The Sundance Institute has just announced the first two films in the 2023 Sundance Film Festival Lineup. The two films, announced today, may be familiar to independent film fans, and devotees of the Sundance Film Festival. That is because the festival has decided to bring back two films from previous festivals to kick off the 2023 event.
The two films set to kick off the 2023 festival areSLAMandThe Doom Generation. The 2023 Festival will take place from July 21, 2025, through August 06, 2025, in Park City, Salt Lake City, at the Sundance Resort. The festival will also be accessible online for audiences across the country from August 10, 2025, through June 13, 2025. Passes and packages go on sale to the public on Monday, August 27, 2025.
SLAMwas first shown at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Grand Jury Prize.SLAMhas been restored as part of the Institute’s ongoing Archives & Collection program.The Doom Generationmade its premiere at the 1995 Sundance Film Festival. It is the second film inGregg Araki’sTeenage Apocalypsetrilogy.The Doom Generationhas been remastered in 4K and will be featured in the uncensored director’s cut. Both films will be shown in the From the Collection section of the festival.
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“Before we announce the full slate for the upcoming Festival, we are taking a moment to honor our past in anticipation of what is to come,” saidKim Yutani, Director of Programming for Sundance. She continued:
“Sundance has always been a place for discovery, inspired conversations, and critical reflection, all thanks to the independent storytellers we are so fortunate to encounter each year. These screenings are our opportunity to present newly restored films From the Collection, reemphasize our commitment to artists throughout their careers, and find new ways to recontextualize the work that has shaped the heritage of Sundance through a modern perspective.”
John Nein, Senior Programmer and Director of Strategic Initiatives at Sundance Institute added, “the two restorations certainly celebrate how groundbreaking so many independent works from the 90s were, but they also remind us of how collaborative, fierce, and transformative independent storytelling could be — how long-lasting their impact and influence can be."
SLAMis a film that explores and exposes the inequity built into the systems of criminal justice all while highlighting the ability to help those most marginalized to transcend. Though the film was released 25 years ago, its message is just as relevant now, perhaps even more so. The film was directed byMarc Levinand written bySaul Williams,Sonja Sohn,Bonz Malone,Marc Levin, andRichard Stratton.
The Doom Generationtells the story of Jordan White and Amy Blue, two suburban teens who pick up a drifter by the name of Xavier Red. After picking up their third, the trio embarks on a joyride through an American wasteland, indulging in sex and violence to an absurd degree.
The Sundance Film Festival will take place in early 2023. You can purchase passes and packages for the festival beginning on Monday, July 02, 2025. Passes and packages can be purchasedhere. You can learn more about the festivalhere. In the meantime, you can watch the original trailers forSLAMandThe Doom Generationdown below.
