How to Sundance — or not — as a local
Every winter, Hollywood descends on our humble little state for the Sundance Film Festival. For the past 40 years, it’s been known as one of the elite film festivals in the world, providing a platform for independent filmmakers and films that often go on to critical and box-office success.
This year, events kick off on Jan. 18 and run through Jan. 28. Ninety-one movies will be shown on screens in Park City, Salt Lake and beyond, our buzziest venues will host elaborate parties, and celebrities will grace us with their presence and designer outerwear.
And most locals will keep their long-held tradition of ignoring all of it.
Not out of any sort of malice or antagonism toward the festival, but out of indifference. Or the sense that there’s too high a barrier for entry. Either is valid.
If film isn’t your thing, the festival is not for you. Obviously. And the festival is so out of the way for the average Utahn, that some might not even be aware it’s happening.
But if film is your thing, like it is mine, there can be a worrisome sense of imposter syndrome that comes with attending the festival.
“Who am I to fill a seat in a premiere screening of a film that may very well go on to mass distribution and eventually win an Oscar?” I wondered before my first screening.
“Who am I to raise my hand to ask a question during a director Q&A?” I thought after a documentary premiere.
“Who am I to rub shoulders with starlets wearing Chanel parkas?” I thought when I spotted one such starlet on Main Street.
Buying a ticket to a Sundance film can feel like approaching the cool table in the school cafeteria, holding your lunch tray and timidly asking if you can sit. At least until you get to a screening and realize most everyone there is just like you. There may be some critics, some distributors, some industry heavyweights, and yes, even some celebrities, but 90% of any given theater is full of simple film enthusiasts excited to see something new.
Related
But how will I know if the movie I’m about to see is good?
You won’t. I’ve seen some movies that I’ve loved, and some that I’ve hated at the Sundance Film Festival. Which is part of the fun. But if movie roulette isn’t your thing, a little bit of research on social media and in critics’ reviews can offer a good sense of whether a movie is in your lane or has any content to which you might be sensitive. Reading about the director and his or her previous work should provide a good sense for the type of movie they have made for this year’s festival.
But what if I don’t want to go outside in the cold and be around people but I still want to see some of the movies?
Great news. Sundance offers online ticket packages and single film tickets for on-demand screenings from the comfort of your own home.
What if I want to attend the festival but don’t have a lot to spend?
While some ticket packages have price points in the thousands of dollars, single film tickets are available for $30, which, sure, is a bit more than a ticket to the local Cineplex, but not that much more.
No, really, what if I have no extra money to spend on the festival?
There are still ways for you to participate in Sundance even if you won’t be in a seat for a screening. The Beyond Film series features conversations with filmmakers and is both open to the public and free. So even if you can’t spring for a ticket to the new Jesse Eisenberg film, you can hear him talk about it.
I don’t know where to park in Park City.
No one does. The city should get a new name like Good Luck Parking City. I usually end up in a paid lot just off of Main Street where I stalk any pedestrian who enters and wait right next to their car with my blinker on like a jungle cat waiting for its next kill. But that lot is bound to be full at all times for the next 10 days. This means it’s as good a time as any to get familiar with Park City’s robust shuttle system.
What if I’m not into any of this?
Plan on your life not changing in any way at all for the next 10 days. The festival is easy to ignore for those locals who want no part in it. But it’s there for those who do, and the barrier to entry is not as high as it may seem.
