15 Tips for Navigating the Sundance Film Festival 2018 This upcoming January will mark my 9th year of incredible moving watching at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. My husband and his best friend started going while they were still in university. Once I arrived on the scene I was welcomed to the annual pilgrimage as a fellow film lover. They were pros by then and knew the cheap and sneaky ways to navigate the festival. Many years later we're now a much larger group of friends and family who come together every chilly January to celebrate the joy of movies.
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 18th-28th, 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
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
02/05/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
01/04/2026
January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION
Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
SMPTE , the home of media professionals, technologists, and engineers, today unveiled its educational presentations for the 2026 NAB Show. This year SMPTE will ...
18/03/2026
Maxon, maker of powerful, approachable software solutions for creators working in 2D and 3D design, motion graphics, visual effects, gaming, and more, today ann...
18/03/2026
Digital Alert Systems
Preview
2026 NAB Show
April 19 - 22
Booth C3452
At the 2026 NAB Show, Digital Alert Systems will showcase Version 6.0 of its DASDEC ...
18/03/2026
Setplex today announced that it will showcase its complete, fully integrated Zapflex platform for the first time at the 2026 NAB Show, introducing powerful new ...
18/03/2026
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT RELATES TO THE DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION THAT QUALIFIED OR MAY HAVE QUALIFIED AS INSIDE INFORMATION WITHIN THE MEANING OF ARTICLE 7(1) OF THE ...
18/03/2026
COW Jobs: Seeking DP for Low Budget Dramedy - Chicago
Brie Clayton March 17, 2026
0 Comments
Seeking Director of Photography for Low Budget Dramedy Fe...
18/03/2026
COW Jobs: Seeking Gaffer for Low Budget Dramedy - Chicago
Brie Clayton March 17, 2026
0 Comments
Seeking Gaffer for Low Budget Dramedy Feature Film- I...
18/03/2026
COW Jobs: Seeking Location, Sound for Low Budget Dramedy - Chicago
Brie Clayton March 17, 2026
0 Comments
Seeking Location/Sound for Low Budget Dramed...
18/03/2026
COW Jobs: Seeking Child Wrangler for Low Budget Film - Chicago
Brie Clayton March 17, 2026
0 Comments
Seeking Child Wrangler for Low Budget Dramedy Fe...
18/03/2026
Calrec Redefines Broadcast Workflows at NAB 2026 with its Most Powerful Hardware...
18/03/2026
Oscar Nominated Two People Exchanging Saliva Posted with DaVinci Resolve Studio
Brie Clayton March 17, 2026
0 Comments
DaVinci Resolve Studio handle...
18/03/2026
Boston Conservatory Presents Celebrated Musical Satire Urinetown Performances for this Center Stage production will take place at Boston Conservatory Theater ...
18/03/2026
Charlie Puth Joins Switched On Pop at Berklee NYC The Berklee alum spoke with host and Berklee NYC professor Charlie Harding for a live taping, answering audi...
17/03/2026
NASA+'s Rebecca Sirmons and Brittany Brown offer unique look at live streami...
17/03/2026
The transition to IP has fundamentally reshaped professional media infrastructures. Video, audio, and increasingly metadata now circulate as independent, precis...
17/03/2026
Live sports streaming can push every element in your video delivery chain to its limit, exposing every potential weakness in seconds. When the Super Bowl, the O...
17/03/2026
Texas Athletics sought to modernize its media production, enhance fan experience...
17/03/2026
Ikegami USA will demonstrate the latest additions to its wide range of broadcast...
17/03/2026
TNA Wrestling and iHeartMedia announces a new multi-platform collaboration that will integrate iHeartMedia across TNA's premium live events, weekly televisi...
17/03/2026
The goal was to transform Hard Rock Stadium into a global leader in sports and e...
17/03/2026
Spectrum has announced the launch of its new Multiview feature in the Spectrum TV App, giving customers the ability to watch up to four NCAA men's or women&...
17/03/2026
Genius Sports deal also covers data technology, AI, fan engagement, and performance analysis....
17/03/2026
Net Insight is supporting the rollout of a new state-wide centralized operation with Rede Massa, which is an SBT affiliate, the Brazilian regional television ne...
17/03/2026
Featuring audio from practice sessions, qualifying races, and Grand Prix races, the film represents Apple's sports-media ambitions
At Sunday night's Ac...
17/03/2026
Live broadcast has always been one of the most demanding environments in media a...
17/03/2026
DirecTV is introducing several new viewing features, including a multi-screen March Madness Mix channel and an updated Sports Central mobile app hub, ahead of...
17/03/2026
Deltatre has announced a multi-year partnership with ATP Media, the media arm of the ATP Tour, covering broadcast graphics, data, and production across the 2026...
17/03/2026
The Detroit Pistons have announced a third consecutive season partnering with Sc...
17/03/2026
Fresh Finds Africa spotlights emerging artists and movements across the continent and its global diaspora, with listeners tuning in to discover new Afro-forward...
17/03/2026
Last month, more than 60,000 fans piled into Bangkok's Rajamangala National ...
17/03/2026
Vintage-inspired channel strip joins line-up
Black Rooster Audio's latest plug-in provides an all-in-one mixing tool inspired by classic analogue consol...
17/03/2026
Level and EQ voice, reverb and noise independently
The latest plug-in to join Accentize's collection is said to take a new approach to dialogue processi...
17/03/2026
UHF radio mic & IEM bandwidth at risk
Once again, the UHF bandwidth that is currently allocated to RF audio gear is at risk of being reassigned to high-spee...
17/03/2026
Last Friday, the first Plant Fire Department Training Week in Bavaria successf...
17/03/2026
New campaign from NAATI and SBS CulturalConnnect highlights how we all deserve ...
17/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
17/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
17/03/2026
3D streaming infrastructure provider Miris today announced the launch of a public beta for its new 3D asset streaming platform. Miris is building the infrastruc...
15 Tips for Navigating the Sundance Film Festival 2018 This upcoming January will mark my 9th year of incredible moving watching at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. My husband and his best friend started going while they were still in university. Once I arrived on the scene I was welcomed to the annual pilgrimage as a fellow film lover. They were pros by then and knew the cheap and sneaky ways to navigate the festival. Many years later we're now a much larger group of friends and family who come together every chilly January to celebrate the joy of movies.
