15 Tips for Navigating the Sundance Film Festival 2017
21/06/2017
Over the years we've seen star-studded blockbusters and watched new filmmakers cry after their first movie screening, we've seen documentaries on topics from immigration and gun control to video game creation and Vogue magazine, and what might be enough experimental animated shorts to fill a lifetime.
If you're making the trip this January 19th-29th, here are my 15 tips for making the most of the Sundance Film Festival.
1. Don't buy tickets online in advance First off, the process sucks. Secondly, by booking yourself early you'll end up missing some incredible gems that might not have had as much press.
We like to head to the ticket office super early in the morning of our first day and read the brochure while we're in line. When it's our turn to buy, we pick movies based on ticket availability and our schedule. We end up with an eclectic mix which is absolutely the point!
2. Plan for travel time Our goal is to see 3-4 movies per day while we're there. (Usually 3 full movie watching days.) That schedule means we need to get up early and go to bed late. We leave plenty of time between movies to get to and from each theater location and try to factor in some meals while we're at it.
3. Embrace the wait lines Yes, you will be standing in line! There are no designated seats. You might not sit next to your friends. You might not get in. Get to screenings early and be prepared to stand in line.
4. Don't focus on the big name blockbusters Between the actual studios and Netflix etc., most of them get bought these days anyway so you'll get to watch them later. You'll spend a ton of time waiting in line and really all you get is bragging rights that you saw it first.
5. Use the buses Park City has been hosting the Sundance Film Festival for a long time now and they know what they're doing. They have a few movie theater dedicated bus loops that are FREE and run quickly and on schedule.
6. Try not to mob the celebrities Just, try.
7. Mix it up It's easy to stick with the US or World Dramatic categories, but it's way more fun to see films from every category. After Dark midnight movie showings are always weird and fabulous. Shorts Collections have never let me down. Make sure you see anything with subtitles in the middle of the day after some coffee. And support the NEXT category of up and coming filmmakers.
8. Book early and start saving early Yes, going to the Sundance Film Festival is expensive. This is not new news. It has only gotten more expensive over the years. The movie tickets themselves were $8 when my husband started going in 2006, $12 when I did, and now they're up to $20. Plus flights, food etc.. But, for us, the experience is still worth it.
9. Enjoy everything else Park City has to offer For my group, this means food and booze! I recommend the Jalapeno Cream Ale and apple pie at Wasatch Brew Pub, the whiskey and mac and cheese at High West Distillery, the huevos rancheros breakfast at Main St Pizza, the birria and tacos at Lorenzo's Mexican restaurant, and the salad bar and meatloaf or prime rib at Grub Steak. You're welcome!
10. Watch out for Salt Lake City listings There are a couple of theaters that show Sundance Film Festival movies in Salt Lake City - which is a couple of hours away from Park City. So beware of accidentally purchasing tickets to those theaters.
11. Blindly but confidently pick award winners! If you go for the second weekend you'll see most of Sunday's listings are yet to be named Award Winners. The awards ceremony is held on the final Saturday night of the festival and most all of Sunday's showings are films that win those categories. Just buy tickets for them. You are guaranteed to see something amazing. Hands down some of the best movies I've seen at Sundance have been winners of the best editing category.
12. Plan for extreme weather Park City is a ski town - there's lots of snow! Sometimes a cozy sweater will do and at other times you'll want jackets and scarves and hats and boots. Maybe there will be flurries or maybe you'll be navigating your route in a blizzard. We've twice had to stay an extra day because the airports have closed. It's part of the experience. Bring extra socks! Don't give up!
13. Use the waitlist system carefully The Sundance powers that be only sell out a set percentage of each showing so there are a certain number of seats available on the day. First dibs go to fancy Festival pass folks and then the festival workers. After them there's the waitlist. It's an automated system on the Sundance Film Festival free app. Two hours before each showing the waitlist opens up and you log in to get a waitlist number.
As of last year you were able to log in two people at a time. Your whole party will need to have profiles on the app to do this. You'll hit the button right at the 2-hour mark and get a high number probably in the 100s. But don't despair! Most people don't show up so if it's a film you really want to see, set aside the time and head to the theater. You'll need to be in the waitlist line at least a half hour early.
14. Get to know your theaters The biggest theater holds over 1000 and the smallest
Most recent headlines
04/08/2024
Dalet Appoints Santiago Solanas as CEO to Lead Next Era of Growth and Innovation
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, is excited to announce Santiago Solanas as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO)....
03/06/2024
Dalet and Veritone Reach Agreement to Distribute, Transact and Monetize Media Archives
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, a...
02/05/2024
Samba TV Launches New Generative AI Ad Solution
NEW YORK Samba TV is debuting new capabilities for Samba AI, the company's suite of generative AI technologies. Samba AI's new capabilities provide a re...
02/05/2024
Television Academy Foundation Names Anne Vasquez Executive Director
LOS ANGELES The Television Academy Foundation has announced the appointment of Anne Vasquez as its executive director effective May 13....
02/05/2024
SAG-AFTRA to License Nielsen Streaming Data
NEW YORK SAG-AFTRA has inked a deal with Nielsen to become its third-party provider of streaming content measurement and has announced that it will use the Niel...
02/05/2024
Cineverse Unveils Public Beta of AI-Powered cineSearch
LOS ANGELES Cineverse has debuted cineSearch, its previously announced new content search and discovery service in public Beta....
02/05/2024
Can AI find a way to reduce the broadcast industry's energy consumption?
OpenDrives Trevor Morgan asks if AI has the answer to making data centres for the media and entertainment industry more sustainable By Contributor Published:...
02/05/2024
Bill Baggelaar Asks the Questions: An Unfiltered Look at Media Supply Chain Transformation
Bill Baggelaar Asks the Questions: An Unfiltered Look at Media Supply Chain Tran...
02/05/2024
Two Boston Conservatory at Berklee Alums Nominated for Tony Awards
Two Boston Conservatory at Berklee Alums Nominated for Tony Awards An additional eight alums and two current students performed in nominated productions. By...
02/05/2024
Viewers Call Finding New TV Content Frustrating' in Comcast Advertising Report
A majority of viewers 51% said the difficulty in finding new content on TV c...
02/05/2024
Programming Legend Art Moore Retiring After 53 Years With ABC Stations
Art Moore, who headed production of long-running syndicated series, including Live, said he plans to retire in September as VP of programming for WABC New York....
02/05/2024
Nexstar Will Move The CW Affiliation to WGN Chicago
Nexstar Media Group, which owns The CW, said the network's affiliation will be moving to Nexstar-owned WGN Chicago....
02/05/2024
Future Today Puts First Original Shows on Fawesome Channel (NewFronts)
Future Today said that it plans to launch the first original shows on its Fawesome streaming channel....
02/05/2024
Behind the Music' Returns on Paramount Plus
Behind the Music is back on Paramount Plus with new episodes May 1. Those profiled in the season two episodes are Bell Biv DeVoe, Trace Adkins and Wolfgang Van ...
02/05/2024
All American: Homecoming' Returns on The CW July 8
All American: Homecoming starts season three on The CW Monday, July 8, while season two of 61st Street kicks off Monday, July 22....
02/05/2024
Jerry Seinfeld's Pop-Tart Movie Starts on Netflix May 3
Unfrosted, a movie about the race to create a game-changing breakfast pastry, such as, say, the Pop-Tart, debuts on Netflix May 3. Jerry Seinfeld directs, his f...
02/05/2024
Former BT Sport COO Jamie Hindhaugh joins EMG / Gravity Media
Charlie Cubbon has also been appointed chief operating officer By Matthew Corrigan Published: May 2, 2024 Charlie Cubbon has also been appointed chief ope...
02/05/2024
Durable Goods Signs Lionel Coleman
Durable Goods Signs Lionel Coleman Brie Clayton May 2, 2024 0 Comments Durable Goods has signed multi-hyphenate director Lionel Coleman for commercial...
02/05/2024
Hitsujibungaku's Music Video GO!!! Shot by Kyotaro Hayashi with Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K
Hitsujibungaku's Music Video GO!!! Shot by Kyotaro Hayashi with Blackmagic C...
02/05/2024
Diamond Sports RSNs Go Dark On Comcast Systems
Bally Sports Regional Networks were taken off Comcast's systems on April 30 when their existing distribution agreement expired and Diamond Sports Group was ...
02/05/2024
Diamond Sports Group, DirecTV Renew Distribution Deal
SOUTHPORT, Conn. and EL SEGUNDO, Calif. Diamond Sports Group ( Diamond or the Company ) and DirecTV have announced that they have reached a multi-year renewal...
02/05/2024
Three Nexstar Stations to Become CW Affiliates
IRVING, Texas Nexstar Media Group has announced that its owned and operated television stations in Chicago, Illinois (DMA #3), Norfolk, Virginia (DMA #43), and ...
02/05/2024
FCC, FTC Ink Agreement to Cooperate on Net Neutrality Enforcement
WASHINGTON, D.C. The Federal Communications Commission and Federal Trade Commission have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to coordinate consumer protection ...
02/05/2024
Haivision Celebrates 20th Anniversary
MONTREAL Haivision Systems Inc. is marking its 20th anniversary by detailing some of the accomplishments and developments that have helped the company become a ...
02/05/2024
Agora Introduces Adaptive Video Optimization Technology
SANTA CLARA, Calif. Agora today unveiled its Adaptive Video Optimization (AVO) technology that uses machine learning to adjust parameters dynamically at every s...
02/05/2024
Study: Streaming Market Is Saturated But Subscriptions Continue to Grow
NEW YORK Kantar has released a new study showing the U.S. streaming market has hit a saturation point, with the household penetration rate stagnating and at nea...
02/05/2024
Samba TV To Spotlight New Capabilities For Generative AI Ad Solution
NEW YORK Samba TV is debuting new capabilities for Samba AI, the company's suite of generative AI technologies, at the 2024 IAB (Interactive Advertising Bur...
02/05/2024
GSTV Pumps Up Research, Programming at NewFront
GSTV, the network that programs screens at gas stations, will be talking about new research and new programming at its NewFront presentation Wednesday....
02/05/2024
Skeem Saam: Wednesday's episode, 1 May 2024 [video]
Skeem Saam: Wednesday's episode, 1 May 2024 [video]Missed an episode of Skeem Saam? No problem! Watch the latest episode of your favourite South African soa...
02/05/2024
Prison Journalism: It's alright not to have
Prison Journalism: It's alright not to haveWesley Leong was incarcerated at the age of 15 in 1996 at Pollsmoor Prison. He is currently part of Restore's...
02/05/2024
Tonight on Smoke and Mirrors: Thandiswa's quest to reclaim Caesar's house intensifies
Tonight on Smoke and Mirrors: Lulu navigates the complexities of her relationshi...
02/05/2024
GeForce NOW Delivers 24 A-May-zing Games This Month
GeForce NOW brings 24 new games for members this month. Ninja Theory's highly anticipated Senua's Saga: Hellblade II will be coming to the cloud soon -...
02/05/2024
NVIDIA AI Microservices for Drug Discovery, Digital Health Now Integrated With AWS
Harnessing optimized AI models for healthcare is easier than ever as NVIDIA NIM,...
02/05/2024
ARRI announces the ALEXA 35 Live - Multicam System
ARRI announces the ALEXA 35 Live - Multicam System posted: 02/05/2024 Arri Alexa 35 Live - Multicam System ARRI announces the ALEXA 35 Live - Multicam Sy...
02/05/2024
The Women': Author shines light on forgotten women in war
The Women': Author shines light on forgotten women in warThe bestselling author of The Nightingale', Kristin Hannah, has outdone herself with her new h...
02/05/2024
May 01, 2024
New technique improves T cell-based immunotherapies for solid tumors Scripps Research scientists help T cells more effectively kill solid tumors cells in vitro ...
01/05/2024
Release Rundown: What to Watch in May, From I Saw the TV Glow to Power
Owen (Justice Smith) and Maddy (Brigette Lundy-Paine) develop an eerie connection to a supernatural TV show in Jane Schoebrun's I Saw the TV Glow....
01/05/2024
Celebrate May the 4th With Special Star Wars' Playlists, Audiobooks, and More
Spotify's Star Wars celebrations are in full Force starting today, and this ...
01/05/2024
Spotify's New Hardcore Gardening Playlist and Brain Dead Collab Will Rattle Greenhouses Everywhere
All around the world, millions of Spotify fans love listening to hardcore punk m...
01/05/2024
THE CALL FOR THE FIFTH PRESIDENTIAL EMPLOYMENT STIMULUS PROGRAMME (PESP5) FOCUSED ON THE AUDIO-VISUAL INDUSTRY, IS OPEN.
THE CALL FOR THE FIFTH PRESIDENTIAL EMPLOYMENT STIMULUS PROGRAMME (PESP5) FOCUSE...
01/05/2024
QTAKE Pioneers Live 3D Stream to Apple Vision Pro
QTAKE, the leading video assist and on-set collaboration software trusted by professional filmmakers worldwide, launched a new cutting-edge feature at NAB 2024....
01/05/2024
LA County Opens Entertainment Business Interruption Fund Grant Program for Small Business, LAEDC Offers Updates
In HPA's ongoing focus on providing input and insight from city and county g...
01/05/2024
Trailblazing AI Storytelling by Empowering Storytellers: Curious Refuge
HPA Newsline had the opportunity to speak with Caleb and Shelby Ward, founders of Curious Refuge. Caleb and Shelby were participants in the 2024 HPA Tech Retrea...
01/05/2024
Supporting Global Air Traffic Modernization through Managed Services Infrastructure
L3Harris works with air navigation service providers who efficiently manage air ...
01/05/2024
Q&A with Scott Alexander, Aerojet Rocketdyne's new Missile Solutions President
Scott Alexander, Missile Solutions President, Aerojet Rocketdyne...
01/05/2024
Comcast: More Than Half of Viewers Frustrated About Finding Content
NEW YORK Just over half of U.S. viewers are frustrated over their ability to be able to find content to watch on TV according to Comcast....
01/05/2024
Bally RSNs Go Dark On Comcast Systems
Bally Sports Regional Networks were taken off Comcast's systems on April 30 when their existing distribution agreement expired and Diamond Sports Group was ...
01/05/2024
NXTGENbps powers Molinare's Notorious DIT
NXTGENbps battery solutions are designed to replace diesel generators and offer silent, emission-free power for various applications in film, TV, outside broadc...
01/05/2024
Elodie Ichter Joins Light Iron as Senior Colorist
Light Iron, the post-production creative-services division of Panavision, is excited to announce that lodie Ichter has joined the company's artist roster a...
01/05/2024
CJP presents live mo-cap demos at MPTS
CJP Broadcast Service Solutions, systems integration, production and content digitisation specialist, will feature live motion capture demonstrations at the 202...