For more than four decades, the Sundance Film Festival has been a cornerstone of independent cinema culture, fostering a community of storytellers and cinephiles. Each year, thousands of attendees gather for a mix of film premieres and episodic screenings, talks, and events.
Senior Programmer and Director of Strategic Initiatives John Nein explains that there are many types of movie-going behaviors and says that passes are structured to appeal to a wide variety of individuals. “You can decide based on your lifestyle how many films you plan to watch,” he says.
Even those on the extremely enthusiastic end. “The first year that I went to Sundance, I watched 23 movies in five days,” he says. “I don't know how many people actually do that. But there's a pass or package for that.”
For attendees, the first step is selecting a pass, ticket package, or single ticket.
A Pass for Every Pace
Passes and ticket packages go on sale in mid-October. The Full Festival Ticket Package provides unlimited access to screenings and priority entry. For those who’d rather bypass the fulfillment process and see a film whenever they want, the Second Half Express Pass grants access to all screenings, no advance selection required.
In mid-December, program announcements and schedules become available, with ticket package fulfillment (when you select the exact films you want to see) opening in January. Package holders have priority selection over Single Film Ticket holders.
“Tickets do go quickly. It's probably good to note that those fulfillment windows are real, and you have to put them on your calendar,” John says.
For people who are curious about films but don’t feel the need to be in the first screening, this year brings a new option. “The Encore Ticket Package is where you can get tickets for everything except the first screening of a film,” John says.
And if you’re just looking to pick a specific film or two, there’s also a set time when individual tickets go on sale.
“What’s important to know is that all packages have an earlier fulfillment window before that,” John says. “During this period, package holders can choose their films in advance. So if you’re set on seeing something and don’t want to risk it selling out, a package gives you that earlier access.”
For individuals with more free time during weekdays, John points to another new option this year, the Matinee Package, which runs Monday through Friday for any film that starts before 5 p.m. For moviegoers who might have a hard time making the festival in person, there are several online options to choose from. Students, aged 18–25, can purchase the Ignite Ticket Package, a more affordable option built for their budgets, to work in screenings when their schedules allow.
How to Navigate the Festival
When choosing movie times, you’ll want to factor in travel time between venues. “People are going to feel how much closer things are to one another,” John says, noting that the pedestrian footprint is one of the draws of hosting the festival in Boulder. And for locals, the festival brings a fresh lens to even the most well-known spaces. “I kind of love the idea of a place that might seem familiar actually being new in a certain way to people who come to visit,” John says about certain renovations.
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Festival Venues
Around Town
Boulder Theater
Canyon Theater
Casey Middle School
Chautauqua Auditorium
Cinemark Century
Dairy Arts Center (Boedecker Theater, Grace Gamm Theater, and Gordon Gamm Theater)
eTown Hall
On CU’s Campus
Macky Auditorium
Muenzinger Auditorium
Old Main
Roe Green Theatre
“You can decide based on your lifestyle how many films you plan to watch." – John Nein