©Courtesy of Greenwich entertainment
While Sundance 2026 has already come to an end, some of the best films from the previous year’s festival are just now coming out to a wider audience. Cole Webley’s film, “Omaha,” which stars John Magaro, was in competition at last year’s festival and will be released in theaters this spring.
According to its official lifeline, it is set during the 2008 economic crisis and revolves around a struggling father (Magaro) who embarks on a journey across the American West with his two children, Ella and Charlie. The film’s journey demands that viewers confront difficult truths as the family delves deeper into a dire situation. Cole Webley’s debut as a director is based on a screenplay by Robert Machoian. The father is played by John Magaro, and Molly Belle Wright and Wyatt Solis play the two children in the family.
The film received some accolades include: a best film (first features) win at the Jakarta World Cinema festival, a jury prize from the Deauville American Film Festival, an audience award at Nashville, grand jury and best feature win at DIFF, the Jordan Ressler First Feature Award at Miami, and a raft of wins at the Richmond International Film Festival.
Abe Friedtanzer wrote the review out of the 2020 Sundance, “Omaha is not an easy watch, staying very tightly focused on this family’s present without delving much into the circumstances that led them there. The lack of a backstory isn’t a problem but will certainly leave audiences with unanswered questions. What this film is, however, is an unflinching portrait of a man who has truly run out of options and has to do what he believes will ultimately benefit his children. Omaha is raw and resonant, hardly a tale of overcoming obstacles but one that realistically depicts what devotion looks like after everything else has been stripped away.” (If you want to read the entire review, https://cinemadailyus.com/reviews/sundance-film-festival-omaha-is-a-heartbreaking-family-portrait-with-terrific-performances/)
Greenwich Entertainment will release the film in New York on Friday, April 24, and in theaters nationwide this May. Check out the first full trailer for “Omaha” below.