A still from “Maiden” by Alex Holmes, an official selection of the Spotlight program at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. (Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Tracy Edwards)
Celebrating more than 40 years of cinematic excellence, the 2019 Sundance Film Festival is fast approaching.
This year’s lineup features over 100 works, ranging from “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile,” the story of Ted Bundy starring Zac Efron, to “Crime + Punishment,” a documentary about the 2015 class action lawsuit over illegal policing quotas in New York City.
Screenings take place across 24 venues from Park City to Salt Lake City. The two main venues are the Eccles Theatre in Park City and the Grand Theatre at Salt Lake Community College’s South City Campus.
Landing tickets to get into screenings can require some maneuvering.
If possible, tickets should be purchased in advance at box offices or online through the Sundance website.
In the event tickets are sold out for a screening, arriving few hours early and getting on a wait-list is the next-best method of securing tickets. Keeping an eye out for festivalgoers selling spare tickets can be worthwhile as tickets are often resold at face value. Otherwise, be prepared for long lines.
No parking will be provided through the festival, and with more than 120,000 people visiting Salt Lake City and Park City, street parking will be considerably harder to come by.
If catching a screening in Park City is on the docket, try to arrive early in the morning. For shorter and local commutes, both Park City and Salt Lake City boast clean, reliable and inexpensive public transports.
There’s plenty of ways to stay entertained when not in a line.
The Freshmarket on Park Ave. in Park City is considered one of the best locations for spotting celebrities. And if a Robert Redford sighting is of notable interest, he’s often found winding down at his restaurant Zoom, post-screening.
Easily recognizable faces will be abundant throughout Park City, so a chance sighting in a restaurant or hotel won’t be uncommon.
Michelle Williams and Julianne Moore appear in “After The Wedding” by Bart Freundlich, an official selection of the Premieres program at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. (Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Julio Macat, ASC)
Noah Jupe appears in “Honey Boy” by Alma Har’el, an official selection of the U.S. Dramatic Competition at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. (Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Natasha Braier)
Clara Rugaard appears in “I Am Mother” by Grant Sputore, an official selection of the Premieres program at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. (Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Ian Routledge)
A still from “APOLLO 11” by Todd Miller, an official selection of the U.S. Documentary Competition at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. (Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Neon CNN Films)
Kara Hayward and Liana Liberato appear in “To The Stars” by Martha Stephens, an official selection of the U.S. Dramatic Competition at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. (Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Andrew Reed)
Emma Thompson appears in “Late Night” by Nisha Ganatra, an official selection of the Premieres program at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. (Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Emily Aragones)
Jenny Slate appears in The Sunlit Night by David Wnendt, an official selection of the Premieres program at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. (Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Eirik Evjen)
Peter Sarsgaard appears in “The Sound of Silence” by Michael Tyburski, an official selection of the U.S. Dramatic Competition at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. (Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Eric Lin)
Griffin Gluck and Pete Davidson appear in “Big Time Adolescence” by Jason Orley, an official selection of the U.S. Dramatic Competition at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. (Courtesy of Sundance Institute)
David Oyelowo and Storm Reid appear in “Relive” by Jacob Estes, an official selection of the Premieres program at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. (Courtesy of Sundance Institute)
A still from “Mike Wallace Is Here” by Avi Belkin, an official selection of the U.S. Documentary Competition at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. (Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by CBS News)
Jillian Bell appears in “Brittany Runs A Marathon” by Paul Downs Colaizzo, an official selection of the Shorts Programs at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. (Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Jon Pack)
Viveik Kalra, Nell Williams, and Aaron Phagura appear in “Blinded by the Light” by Gurinder Chadha, an official selection of the Premieres program at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. (Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Nick Wall)
Matthias Schoenaerts appears in “The Mustang” by Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre, an official selection of the Premieres program at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. (Courtesy of Sundance Institute)
Maxwell Simba appears in “The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind” by Chiwetel Ejiofor, an official selection of the Premieres program at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. (Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Ilze Kitshoff)
Rene Russo and Jake Gyllenhaal appear in “Velvet Buzzsaw” by Dan Gilroy, an official selection of the Premieres program at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. (Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Claudette Barius)
Blythe Danner and John Lithgow appear in “The Tomorrow Man” by Noble Jones, an official selection of the Premieres program at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. (Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Noble Jones)