Sundance Film Festival is Entirely online again for 2022
January 13, 2022 9:24 AM Subscribe
Individually Ticketed Films are honestly a great deal at $20 and they go on sale today. The promise of online Sundance last year literally kept me going through the darkest days of covid winter and I am truly grateful they are doing it again this year.
You can get still a pass for the winners weekend if you like surprised and movie marathons. The passes also includes access to the VR stuff which is always pretty cool.
I love the opportunity to see independent films before they get picked up. Pro tip: when you're surfing the individual ticket selections, the ones that say "second screening" are available for 24 hours, and the timed premiers give you access to the (always excellent) Q&As.
You can get still a pass for the winners weekend if you like surprised and movie marathons. The passes also includes access to the VR stuff which is always pretty cool.
I love the opportunity to see independent films before they get picked up. Pro tip: when you're surfing the individual ticket selections, the ones that say "second screening" are available for 24 hours, and the timed premiers give you access to the (always excellent) Q&As.
Abigail Disney confronting her family's labor legacy in these modern times? Yes please.
A lonely man makes a friend out of a mannequin head and a old washing machine? I want that
On the women who managed the underground abortion network in 60s & 70s Chicago? I gotta see it.
A pair of sisters from Atlanta wrote this satire about a megachurch that might be a bit... problematic? I'm in.
A documentary that is making TikTok a little nervous? Tell me more.
Michail K Williams' last role on film? I will watch with a heavy heart. Rest in Peace and Power, King.
Afrofuturism that crushed at Cannes? wow, thank you.
Documentary about the only all-female thrash metal band in the middle east? Rock on!!!
Guy who invented bulletproof vests seems like a real maniac. Imagine that!
Alice? I'm speechless
posted by wowenthusiast at 9:50 AM on January 13, 2022 [10 favorites]
A lonely man makes a friend out of a mannequin head and a old washing machine? I want that
On the women who managed the underground abortion network in 60s & 70s Chicago? I gotta see it.
A pair of sisters from Atlanta wrote this satire about a megachurch that might be a bit... problematic? I'm in.
A documentary that is making TikTok a little nervous? Tell me more.
Michail K Williams' last role on film? I will watch with a heavy heart. Rest in Peace and Power, King.
Afrofuturism that crushed at Cannes? wow, thank you.
Documentary about the only all-female thrash metal band in the middle east? Rock on!!!
Guy who invented bulletproof vests seems like a real maniac. Imagine that!
Alice? I'm speechless
posted by wowenthusiast at 9:50 AM on January 13, 2022 [10 favorites]
No international access for individual showings — Que pasa?
All the packages also look to be unavailable in the UK, apart from the Explorer Pass for Short Film, Indie Episodic, and New Frontier programs :(
posted by penguin pie at 9:53 AM on January 13, 2022 [1 favorite]
All the packages also look to be unavailable in the UK, apart from the Explorer Pass for Short Film, Indie Episodic, and New Frontier programs :(
posted by penguin pie at 9:53 AM on January 13, 2022 [1 favorite]
Awww, sorry international film lovers! I imagine this is so the films can retain eligibility for other festivals.
If it's any consolation, there's ~90 short films and the New Frontier (VR stuff) is usually very very good.
posted by wowenthusiast at 9:57 AM on January 13, 2022 [1 favorite]
If it's any consolation, there's ~90 short films and the New Frontier (VR stuff) is usually very very good.
posted by wowenthusiast at 9:57 AM on January 13, 2022 [1 favorite]
The lack of director names in the program is a bizarre oversight. I know you can click through each one to find out but that seems like a strange decision.
posted by dobbs at 10:10 AM on January 13, 2022
posted by dobbs at 10:10 AM on January 13, 2022
Alice? I'm speechless
*after reading the link* Holy crap, that sounds like a cross between The Village and Antebellum, except good.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:12 AM on January 13, 2022 [1 favorite]
*after reading the link* Holy crap, that sounds like a cross between The Village and Antebellum, except good.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:12 AM on January 13, 2022 [1 favorite]
Glad they went virtual - despite the hit our local economy takes here in Park City - it was the right thing to do. Having tens of thousands of people come in to a small ski town, in a county with the fifth highest Covid case rate in the entire US, would have been insanity……..
posted by inflatablekiwi at 10:26 AM on January 13, 2022 [4 favorites]
posted by inflatablekiwi at 10:26 AM on January 13, 2022 [4 favorites]
It's $20 each to pick individual films, or $75 each if you buy a 10 film package? And the latter is sold out but not the former? What am I missing?
posted by eotvos at 10:39 AM on January 13, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by eotvos at 10:39 AM on January 13, 2022 [2 favorites]
Glad the virtual package looks good because folks who paid for the in-person package are getting screwed. Worse, they're claiming keeping money for the tickets for cancelled events is a virtue because they are a non-profit. "We can help you convert your package into a tax deductible organization... We appreciate your continued support of our nonprofit".
posted by Nelson at 10:41 AM on January 13, 2022 [4 favorites]
posted by Nelson at 10:41 AM on January 13, 2022 [4 favorites]
It's $20 each to pick individual films, or $75 each if you buy a 10 film package? And the latter is sold out but not the former? What am I missing?
The $75 per ticket package was for attending in person. Although it also allows streaming, it's clear that that's an ancillary feature and the whole point of that package was for the in-person festival. Sundance Institute is (very disingenuously, IMO) trying to argue that no refunds are justified because those packages still allow streaming, which would be even more hilarious if it weren't so infuriating.
(I don't disagree with cancelling the in-person events. But not refunding the difference between the festival pass and the streaming-only tickets is insane.)
posted by Expecto Cilantro at 11:15 AM on January 13, 2022 [3 favorites]
The $75 per ticket package was for attending in person. Although it also allows streaming, it's clear that that's an ancillary feature and the whole point of that package was for the in-person festival. Sundance Institute is (very disingenuously, IMO) trying to argue that no refunds are justified because those packages still allow streaming, which would be even more hilarious if it weren't so infuriating.
(I don't disagree with cancelling the in-person events. But not refunding the difference between the festival pass and the streaming-only tickets is insane.)
posted by Expecto Cilantro at 11:15 AM on January 13, 2022 [3 favorites]
But not refunding the difference between the festival pass and the streaming-only tickets is insane
Offf. Didn’t know they had done that - that’s pretty rough. I know people locally who purchased membership at the Egyptian Theatre in Main Street PC this year specifically so that they could early / priority / complimentary tickets to various Sundance showings. That’s a minimum $1000 upwards they spent on that……
posted by inflatablekiwi at 11:59 AM on January 13, 2022
Offf. Didn’t know they had done that - that’s pretty rough. I know people locally who purchased membership at the Egyptian Theatre in Main Street PC this year specifically so that they could early / priority / complimentary tickets to various Sundance showings. That’s a minimum $1000 upwards they spent on that……
posted by inflatablekiwi at 11:59 AM on January 13, 2022
Glad the virtual package looks good because folks who paid for the in-person package are getting screwed. Worse, they're claiming keeping money for the tickets for cancelled events is a virtue because they are a non-profit.
Rule of Acquisition #1: Once you have their money, you never give it back. Sundance is a non-profit, like nearly all festivals are, and if they had to refund their ticket revenue it would hamper operational funding for the following year. Worse, it would pressure other, less well-known and well-funded arts organizations to do the same.
On a similar level, my NYC-living parents got pretty much the same spiel from being 2021 season ticket holders for Roundabout Theatre Company, something like "we will allow you to roll the unused ticker cost into next year's program." We'll see how that goes.
posted by The Pluto Gangsta at 12:47 PM on January 13, 2022 [2 favorites]
Rule of Acquisition #1: Once you have their money, you never give it back. Sundance is a non-profit, like nearly all festivals are, and if they had to refund their ticket revenue it would hamper operational funding for the following year. Worse, it would pressure other, less well-known and well-funded arts organizations to do the same.
On a similar level, my NYC-living parents got pretty much the same spiel from being 2021 season ticket holders for Roundabout Theatre Company, something like "we will allow you to roll the unused ticker cost into next year's program." We'll see how that goes.
posted by The Pluto Gangsta at 12:47 PM on January 13, 2022 [2 favorites]
IIRC The package deal price last year was ~$350 for around 5 days of movies and it was unlimited. They also sold individual tickets last year, and pretty much sold out the whole thing.
This year they had same $750 price for 10 tickets of in person or streaming (same price for both), which was *quite* the jump, but it was always the same price for either or... I'd love to know what % of people with the big pass were reserving in person vs streaming passes before the cancellation.
I do feel extra bad for everyone who was planning to go in person, because I'm sure the networking opportunities and just being around people experiencing so much great art together would have been awesome. Eating hotel reservation costs has gotta really hurt, because that's even more expensive than the pass, and airlines are being so easy on ticket deferrals these days. I can't imagine that the networking in the virtual networking spaceship hits quite the same.
I'm kinda surprised the hotels aren't a bit more lenient on cancellations for this crowd since they could probably fill up a lot of the rooms with happy skiers. I've always heard Sundance is a great time for skiing because ppl are too busy watching movies to crowd the slopes.
I sympathize with all the conference organizers out there trying to do the right thing and stay in business. It is ROUGH out there. SXSW is sending emails about the last day to get discounted badges for march 11-20, and they didn't refund 2020 badges either, but deferred them to another year (ofc, they didn't have time to get any alt content up that year). Everyone I have chatted with in Austin says that Southby 2022 is ON, a little less than 2 months from now. Time will tell.
I hate coronavirus so much. In the meantime, thank the gods we still have art.
posted by wowenthusiast at 12:53 PM on January 13, 2022 [4 favorites]
This year they had same $750 price for 10 tickets of in person or streaming (same price for both), which was *quite* the jump, but it was always the same price for either or... I'd love to know what % of people with the big pass were reserving in person vs streaming passes before the cancellation.
I do feel extra bad for everyone who was planning to go in person, because I'm sure the networking opportunities and just being around people experiencing so much great art together would have been awesome. Eating hotel reservation costs has gotta really hurt, because that's even more expensive than the pass, and airlines are being so easy on ticket deferrals these days. I can't imagine that the networking in the virtual networking spaceship hits quite the same.
I'm kinda surprised the hotels aren't a bit more lenient on cancellations for this crowd since they could probably fill up a lot of the rooms with happy skiers. I've always heard Sundance is a great time for skiing because ppl are too busy watching movies to crowd the slopes.
I sympathize with all the conference organizers out there trying to do the right thing and stay in business. It is ROUGH out there. SXSW is sending emails about the last day to get discounted badges for march 11-20, and they didn't refund 2020 badges either, but deferred them to another year (ofc, they didn't have time to get any alt content up that year). Everyone I have chatted with in Austin says that Southby 2022 is ON, a little less than 2 months from now. Time will tell.
I hate coronavirus so much. In the meantime, thank the gods we still have art.
posted by wowenthusiast at 12:53 PM on January 13, 2022 [4 favorites]
Thanks for the post! Even if I can’t enjoy the festival from Sweden, I love films and I love hearing about things like this.
posted by Bella Donna at 1:35 PM on January 13, 2022
posted by Bella Donna at 1:35 PM on January 13, 2022
I’m excited about the premier of Framing Agnes on Jan 22nd.
posted by needs more cowbell at 7:09 PM on January 13, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by needs more cowbell at 7:09 PM on January 13, 2022 [1 favorite]
To those of you that have done virtual Sundance before, can I watch the same short twice? I'd love to show one or two in my classes, but I'd need to pre-watch.
posted by Trifling at 4:52 PM on January 14, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by Trifling at 4:52 PM on January 14, 2022 [1 favorite]
The indie Slamdance Festival has also switched to all-virtual this year, but in a much nicer way. For the massive sum of $10 you get on-demand access to all of the 28 full-length features (under $1 million budget and currently without U.S. distribution) and 79 short films throughout the duration of the festival, Jan 27 through Feb 6. (They also note on their FAQ page that the vast majority of the 100+ films will be available for streaming internationally.)
posted by mediareport at 8:04 PM on January 15, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by mediareport at 8:04 PM on January 15, 2022 [3 favorites]
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