SUNDANCE - A FESTIVAL VIRGIN'S GUIDE
Festival Basics
A look back at over more than 40 years of film in Park City. more »
Making sense of all of the various sections and sidebars. more »
How to attend the Sundance Film Festival. more »
Frequently asked questions from Sundance virgins. more »
The Sundance Film Festival is perhaps best known as the flagship of the American independent film resurgence in the 1990s, having taken on an almost mythical status amongst many filmmakers. Although the event has also gained some notoriety for the presence of hyperactive press people and the staggering acquisitions deals, behind these so-called excesses is a film festival which, in the face of explosive growth and a good deal of unjustified criticism, has managed to steadfastly retain it’s focus on two of the most important things in a film festival - the filmmakers and the audience.
Sundance has come along way since taking its first bow in 1978 as the Utah/US Film Festival. Not only has it survived a host of adversities from debt to internal politics, hyper-critical press, and the fact that it’s based in a part of America which is not renowned as a hot bed of film industry activity; it has also managed to thrive and take its place on the world stage alongside a select group of festivals, most of which are over twice its age.
Regardless of the myths and the hype, the Sundance of today still feels very much like a real film festival. The program remains centred on discovery and the festival has managed to resist intense industry pressure to refocus its competitive sections on studio or star-driven films. Much of this feeling also stems from a very egalitarian feel to the screenings, where filmmakers and festival-goers attend the same movies, and the post-show Q&A offers fans a chance to really engage with the filmmaker on level not possible at most other events. The lack of the in-your-face commerciality found at many other large festivals is also a refreshing change, and for those attending outside of the publicity, sales, or acquisitions sectors, Sundance has a fairly leisurely pace and friendliness which is unparalleled at events of similar stature. There are no red carpets, no tuxedos, and no limos (although you ain’t seen nothing until you’ve seen a stretch SUV). The king of American film festivals certainly deserves its crown.