Sundance 2022 is Back!
Sundance 2022. For those who absolutely love the energy and excitement of a bustling series of film premieres in the lively atmosphere of a major film festival, Sundance 2021 must have been a major disappointment. Sure, the COVID Pandemic was still raging despite global vaccine efforts but there’s really no way to make even a renowned international film festival genuinely exciting without holding it in person.
Because Sundance 2021 was entirely digital and held in streaming, the 2022 edition is likely to be met with ever more appreciation. This is what film fans are doubtlessly hoping for even if their main interest is the movie presentations themselves, and would-be attendees are without a doubt looking forward to the event.
Here are the essential details for next year’s hotly anticipated Sundance Festival:
(Steve Griffin | Tribune photo)
What?
For those of you who are still hazy on the details, the Sundance Film Festival was first held in 1991 after being founded in part by none other than Robert Redford with the help of several industry associates who had previously organized their own festivals around the same theme.
The event has been held every year since then and each edition is jam-packed with indie film screenings by creators both famous and unknown, panel discussions featuring numerous famous attendees, musical performances and creative exhibitions as well. The climactic point of this huge international cinema marathon is the awards ceremony, in which winning films are named along with runner-ups.
Numerous major directors working today first kicked their careers into gear specifically because of screenings or awards gained at Sundance. Just a few of the famous names with Sundance-created big breaks include: Quentin Tarantino, Darren Aronofsky, Paul Thomas Anderson, Steven Soderbergh and Kevin Smith. The festival is considered one of the premiere film events for introducing worldwide audiences to new talent.
When and Where?
Sundance is held each year between January 20th and January 30th with the festival’s events spread out between the luxury resort town of Park City, Utah, the state capital of Salt Lake City and of course at the Sundance Resort, which was founded by Robert Redford as well and established as a resort complex in the decades before the Sundance Festival itself.
Needless to say, there are many options available for accommodation and specific events within the festival across its three locations. This makes attending into a bit of a logistical juggle that’s nonetheless very much worth the effort if you’re not from the areas in which the festival is being held.
Visitors from San Diego take photographs in front of the Egyptian Theatre Thursday, Jan. 28, 2021, in Park City, Utah. – AP
Who?
Sundance 2022 promises a major lineup of talent and highly anticipated screenings. One of the most buzz-worthy according to many media watchers will be Kanye West, who’s presenting his three-part documentary series called “jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy” at Sundance 2022. The series was bought by Netflix for $30 million in the spring of 2021 and includes exclusive footage from the oddball life of this particular rapper.
Another high profile selection at the 2022 event will be the documentary “We Need to Talk About Cosby”, by CNN host and stand-up comedian W. Kamau Ball, which examines the damaged legacy of Bill Cosby following numerous allegations against him of rape.
Then of course, there are the many exciting and dramatic film selections, which total up to 82 movies, with 42% of these coming from first-time directors. This is 12 more than were screened digitally in 2021. One notable example among these: the low-budget horror movie by Hazanavicius’, called “Final Cut,” in which a group of low budget filmmakers have to struggle for survival against a zombie attack.
These are just some of the selections that you can look forward to at next year’s Sundance. Out of over 80 others, we can absolutely promise you a unique experience from at least a few of them, not to mention the interesting discussions and other events that interweave the film screenings themselves.
Kanye West in a scene from the upcoming Sundance documentary “jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy.” – AP
How Much?
The curious thing about the prices of Sundance events is that they’re actually quite affordable individually or even in package deals. The festival is entirely open to the public and one of its motives has always been to encourage that same general public to attend and take an interest in film. Because of this, tickets to any individual screening cost only $20. This price also happens to include the after-screening in-person panel discussion with the creators and actors for each film.
Larger ticket package combos are also available at variable prices. The website of the Sundance Festival itself offers one package for the whole festival, which includes tickets to 10 different screenings along with other related events for $750. Yet another package offers you access to all of the award-winning screenings for more modest $300.
Other costs such as reaching any of the Event’s three Utah destinations or finding accommodation are separate from the above prices.
You can of course also attend the festival digitally. One beneficial consequence of the pandemic and the entirely streamed 2021 Sundance Festival has been the introduction of a streaming version of all of the 2022 presentations. The organizers are promoting this too with an eye towards the PR around demonstrating concern over possible COVID hazards. The different prices for access to the online screenings are available here, on the Sundance Institute’s news page.
Getting There and Away
If you’re really set on attending 2022 Sundance in style and comfort, there’s one very simple, comfortable and utterly convenient way of reaching the cinematic event’s three locations. You can hire your own private jet. This option offers the ultimate in convenience, crowd avoidance and comfort for arriving right at the doorstep of the event itself and within a short drive of your favorite mountain lodge or hotel suite. Flex Air Aviation offers highly flexible private charter travel options to a 2022 film experience like few others.