Sundance Film Festival

SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL INSIDER TIPS

Never been to Park City Sundance Film Festival?   Here are our helpful hints:

• Book lodging as soon as possible. Lodging fills up fast. It’s a great time to ski, because the mountain is empty. Our ski-in, ski-out condo at Park City Mountain is an ideal home base. Not only are you just steps from Payday lift, but the free Park City Shuttle buses stop right in front of the resort, and take you to (and from) all the film venues, Deer Valley, The Canyons, and Main Street. Take a 5 minute shuttle ride and avoid the hassles of finding a parking space during Sundance (Main Street is very crowded), and getting stuck in traffic.
• Transportation – No need to rent a car during Sundance. Take a low cost shuttle or an Uber or Lyft from the airport and let Park City’s free in town buses shuttle you around for free! Also, several film venues are walking distance from our condo at Resort Plaza (Library Center, Eygyptian Theatre, and Holiday Village Cinemas Cinemark).
• You don’t have to spend a fortune on a Festival Pass to see films – Visit www.sundance.org to see all the options for obtaining tickets. You can register for ticket Passes and Package sales (sign-up begins in September); purchase individual tickets online (after package purchasers select their films); or wait until you arrive in Park City and try to obtain seats via the Wait List. FYI, about 10% of venue seats become available for folks in the Wait List line. Wait List success increases with large venue showings, and films that have already played once. Head to the box office before 8am and you can wait in line to purchase any available leftover seats for that day.
• Share a ticket package with friends – You CAN purchase a Festival Pass with unlimited access to any film, but if you are in town to take advantage of the empty ski slopes as well, try splitting one of the ticket packages (10-20 tickets) with a friend. While the Passes are non-transferable, Packages are transferable, and still put you ahead of the Individual Ticket purchasers for choosing your films. www.sundance.org.
• Dining – Consider making some dinner reservations a month ahead. Some restaurants are closed during Sundance for private parties. Others don’t take reservations during the festival, or limit reservation times to prior to 6:30pm and after 9:00pm. Of course, hanging out in a crowded bar waiting for a table can be part of the fun atmosphere too…
• Merchandise – Hit one of the several Sundance stores early in your stay, as many sizes sell out as the week progresses. Or check on-line beforehand. Clothing sizes seem to run small, so order a size up.
• Star Gazing – Keep your eyes open. Celebrities aren’t just at film premiers and on Main Street. We’ve spotted them on chairlifts, in rental shops, at the 7-Eleven and eating lunch on the mountain. Have fun!