Sundance Film Festival has confirmed it is expanding its programming lineup for the 2027 event in Boulder, Colorado, alongside the venue upgrades already under way for its move from Utah. Festival director Eugene Hernandez said the four main competition categories – US Dramatic, World Cinema Dramatic, US Documentary and World Cinema Documentary – will each grow to 12 films, with other sections including Premieres, NEXT, Midnight and Family Matinee also expanding, made possible by the greater seating capacity in Boulder's more compact venue cluster.

The festival's New Frontier strand, which explores the crossover between technology and independent film, returns as "New Frontier FLUX", focusing on work engaging with a "biodigital" world, while the Offscreen talks programme (formerly Beyond Film) will also expand its events. Sundance is also welcoming the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI), long associated with Cannes, which will convene its own jury to award Best Debut Narrative in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition and Best Debut Documentary in the World Cinema Documentary Competition. Hernandez said venue works, including the retrofitted Macky Auditorium with its 240 Dolby speakers, remain on track for the January festival despite the tight timeline.