The festival consists of competitive sections for American and international dramatic and documentary films, both feature films and short films, and a group of out-of-competition sections, including NEXT, New Frontier, Spotlight, Midnight, Sundance Kids, From the Collection, Premieres, and Documentary Premieres.
The festival's role has always been to present new and interesting stories from new and interesting filmmakers and, hopefully, that won't ever change. But film festivals as a necessary part of the industry is an easy to overlook part of Sundance. The business is cyclical on its own, like anything else.
The first step is to complete the online submission form, then send a copy of your film to the address provided. The festival receives over 12,500 submissions for around 275 berths, so the chances of selection are quite slim.
Films are included by invitation only and are normally selected on the basis of their compelling stories or innovative approaches. The selection usually includes around 15 films of each type, both from US and international directors.
How to get accepted at film festivals (full guide)
What are the odds of getting into Sundance?
Even people with only a passing interest in cinema are familiar with the phrase “Sundance bidding war” or “Sundance darling”. When you consider the odds on such a lottery ticket, bear in mind that 98% of the feature films submitted to Sundance for the 2024 festival were rejected.
Most screenings and panels at Sundance are open to the general public, in addition to many industry professionals who regularly attend. However, the level of access to everything at the festival varies. Sundance Film Festival tickets, packages and passes can be purchased on the Sundance Film Festival website.
Though it usually attracts movie enthusiasts, celebrities and industry professionals from around the globe, you don't have to be a VIP to attend – anyone can buy tickets and enjoy the Festival.
Open submissions to our U.S. Feature Film categories must be world premieres, while open submissions to our International Feature Films categories must be international premieres. However, we reserve the right to select projects for some out-of-competition programs that do not meet these requirements.
The Sundance Film Festival is the ultimate gathering of original storytellers and audiences seeking new voices and fresh perspectives. Our annual program includes dramatic and documentary features, short films, and episodic content.
Some celebrities fly into Salt Lake City – where they're greeted by paparazzi and crowds — but others try to stay out of the spotlight until they walk the red carpet. Those VIPs typically opt to land at the Heber Valley Airport instead, as it's the closest airport to the festival and only private planes can land there.
Any narrative or non-scripted work of fiction originating from within the United States with a running time of 50 minutes or more. In order to qualify as a U.S. Narrative Feature Film, the submitted project must be either scripted or improvisational fiction, or a fictionalization of actual events, and at least half of ...
Does Robert Redford own the Sundance Film Festival?
Founded by Robert Redford in 1981, the Sundance Institute took over the festival in 1985 and changed its name to the United States Film Festival. It wasn't renamed the Sundance Film Festival until 1991.
Remember to layer, choose warm and waterproof footwear, and opt for fashionable yet practical outerwear pieces like faux fur, puffies, or parkas. With the right outfit, you'll be ready for any event, activity, or (fingers crossed) exclusive invite that comes your way during the Sundance Film Festival.
The team watches every single submission, before allowing less than one percent of those submitted into theaters. Worried about whether it's the right time in your career to submit, or whether your film is 'Sundance-ready'? Don't be. “Once you submit a film to Sundance, you get into our system.
How much does it cost to enter Sundance Film Festival?
For the hefty amount of $350, you can get yourself a 'Festival Pass', for unlimited access to premieres and on-demand screenings, the perks of the 'Award Winners Pass' and on-demand access to Sundance Festivals indie short films and indie series.
Which films are screening at Sundance? The Sundance program is split into 12 categories — including the U.S. and World Cinema Dramatic and Documentary Competitions, plus Midnight, NEXT, Premieres, Special Screenings, Spotlight and more — and comprises 82 feature films in total this year.
Sundance is expensive. If you can allot the time and money to go, you'll want to make the most of your experience. So here's how to make it even more worth your while.
2024 Festival artists and storytellers will be engaging in Beyond Film talks and events — Power of Story, Cinema Café presented by Audible, and The Big Conversation — including Steven Soderbergh (Director, Presence), Jesse Eisenberg (Writer-Director and Actor, A Real Pain), Chiwetel Ejiofor (Writer-Director and Actor, ...
SPECS. For Sundance, features must run 50 minutes or longer and be World Premieres for U.S. films or International Premieres—except for those films in the curated, invitation-only “Spotlight” category. The festival accepts 120 features from a pool of around 5,000 submissions.
There is no doubt that the mind-bending features, hard-hitting documentaries, shorts, rom-drams, rom-coms, and animated works at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival are the focal point of the 10-day mega-event, for which thousands of A-list celebrities and industry folk descend upon the snowy mountaintops of Park City, ...
There is strong demand for passes, packages, and tickets to Sundance screenings. To cope with this, the Sundance Institute operates a pre-registration system to allow festivalgoers to express their interest in purchasing passes, packages, or individual ticket(s).
