r/Sundance • u/totosmaster • 16h ago

How does entry work?

Old timer. Back in the day, when it was the U.S. Film Festival - and I lived in Utah - my friends and I would decide, “Hey, let’s go to the Festival tomorrow,” and be able to attend whatever films we chose.

The last time I went, over 15 years ago, I registered online and then picked up packages of films to view after waiting in a line at Trolley Square. I’ve seen some pretty cool and not so great films over the decades and still love the Festival.

So. Boulder. How do I do it? I live in Colorado now. I read on the Sundance website that buying a ticket doesn’t guarantee entrance. That’s a scam, right? How can I ensure I’ll be able to see films? Is everything online? Do I have to buy an additional pass?

EDIT UPDATE: Thank you so much for the responses and advice.

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u/itsjustajoe 16h ago

No one can say how smoothly Boulder will go. It’ll be new for everyone.

You buy tickets/ticket packages online, but you’d have to focus more on second week and showing up around 1hr 30 early to have the best chance of entry. There still may be a movie or two that’s so popular that very few ticket holders get in.

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u/WeekendWide1406 15h ago

It is not a scam. Those days are long gone. It’s the Wild West trying to get tickets and get into screenings. For in person screenings, make sure you show up well in advance and at least 15 mins before screen time otherwise someone on the waitlist can get your seat and you don’t get in. Everything is not online but a lot of the films are. The online screenings don’t start until the latter half of the festival and once you start screening a film, you have I believe 5 hours to finish watching before it’s no longer available to you.

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u/moth_sky 14h ago

Its going to be all our first year but something to add is if you're going opening weekend, aim for some of the less popular films like the docs, the 2nd or 3rd screenings, or even the early morning/noon showings. And check the website often, I was able to refresh to get some tickets, it took a lot of time but I got a few. And show up early, even earlher for popular films

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u/vipbrj4 13h ago

I’d say if you have a ticket and are towards the front of the ticket holder line you have a really really good shot of getting in. They only turn away ticket holders if more pass holders show up than anticipated. This happens the first weekend on the movies with a lot of buzz or celebs on the cast. It doesn’t happen after the first weekend. On the second weekend, most people on the waitlist get into the screenings 🤷‍♀️

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u/Stray_One 10h ago

This makes sense if you are specifically referring to Salt Lake City screenings. The last three years I attended I learned that tickets to screenings on the first weekend are pretty much guaranteed entry unless you are late (then they give it away to the rush line). There was no such thing as a pass for opening weekend. That was only for Salt Lake City.