Sundance is weeks away, but many festival attendees must act now to ensure that their virtual seats are reserved.
The Sundance Film Festival is still weeks away, but Thursday is a crucial day for the general public and for many industry pass holders who want to secure their virtual seats on a first-come, first-served basis over one of more than 70 online premieres. .
Public tickets and passes will go on sale on Thursday at 11am PT / noon MT / 1pm CT / 2pm ET. Time zones are indeed important this year, because anyone with a computer and 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, on Thursday, industry members with standard passes can start making reservations for debut virtual exhibits. Capacity is limited and first come is served first, so it is important to make a reservation as soon as possible if there is a specific movie you want to see during the first screening. The reservation window closes on January 28 at 5 pm PT / 8 pm ET.
Much of the action will take place online, but Sundance has also partnered with cinemas and drive-ins across the country for satellite displays. More about that here.
Navigating any virtual festival can be challenging, given the various rules, windows and times at play. Here is everything you need to know to prepare for the festival, which runs from January 28th to February 3rd. Looking for ideas of what to see? Eric Kohn of IndieWire has a sneak preview of some hidden gems, surprises and other potential discoveries from this year’s lineup.
General public
This year’s festival is more accessible than ever: you don’t have to go to Utah to be among the first to watch future indie hits and make exciting cinematic discoveries.
The festival has several options, from tickets for a single film to passes that allow almost free access to the entire program. More on that below.
Sundance built the virtual festival experience around the supremacy of a live virtual premiere designed to mirror the community and the buzz that is a fundamental part of any real festival display. If you buy a ticket or pass for a single film, you can reserve a “seat” that will allow you to participate in an interactive waiting room experience, start broadcasting a film at a specific time, and then participate in a session questions and answers live after screening.
However, you don’t have to start watching a movie right at the premiere time – you have a three-hour window to start watching a movie for which you have a seat. You can take as many breaks as you like, as long as you finish the movie in four hours. Alternatively, your ticket or pass will allow you to watch a particular movie at any time during a 24-hour on-demand period, which opens two days after its premiere.
The debut sessions are organized in blocks. There will generally be two to five films to choose from per block, with five blocks per day from noon to midnight ET (9am to 9pm PT). The last day to reserve a place for a premiere is January 28, but pass holders will be able to watch any film during their opening window that has not reached maximum capacity. In addition, pass holders can watch a second film on any premiere block if the three-hour window has not run out and there is capacity for the second film of their choice.
All lectures and events are available free worldwide. The schedule will be announced next week.
With windows and varied ways of watching, planning is the key to any successful Sundance experience. The best way to prepare is to create an account on the online platform and explore the schedule using Sundance’s useful scheduling tools.
Here is a summary of the ticket options.
Ticket for a single film: $ 15 for a premiere or on-demand screening on any day of the festival, except on Awards Day (Wednesday). Tickets are limited. US audience only.
You must buy if: There are one or two films that you know you want to see.
Festival pass: $ 350 for unlimited access to premiere and on-demand projections (which have limited capacity), award-winning film screenings on February 3, as well as on-demand access to indie series, shorts and New Frontier programs. On sale until January 22. Only for the public in the USA.
You must buy if: You want maximum flexibility to explore the schedule and make discoveries by participating in several premieres over the course of several days. It also gives you maximum flexibility to watch headlines in response to word of mouth buzz.
Daily pass: $ 75 to access an entire day’s worth of premieres and screenings on demand, as well as on-demand access to the Indie series, shorts and New Frontier programs. Unavailable on the opening night, January 28, or on the award day on February 3. On sale until January 22. Only for the public in the United States.
You must buy if: You can dedicate a single day to make the most of your festival experience at home. Whether you choose a non-stop marathon or just a few premieres combined with a few selections on demand, it’s easy to make your money’s worth.
Award winners pass: $ 100 to access all 32 jury and audience award winning films after their announcement. However, they will only be available on demand for one day, February 3rd. On-demand access to Indie series, shorts and New Frontier programs is also included. US audience only.
You must buy if: You are less interested in discoveries and more interested in being one of the first to watch some of the films that will dominate the conversation and win major awards next year. But don’t expect to be able to watch everything you’ve paid for.
Explorer pass: $ 25 to access the Indie Series, short and New Frontier programs on demand during the festival. This is the only general public pass available to the international public, although those abroad can only access the New Frontier program.
You must buy if: You live outside the United States or have a tight budget, but still want to have your own Sundance experience at home. Or, if you are interested in offers unrelated to Sundance; this is a particularly good option for those interested in VR.
Please note that most New Frontier selections are available on demand, some include live performances. These are included in all passes.
To learn more about or to buy tickets and passes, visit the Sundance website.
Industry
Those with full access passes have guaranteed debut seats. But passport holders will generally need to choose which films they want to see in advance to be sure of getting a seat.
Sundance built the virtual festival experience around the supremacy of a live virtual premiere designed to mirror the community and excitement that are so ingrained in the Sundance experience. Having a seat at a premiere means you can participate in an interactive waiting room experience, start broadcasting a film at a specific time, and then participate in a live question and answer session after the screening.
However, you don’t have to start watching a movie right at the premiere time – you have a three-hour window to start watching a movie for which you have a seat. You can take as many breaks as you like, as long as you finish the movie in four hours.
The debut exhibitions are organized in blocks. There will generally be two to five films to choose from per block, with five blocks per day from noon to midnight ET (9am to 9pm PT). The last day to reserve a place for a premiere is January 28, but pass holders will be able to watch any film during their opening window that has not reached maximum capacity. In addition, pass holders can watch a second film on any premiere block if the three-hour window has not run out and there is capacity for the second film of their choice.
The debut booking window opens Thursday and ends January 28.
Alternatively, you can watch a movie on demand during two windows after the premiere. The first window starts the morning after the premiere, lasts 24 hours and is restricted to the press and industry. Each standard passage allows the viewing of 10 films in this window; a screening is counted 20 minutes in the film. Capacity is limited.
The next window starts two days after the premiere and lasts 24 hours. It is 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 shorts programs; lectures and events; interactive movie parties; and Festival Village, a virtual analogue of Park City’s main street.
Industry passes are still available and will go on sale until January 14th.
How to watch
First, you will have to configure 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 have to set your movie schedule on your computer in advance. You can watch questions and answers live, but you will not be able to participate in them or access the waiting room through applications.
More information on how to watch is available here.
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