“Without Kelly” frames up a day in the life of a young Swedish mother who is separated from the child’s father. And it does it in 15 minutes. “Without Kelly,” also known as “Utan Kelly,” is one of the 54 short films that will screen during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival that ru ns Jan. 22-Feb. 1.  The drama, written and directed by Lovisa Sirén, won the Orizzonti Award for Best Short Film last autumn at the 2025 Venice Film Festival and marks the third film produced by Siri Hjorton Wagner to screen at Sundance. “Going back to Sundance is huge, and it feels great to do a hat trick with Sundance,” Hjorton Wagner said, referring to the hockey term that means scoring three goals in one game. “It’s such a filmmaker-focused festival, and everyone is friendly and really interested in what you do. Also, I think the films there are meant to be seen by audiences. They are there to challenge, but also still accessible. They are meant to challenge but also entertain.” Hjorton Wagner, who founded her production company, [sic] film, 11 years ago, said “Without Kelly” is the fifth film she and Sirén have created together. “To use Lovisa’s own words, the story is also one of the most personal films she’s done,” she said. “While this film isn’t autobiographical, it is, of course, a very self-experienced story. She had her first daughter when she was 21, and she separated from the dad when the kid was 1.” The film draws on the sentiment that the mother, played by Medea Strid, sees the child as a sense of security, but also longs for another type of security, Hjorton Wagner said. “This is because the mother is still growing up herself,” she said.  The beauty of the film examines people who have flaws, Hjorton Wagner said. “When people read this, they may think the mother is a bad mom, but Lovisa doesn’t shy away from making a complex character. And she has a way of writing characters that are authentic and not rational.” Another of Sirén’s strengths as a storyteller and director is the ability to worry about audience perceptions of her characters, Hjorton Wagner said. “In this case, there’s this person you go with on a journey, and even Lovisa doesn’t know where she’s going. She’s like a (screw) up. She’s a 20 year old. She doesn’t do great things, but she’s still a good mom. I think it’s also beautiful how the film is also about the love of a child and also finding ways to grow up.” The film also creates tension by focusing on the child during conflicts between the mother and father.  “It was a challenge shooting a film with a 1-and-a-half year old,” Hjorton Wagner said with a laugh. “It was a lot of work to make it work because the kid was in the room a lot of times when we were shooting scenes between the grown ups.” Sirén had talked about the film’s idea for a while, Hjorton Wagner said. “She had written a script, and I had been shooting another film, Lovisa called me,” she said. Principal photography began in August of 2024, three months after applying for funding, Hjorton Wagner said.  “We shot for four days, and we had another day in September,” she said. “Because of the child, we couldn’t shoot at the pace we wanted to. But having that extra day was also great because we could add a few scenes and material.” Sirén also edited the film, which was finalized last spring, Hjorton Wagner said. “The post-production was quite smooth because the material was quite good,” she said. Part of the material includes the score by Swedish violinist Lisa Rydberg. “There is one song Lisa Rydberg wrote and that song was so powerful, and although we didn’t know her, we reached out to her,” Hjorton Wagner said. “We asked if we could buy the song for a little fee, because we didn’t have much money, or maybe for a still (crappy) fee asked if she could write a score that would go with the song.” Rydberg decided to write a score, which, according to Hjorton Wagner, “sewed the film together.” “Without Kelly” marks the fifth collaboration between Hjorton Wagner and Sirén, who have worked together for more than a decade. The collaboration started with “Audition,” which was selected as the opening film for the 2015 Gothenburg International Film Festival and accepted into the 2016 Sundance Film Festival. Lovisa Sirén is the director of “Without Kelly,” also known as “Utan Kelly,” an official selection of the 2026 Sundance Film Festival. Credit: Photo courtesy of Sundance Institute by Ellinor Sirén “I acted in that one, and after that I kind of threw out that maybe I can be a producer,” Hjorton Wagner said. “We had won a prize, so we had half the funding of our next film, ‘Baby.’ And that’s also why I thought it was easy for me to start producing.” Other collaborations include “The Turk Shop,” which was a 2018 Sundance Film Festival film, and “Pussy Have the Power.”  “Lovisa could come to me with any project, and I would say, ‘Yes,’” Hjorton Wagner said. “Not only do I know her so well and would say yes to something (crappy), I also know that it won’t be (crappy). We’ve grown together. I’m a producer because of her and her films and because the films have been successful.” ‘Without Kelly’ Part of the Short Films Program 3 Screenings 9:15 p.m., Jan. 24, The Yarrow Theatre 8:50 p.m., Jan. 25, Megaplex Redstone 3 9:15 p.m., Jan. 28, Broadway Centre, Cinema 6 in Salt Lake City 6:15 p.m., Feb. 1, Holiday Cinemas 3 Note: no online screening available Web: festival.sundance.org The post ‘Without Kelly’ is a Sundance Film Festival hat trick for filmmakers appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less