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Sundance is a few weeks away, but many festival-goers should act now to ensure their virtual seats are reserved.
The Sundance Film Festival is still a few weeks away, but Thursday is a crucial day for the general public and for many industry pass holders who want to guarantee their virtual seats first come, first served at the event. one of the first 70 online.
Public tickets and passes go on sale Thursday at 11 a.m. PT / noon MT / 1 p.m. CT / 2 p.m. ET. Time zones are indeed important this year, as anyone with a computer and an Internet connection can access the festival’s virtual screenings anywhere in the United States (the VR program is available internationally). Tickets start at $ 15.
At the same time Thursday, industry members with standard passes can start making reservations for virtual premiere screenings. Capacity is limited and on a first come, first serve basis, so it’s important to book as early as possible if you want to see a specific movie when it’s first showing. The reservation window closes January 28 at 5 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. ET.
Much of the action will take place online, but Sundance has also partnered with theaters and drive-ins across the country for satellite screenings. More on that here.
Navigating any virtual festival can be difficult, given the different rules, windows and playing times. Here’s everything you need to know to prepare for the festival, which runs from January 28 to February 3. Looking for ideas of what to see? Eric Kohn of IndieWire gets a glimpse of some hidden gems, surprises, and other potential escapes from this year’s lineup.
General public
This year’s festival is more accessible than ever – you won’t have to travel to Utah to be among the first to watch future independent hits and make some exciting cinematic discoveries.
The festival offers several options, from single movie tickets to passes that allow almost unlimited access to the entire lineup. More information below.
Sundance has built the virtual festival experience around the supremacy of a live virtual premiere intended to reflect the community and buzz that is a key part of any first brick and mortar festival screening. If you buy a ticket or pass for a single movie, you can reserve a “seat” that will allow you to participate in an interactive waiting room experience, start showing a movie at a specific time, and then participate in a live question-and-answer session after the screening.
However, you don’t need to start watching a movie exactly when it premieres – you have a three-hour window to start watching a movie you have a seat for. You can take as many breaks as you want, as long as you finish the movie within four hours. Alternatively, your ticket or pass will allow you to watch a particular movie at any time during a 24-hour on-demand window, which opens two days after the premiere.
The first screenings are organized in blocks. Typically, there will be two to five movies to choose from per block, with five blocks per day from noon to midnight ET (9 a.m. to 9 p.m. PT). The last day to reserve a seat for a premiere is January 28, but pass holders will be able to watch any movie during its first window that has not reached capacity. Additionally, pass holders can watch a second movie in a first block of data if the three hour window is not full and there is capacity in the second movie of their choice.
All conferences and events are available free of charge worldwide. The lineup will be announced next week.
With windows and different ways of looking, planning is key to any successful Sundance experience. The best way to prepare is to create an account on the online platform and explore the range using useful Sundance planning tools.
Here is a summary of the ticket options.
Single movie ticket: $ 15 for a premiere or an on-demand screening every day of the festival, except for the awards ceremony (Wednesday). Tickets are limited. American audience only.
You should buy if: There are one or two movies you want to see.
Festival Pass: $ 350 for unlimited access to premiere and on-demand screenings (capacity is limited), on-demand screenings of award-winning films on February 3, as well as on-demand access to Indie Series, short feature films and New Frontier. On sale until January 22. American audience only.
You should buy if: You want maximum flexibility to explore the lineup and make discoveries by attending multiple premieres over multiple days. It also gives you maximum flexibility to watch titles in response to word of mouth buzz.
Day pass: $ 75 for access to a full day of premieres and on-demand screenings, as well as on-demand access to Indie Series, shorts and New Frontier. Not available for the opening night, January 28, or the awards show on February 3. On sale until January 22. American audience only.
You should buy if: You can devote a single day to making the most of your festival experience at home. Whether you choose a nonstop marathon or just a few firsts paired with on-demand selections, it’s easy to get your money’s worth.
Winners pass: $ 100 to access the 32 films awarded by the public and the jury after their announcement. However, they will only be available on request on February 3. On-demand access to Indie Series programs, shorts, and New Frontier is also included. American audience only.
You should buy if: You’re less interested in discovery and more interested in being among the first to watch some of the movies that will dominate the conversation and win major awards over the next year or so. But don’t expect to be able to watch everything you paid for.
Explorer Pass: $ 25 to access the Indie series, short films and New Frontier programs on demand for the duration of the festival. This is the only general public pass available to an international audience, although foreigners can only access the New Frontier program.
You should buy if: You live outside of the US or are on a tight budget, but still want your own Sundance experience from home. Or, if you’re interested in Sundance’s feature-free offerings; this is a particularly good option for those interested in virtual reality.
Note that most New Frontier selections are available on demand, some include live performances. These are included in all passes.
To learn more or to purchase tickets and passes, visit the Sundance website.
Industry
All-access pass holders are guaranteed top-quality seats. But general pass holders will have to choose which movies they want to see in advance to be guaranteed a seat.
Sundance has built the virtual festival experience around the supremacy of a live virtual premiere intended to reflect the community and buzz so ingrained in the Sundance experience. Getting a seat at a premiere means you’ll be able to participate in an interactive experience in the waiting room, start showing a movie at a specific time, and then participate in a live Q&A after the screening.
However, you don’t need to start watching a movie exactly when it premieres – you have a three-hour window to start watching a movie you have a seat for. You can take as many breaks as you want as long as you finish the movie within four hours.
The first screenings are organized in blocks. Typically, there will be two to five movies to choose from per block, with five blocks per day from noon to midnight ET (9 a.m. to 9 p.m. PT). The last day to reserve a seat for a premiere is January 28, but pass holders will be able to watch any movie during its first window that has not reached capacity. Additionally, pass holders can watch a second movie in a first block of data if the three hour window is not full and there is capacity in the second movie of their choice.
The first booking window opens on Thursday and ends on January 28.
You can also watch a movie on demand for two windows after the premiere. The first window begins the day after the first, lasts 24 hours and is reserved for the press and industry. Each standard pass allows viewing of 10 films in this window; a view is counted 20 minutes after the start of the film. Capacity is limited.
The next window begins two days after a first and lasts 24 hours. It’s open to the general public and does not count towards your 10 views, although capacity may be limited.
All industry passes allow on-demand access to New Frontier, Indie Series and short films; conferences and events; interactive film parts; and Festival Village, a virtual analogue of Park City’s main street.
Industry passes are still available and will be on sale until January 14.
How to watch
First, you will need to set up your schedule on a computer, where you will have full access to the Sundance web interface. To watch movies, your best bet is to connect your computer to a TV or access your selections through the app.
Sundance apps are available for Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, iOS, and Android. Again, you will need to set your movie schedule on the computer in advance. You can watch the Q&A live, but you won’t be able to participate or access the waiting room through the apps.
More information on how to watch is available here.
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