The Sundance Film Festival is sprinting to its conclusion Wednesday, Feb. 3; but you still might be able to score a ticket or two here.

After that, there are some films you should definitely keep an eye out for, as some will clearly make it to theaters and streaming platforms in the future. Along with two Bay Area films “Homeroom” and “Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It,” here’s a roundup of the best and most interesting films screened at this year’s drive-in/streaming rendition of the famed film festivl.

“First Date”: First-time feature filmmakers Manuel Crosby and Darren Knapp take us on a hilarious joy ride with a jaunty comedy/thriller that is fondly inspired by the likes of Robert Rodriguez, John Hughes and Quentin Tarantino. The Valley Springs buddies have effectively put a new engine under the hood of the tired coming-of-age comedy-drama, thanks to a creative screenplay stuffed with oodles of eccentrics and kooks, some lovable, some homicidal.

Much credit belongs to the large cast that consistently hits the mark. Tyson Brown, in his first acting role, nails it as a high school student Mike who gets a new set of wheels — a clunky Chrysler — so he can go out on a date with feisty Kelsey (Shelby Duclos). Everything that could go wrong does as the night descends into gunfire, drug deals and brawls.

There’s even a loose canon of a cat lady in it.

“R#J”: Carey Williams brings a poppin’ new style in this take on Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet,” including filling the cast with young actors of color and filming it via social media platforms. He doesn’t quite reach his lofty ambitions, though, especially in the finale. Oakland’s Russell Hornsby of “The Hate U Give” is featured.

“Cryptozoo”: One of my favorite graphic novelists — the daring, bold Dash Shaw — follows up his feature debut “My Entire High School Sinking Into the Sea” with this surreal offering set in a San Francisco zoo overrun with fantastical hybrid animal characters threatened by homo sapiens, particularly the military seeking to weaponize them. This should solidify his rep as one of the most exciting new creators of cinematic animation.

“Passing”: Underrated actress Rebecca Hall makes one helluva feature directing debut with this lyrical, beautiful and tone-perfect adaptation of Harlem Renaissance author Nella Larsen’s ahead-of-its-time novel about a reunion of two 1920s friends (Tessa Thompson and Ruth Negga) in New York. Filmed in black and white, Hall is in tune with her leads, pausing on the expressions of Thompson and Negga as they reflect the deeper inner emotions roiling within. This beautiful film is made all the better by strong supporting turns from Andre Holland and Alexander Skarsgard.

“Eight for Silver”: Lovers of classic Hammer horror films should sink their teeth into writer/director Sean Ellis’s gory werewolf tale. Boyd Holbrook of “Narcos” fame plays up his hunk factor as a 19th-century pathologist who discovers a curse hounding a rich family whose patriarch triggered a vile act of genocide. Ellis conjures up the Gothic mystique with relish and outfits it with jump scares that’ll make you giggle. What a fun throwback.

“Ailey”: Jamila Wignot’s extraordinarily moving documentary on Black dance pioneer Alvin Ailey devotes as much screen time to the choreographer’s breathtaking stage works as to the reflections from friends, collaborators, dancers and artistic directors. It provides much more context to Wignot’s winning feature on how this lonely, innovative artist choreographed Black history. The dance rehearsal sequences almost make you weep.

“Wild Indian”: Director/writer Lyle Mitchell Corbine Jr. is an exciting new voice on the American movie landscape. But his debut feature — a Native American take on the Cain and Abel tragedy — is cut too close to the bone. The narrative covers childhood murder, repression, re-invetion and the hazards of “fitting in” while stepping away from your heritage. But these epic ideas get whittled down too much. Michael Grayeyes and Chaske Spencer deliver shattering performances, and, even with its significant flaws, this is one promising debut. A bit of trivia: Corbine Jr. wrote “Wild Indian” while in Berkeley.

“Try Harder!”: The agonizing process trying to get into the best college imaginable is depicted vividly in Bay Area filmmaker Debbie Lim’s irresistible documentary, which reveals how students attending the top-rated San Francisco public Lowell High School confront rejection and are held to a higher standard. The situation is exacerbated by the fact many are Asian Americans. It’s an engaging documentary, at the top of its class in the fest.

“My Name is Pauli Murray”: While working on their Oscar-nominated  documentary “RBG,” directors Betsy West and Julie Cohen  became acquainted with the life and work of Murray, an influential Black lawyer/activist/poet/author/priest and UC Berkeley School of Law graduate. In fact, it was none other Ruth Bader Ginsburg herself who tipped off the filmmakers to Murray’s compelling story. Murray’s lesser-known but highly influential legacy emerges in this film, which also delves into Murray’s bouts of depression and issues with her gender identity. It’s a story that needs to be heard.

“The Pink Cloud”: Quite a number of Sundance titles address Covid-19 — from a literal treatment in the shocking and excellent “In the Same Breath” to the apocalyptic comedy “How It Ends.” The best one I saw, however, never intended to be a COVID-19 parable. Brazilian director/writer Iuli Gerbase’s quarantine drama was filmed prior to shutdown, and seems utterly prophetic in its observation of the psychological damage wrought by a shutdown. A couple (Renata de Lelis and Eduardo Mendonca) are sealed with their newborn in an apartment, and Gerbase captures the numbing, everyday claustrophobia as the family watches the mysterious and deadly pink clouds that never leave. Every element of Gerbase’s feature works, the music, the acting and the screenplay.

“Violation”: Madeleine Sims-Fewer and Dusty Mancinelli’s feminist-fueled Category 5 revenge debut is one of the best in the fest. Sims-Fewer is perfect as the challenging Miriam, suffering through a blah marriage and strained relationship with her sister. Then there’s her brother-in-law (Jesse LaVercombe), a handsome seemingly good guy. “Violation” strikes like a cobra but shows restraint when it needs to. It’s anchored around two brave performances from Sims-Fewer and LaVercombe. Expect to be staggered, shocked and awed.

“Luzzu”: One of the joys of Sundance is that it can take to places and landscapes you know nothing about. Such is the case with Alex Camilleri’s immersive plunge into the crushing reality of being a fisherman in Malta. Camilleri’s exacting portrait of Jesmark (portrayed with lived-it believability by Jesmark Scicluna — an actual fisherman) introduces audiences to how a family tradition is threatened by regulations, climate change and illegal dealings. Camilleri’s film echoes the style and substance of the work of the great Chloe Zhao, maker of “The Rider” and “Nomadland.”

“Coming Home in the Dark”: New Zealand filmmaker James Ashcroft’s unrelenting thriller, a nightmarish family road trip that goes terribly wrong, is one of the strongest Sundance debuts of 2021. It grabs you by the nose hairs and pulls each one with twist after twist in the storyline. Ashcroft’s debut is tightly plotted, tautly directed and acted with intensity throughout. And it’s so much bigger than just a genre picture.

“On the Count of Three”: Many of the creative team associated with Hulu’s delightful “Ramy” — including screenwriters Ari Katcher and Ryan Welch and executive producer Jerrod Carmichael — reunite for this dark “Thelma & Louise”-like bromantic comedy/drama. As both director and star, Carmichael shows a natural sense for comedic and dramatic timing. He plays suicidal Val, who’s just sprung his suicidal best bud (Christopher Abbot) from a psychiatric hospital. They make a pact to end their lives — after they take down Kevin’s long-ago psychiatrist (Henry Winkler). It’s edgy beyond belief, but the screenwriters and Carmichael walk this tightrope without slipping into crassness. And the chemistry between Abbot and Carmichael makes for buddy-movie magic.