Festival Predictions

2021 Sundance Film Festival Predictions: Sam Levinson’s Malcolm & Marie

Published on November 19, 2020

With the switch in Academy Award dates for 2021, many were suggesting that February was the “new” December and that a fest like Sundance might benefit from this glam. Yesterday, Netflix dated Sam Levinson‘s third feature film Malcolm & Marie with a February 5th release date, essentially throwing that hat into the Indie Spirits and Oscars race and it just so happens that it coincides with Sundance 2021 festival week. Levinson has made two feature film and both have premiered at Sundance. So after Another Happy Day (2011) and Assassination Nation (2018) he could very well find himself at the fest at the same time as his father Barry has a legit shot at showcasing Harry Heft. Shot under the radar during Covid pandemic, the glorious B&W was got picked up by Netflix for a really nice profit margin. This drama stars John David Washington and Zendaya.

Gist: This drama stars Washington and Zendaya as his girlfriend, focusing on their return home from a movie premiere and a discussion about their past relationships.

Production Co./Producers: Ashley Levinson, Sam Levinson, Kevin Turen.

Prediction: PREMIERES

U.S. Distributor: Netflix.

Eric Lavallée

Eric Lavallée is the founder, CEO, editor-in-chief, film journalist and critic at IONCINEMA.com (founded in 2000). Eric is a regular at Sundance, Cannes and TIFF. He has a BFA in Film Studies at the Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema. In 2013 he served as a Narrative Competition Jury Member at the SXSW Film Festival. He was an associate producer on Mark Jackson's This Teacher (2018 LA Film Festival, 2018 BFI London). In 2022 he served as a New Flesh Comp for Best First Feature at the 2022 Fantasia Intl. Film Festival. Current top films for 2022 include Tár (Todd Field), All That Breathes (Shaunak Sen), Aftersun (Charlotte Wells).