Courtney Love Misses the Sundance Film Festival Premiere of Her New Documentary Antiheroine: ‘We’re Really Gutted’

Courtney Love was missing from the debut of her new documentary, Antiheroine, at the Sundance Film Festival.

The musician and actress, 61, had been expected at the Jan. 27 world premiere of the new film, Antiheroine, which traces her fascinating life and career.

“Unfortunately she’s not able to make it to tonight’s screening,” said festival director Eugene Hernandez while introducing the film at the festival.

“We’re really gutted that Courtney couldn’t make it tonight to celebrate this moment with us all,” added co-director Edward Lovelace in his introduction to the Antiheroine screening, calling her “so unfiltered, so truthful.”

Lovelace added, “But we just wanted to say it’s been the greatest of privileges to be invited into Courtney’s personal space to make such an intimate honest film with someone we have so much love for.” He then thanked Love “for trusting us to — alongside her — tell her story and allowing us to experience the last three years.”

PEOPLE reached out to a rep for Love for comment.

The film follows Love’s quiet life in London — where she moved more than five years ago — as she begins working on writing new music. (In March 2025, she revealed she’d be getting her U.K. citizenship in a matter of months.) It also includes old footage of Love’s rise through the music industry, Hollywood and tabloids — and her current, candid thoughts on it all.

“Now sober and set to release new music for the first time in over a decade, Courtney is ready to reveal her story, unfiltered and unapologetic,” says a logline of the Lovelace- and James Hall-directed film. 

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During a Q&A following the screening, Hernandez asked the crowd to share how they felt about the film, and captured the resulting applause in a video he said he would share with Love. “We love you Courtney!” shouted several audience members.

Musicians Michael Stipe, Melissa Auf der Maur, Eric Erlandson, Billie Joe Armstrong, Patty Schemel and Butch Walker also appear in the film. 

“As a child of the 90s, I was always curious about Courtney, a woman who often appeared to be defined by her husband Kurt Cobain,” producer Julia Nottingham told Variety. “We made this film because Courtney’s story is bigger than the headlines. It’s raw, complicated, and deeply human.”

Nottingham previously worked on projects like Pamela: A Love Story, The Greatest Night in Pop and Victoria Beckham.

Love was married to the late Nirvana rockstar from February 1992 until his death in 1994. The two share one daughter Frances Bean, whom they welcomed in 1992.

Amid her high-profile personal life, Love was the singer and guitarist for the alternative rock band Hole from 1989 to 2002 and 2010 to 2012. In June 2024, Love appeared in a photo from a recording session with Auf der Maur, who worked as Hole’s bassist from 1994-1999. 

“First time in studio together in 24 years,” the post from Love’s From Her to Eternity account on Instagram noted.

Later that year, Love was featured on 070 Shake’s track “Song to the Siren” which included Auf der Maur’s vocals, The Standard  explained.

In an interview with the outlet, Love appeared to give some clues as to what fans can expect from her new music including a collaboration with her longtime friend, Stipe — who is also the godfather of her daughter.

“[Michael] Stipe mentioned our collaboration to The New York Times, so I can say it’s gorgeous,” she said after sharing “I don’t do ‘collabs’ – man, I hate that word.”

“I fell down weeping hearing his voice – it’s better than ever! I thought I knew the outcome, but I’m still the grasshopper while Michael is the sensei. There are others I can’t mention; I didn’t intend for any collaborations.”