European Cinema Takes Center Stage at Sundance 2026 with Launch of EUROPE! HUB
The 2026 lineup features a robust selection of co-productions from countries including Cyprus, Germany, Ireland, Lithuania, Slovenia, and Switzerland.
RMN Stars Film Festivals Desk
New Delhi | January 22, 2026
PARK CITY, UT – European Film Promotion (EFP) has announced a major presence at the Sundance Film Festival 2026, running from January 22 to February 1, to highlight and celebrate the diversity of European filmmaking. Central to this initiative is the EUROPE! HUB, a dedicated space designed to provide visibility, promotion, and networking opportunities for European talent and the U.S. film industry.
A Strategic Hub for Innovation and Networking
Located at the DoubleTree Hilton Hotel (The Yarrow) in Park City, the EUROPE! HUB will be open from January 22 to January 26. The project is supported by the Creative Europe – MEDIA Programme of the European Union and is co-hosted by the national film promotion institutes of Slovenia, Ireland, and Germany. In an effort to bridge the gap between European creators and American markets, EFP and the Sundance Institute also hosted an exclusive online showcase for North American distributors prior to the festival, featuring six major world premieres.
World Premieres Across the Festival
The 2026 lineup features a robust selection of co-productions from countries including Cyprus, Germany, Ireland, Lithuania, Slovenia, and Switzerland.
World Cinema Dramatic Competition Highlights:
- Hold Onto Me (Cyprus, Denmark, Greece): Directed by Myrsini Aristidou, this debut feature explores a transformative bond between an 11-year-old girl and her estranged father.
- Shame and Money (Germany, Kosovo, Slovenia, Albania, North Macedonia, Belgium): Directed by Visar Morina, the film examines a Kosovar family’s struggle for dignity within a hypercapitalist society.
- How to Divorce During the War (Lithuania, Luxembourg, Ireland, Czech Republic): Directed by Andrius Blaževičius, the narrative intertwines a personal marital breakdown with the historical intrusion of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
World Cinema Documentary Competition:
- All About the Money (Ireland): Director Sinéad O’Shea profiles Fergie Chambers, an heir to a massive American fortune who funds communist projects to challenge capitalism.
- To Hold a Mountain (Montenegro, Serbia, France, Slovenia, Croatia): This documentary by Biljana Tutorov and Petar Glomazić follows a mother and daughter fighting to protect ancestral lands from becoming a NATO military training ground.
Additionally, the Premieres section features Petra Volpe’s Frank & Louis (Switzerland, UK), a moving meditation on guilt and redemption centered on a life-sentenced inmate caring for an elderly prisoner with dementia.
Boosting Global Sales
To ensure these films reach a global audience, EFP is utilizing its Film Sales Support (FSS) initiative. This grant-based program has awarded funds to the Polish company New Europe Film Sales for the promotion of How to Divorce During the War.
Furthermore, Frank & Louis—represented by Denmark’s Trust Nordisk—has qualified for a specialized FSS-Top-Up Grant because it addresses themes of diversity, equity, and inclusion. These financial supports were approved by the Lithuanian Film Centre and Swiss Films to advance the sales of European cinema in overseas markets.
