How to Practically Visit Sundance This Year
The annual Sundance Film Festival kicks off this Thursday, January 28, and for the first time, you don’t have to travel to Utah or queue in the cold to take part. The Sundance Institute hosts virtual film screenings, Q&A groups, and special events so you can watch them in the comfort of your living room (and without leaving).
As with most years, full access passes have sold out before (some things never change), but individual movie tickets are still available for $ 15 for many sessions. The festival offers two modes of viewing: live premieres, which take place in established three-hour windows, and on-demand screenings, which provide access to your chosen films for 24 hours.
How to buy tickets
While you can view your viewing schedule and online ticket availability , navigating the site is easier after you create an account .
From there, check which films and screenings still have tickets by clicking ” Select Show” under the “Ticket for one movie” option.
With Sundance, it is not easy to find out more about each movie (or whether you buy tickets for the premiere or tickets on demand) right from this page, so you have to schedule it separately. Scroll down to view the daily listings in visual format and click on movie titles to read descriptions. It will also show you the times of each view and tell you if there are more tickets available.
Additional tickets may be issued for sold out shows, according to the website, so be sure to check if you are in the mood for a particular movie.
Note: On-demand screenings are not really “on-demand” during the festival. You will only be able to watch purchased movies within 24 hours of their launch on the online platform (no matter what time you actually start watching). Live premieres can start at any time during the 3-hour window, but you will skip the direct Q&A if you are late.
In addition to one-time movie tickets, the $ 25 Explorer Pass is still available. This gives you on-demand access to short films and other media like virtual reality experiences.
How to watch at home
Once you have purchased your tickets, you can view them in the “My Schedule” section of your account. When the preview window opens, a “Watch” button will appear here.
You can watch movies on most devices and most browsers , and cast them to your streaming device or smart TV. There is also a Sundance Film Festival app for AppleTV, FireTV, Android and iOS. You will need to be logged into your Sundance account, and if you have purchased an On Demand View, you will need to make sure it is “added to favorites” and added to “My Schedule” via your browser in order for it to load into the app. Also note that you cannot use the app on multiple devices at the same time.