films all day, every day. I am presenting my final list of my 10 favorite films - a mix of documentaries and narrative features. All 10 are superb, and I encourage watching them on the big screen if possible. Viewing all these early at the festival with an audience is a special vibe. I also recorded a podcast talking about many of the Sundance films (good and bad). Below are the best of the best, the films that connected with me the most and have remained on my mind all the way beyond the end of the festival. // Continue Reading ›
- Watch: Awesome Cel Animation Music Video Short for 'Spirit Jumper' (February 9, 2026)
Take a voyage back into the 90s with this awesome new animated music video - a quick 4 minute watch. The electronica artist and music producer known as "spktra" created this mesmerizing animated short for the track "Spirit Jumper". It took him 5 years to finish - including lots of research, animation development, and production to create this from scratch and finally debut it online for everyone to enjoy. He wanted to emulate the vivid cel animation style used in the 90s – inspired by classics like Neon Genesis Evangelion, Treasure Planet, and that era of made-by-hand filmmaking. His whole idea was to create something unique that feels like it's from another time. This music video has incredible animation by artists Tamás Pazmany & Regina Nemes. "The goal wasn't just to mimic a style, but to capture that feeling you have when you watch old animation. Hope it captures some of that for you. Enjoy!" I'm a huge fan of animated music videos and we usually feature most of them (also check out Einvik's Curse recently). They're always worth a watch. // Continue Reading ›
- Charming Korean Romance 'Midnight Sun' US Trailer - Ready on VOD (February 9, 2026)
"Promise me that you will stay by my side." Capelight Pictures has unveiled their official US trailer for the Korean romance film titled Midnight Sun, available to watch on VOD this week just in time for Valentine's Day. If you need a sweet love story to enjoy, give this a look. Mi-sol, unable to face sunlight, falls for Min-jun, a fruit seller she meets at dusk. As night binds their worlds, love and dreams bloom in the dark—testing fate and lighting their hearts. The film is based on Norihiro Koizumi's 2006 film of the same title, which was also remade in the US in 2018 by Scott Speer, starring Bella Thorne and Patrick Schwarzenegger (also called Midnight Sun). It's about a young woman with a sun allergy. She ventures out at night to play guitar, then meets a guy she admires. As they develop a romance, she hides her condition from him, creating tension in their budding relationship. Starring Jung Ji-so as Mi-sol + Cha Hak-yeon as Min-jun; with Jin Kyung, Jeong Woong-in, Kwon Han-sol. This still looks cheesy yet adorable in its own cute ways. Check it out. // Continue Reading ›
- Big Roar Spot for Illumination's 'The Super Mario Galaxy Movie' Sequel (February 9, 2026)
Hello there, big T-Rex!! 🦖 Universal Pictures and Illumination also revealed a very short and funny TV spot for The Super Mario Galaxy Movie during the Super Bowl. It's only 15 seconds and features the same big dinosaur seen the most recent promos along with the video game green dino Yoshi. This is Illumination & Nintendo's all-out animated sequel to the first epic The Super Mario Bros. Movie from 2023. A few weeks back, they revealed a teaser trailer introducing more characters, turning Yoshi into the highlight of their marketing push. In this sequel, Mario ventures into space, exploring cosmic worlds and tackling galactic challenges far from the familiar Mushroom Kingdom. The main voice actors include Chris Pratt as Mario, Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, Charlie Day as Luigi, Jack Black as Bowser, Keegan-Michael Key as Toad, and Kevin Michael Richardson as Kamek. The very first trailer debuted in November last year and it keeps looking better. Just another fun promo spot to enjoy before this hits theaters in April soon. // Continue Reading ›
- Dancing Frog Promo Spot for Pixar's 'Hoppers' Animal Kingdom Movie (February 9, 2026)
"Lizard. Lizard. Lunchtime snack. Giant snake. Ants fight back. Slippery log. Dancing frog." Disney aired an amusing Super Bowl spot in the Big Game to promote the new Pixar movie Hoppers, out in theaters in March 2026 one month from now. Featuring some dancing frogs, of course. Pixar's Hoppers is an original project written and directed by Daniel Chong, best known for the We Bare Bears: The Movie and "We Bare Bears" series. An animal lover uses technology that places her consciousness into a robotic beaver to uncover mysteries in the animal world beyond her imagination. Mabel Tanaka (voiced by Piper Curda) ends up putting her mind inside of a beaver and off we go on this fun animal adventure as she learns the way of the animal world. The voice cast features Piper, Bobby Moynihan as King George, Steve Purcell, Meryl Streep, Dave Franco, Nichole Sakura, Sam Richardson, and Jon Hamm as Mayor Jerry, a greedy mayor they must defeat. This latest TV spot features a re-introduction to the whole concept with the Lizard popping up with his funny song. Still looking forward to this! Seems like extra wacky animal humor. // Continue Reading ›