Every once in a while a film comes along that changes the landscape of independent cinema. On July 26, 2006, one such film was released in a handful of theaters across the U.S. Following its premiere at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival, Little Miss Sunshine would go on to become a box office success, collect four Oscar nominations (and win two for Best Original Screenplay and Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role), and be included in The New York Times’ 2025 list of “The 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century.”

Co-directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris with a screenplay by Michael Arndt, Little Miss Sunshine follows the Hoover family as they embark on a road trip from New Mexico to California so that the young Olive can compete in the Little Miss Sunshine beauty pageant. With a musical score by DeVotchka — plus two notable songs from Sufjan Stevens — and a superb ensemble cast featuring Toni Collette, Greg Kinnear, Steve Carell, Alan Arkin, Paul Dano, and Abigail Breslin, the film delivers such culturally memorable scenes as the Hoover family jumping into their moving yellow Volkswagen van (it needs a push to get started) as well as Olive’s iconic pageant performance to a remix of Rick James’ “Super Freak.” 

Both disarmingly funny and deeply emotional, Little Miss Sunshine is a road movie that invites us to feel the pains and joys that each of its characters must reconcile as they embrace their imperfect selves. The film has resonated with audiences around the world — and for some, it was their introduction to Sundance Institute and the larger independent film community. 

Below, some of the Sundance Film Festival alumni who love Little Miss Sunshine as much as we do describe in their own words why the film remains a favorite almost 20 years after its release.