Just two months from the Sundance Film Festival’s return to in-person programming, which last occurred in 2020, among the newest offerings in 2022 will be the Local Lens program for Utahns. This will include free in-person and online screenings, ticket discounts, student screenings and other features.
The festival, which will include in-person and online programming, will be held Jan. 20-30, with venues for screenings and non-theatrical events slated in Park City and Salt Lake City. Festival organizers have announced that all participants attending the festival in person in Utah must be fully vaccinated with a COVID-19 vaccine that is approved by the World Health Organization. Also, masks will be required for all interior events as well as in queues designated for Sundance venues.
“With the return of an in-person Festival in Utah, we’re looking forward to not only safely bringing together artists and local audiences, but also inviting Utahns to come together online to celebrate storytelling with some special custom perks,” Tabitha Jackson, festival director, says in a prepared statement. “Our filmmakers value and enjoy the chance to get to know our local Festival community up close and personal. We are delighted that this year it will be possible both in person and online, giving Utahns a fantastic range of options in how they choose to participate.”
The Local Lens options are among the most extensive and flexible offered to Utahns in the history of the festival. In-Person Free Screenings for residents in and around Summit and Salt Lake counties will take place Jan. 27-28. Two Summit County screenings have been scheduled for the Park City Library and Redstone Theaters festival venues on Jan. 27. Salt Lake County screenings will be held on both days at the Grand Theatre venue. Additionally, there will be two free Best of Fest screenings in Park City and Salt Lake City on Jan. 30 with each venue exhibiting an award-winning fiction and nonfiction feature from the festival: Eccles Theatre in Park City and the Grand Theatre in Salt Lake City. Films and times will be announced accordingly, after the official slate is announced in December.
Utahns from across the state also can participate in two free festival feature film screenings in their homes, using the official Sundance online platform: Jan, 22 and Jan. 29, which will highlight a Best of Fest award-winning film.
The Sundance Institute will provide Utah high school students the opportunity to watch three screenings of feature-length films and/or view a shorts program during the festival, following by a talkback with the respective independent filmmakers taking questions about themes, storytelling and production. The screenings for high school students will be available through the online platform exclusively, allowing young film lovers in grades 9–12 to participate from anywhere in Utah. Educators interested in having their classes attend an online screening should email studentprograms@sundance.org.
For a limited period, the Salt Lake City package can be purchased at an early bird 20% discount ($100 savings) for $400, starting on December 17, 2021 and available through January 3, 2022, after which the package price will return to $500. Created for Utah residents, this package offers 10 in-person tickets to feature film screenings at all Salt Lake City venues, with early access to ticket selection, and includes all the benefits of the Explorer Pass.
Starting on Jan. 26, the festival will offer a 25% discount on single tickets ($5 savings) for locals for in-person screenings taking place daily for the remaining five days of the festival. Wednesday, Utah residents can receive a $5 discount for up to four single tickets per person, based on availability. Utah residents who have created a Sundance account will receive the discount and tickets can be purchased online or in person at any box office location, beginning Jan. 26.
Festival organizers also have announced venues for screenings and non-theatrical events, which will include live music, panels and networking opportunities, Meanwhile, the Sundance online platform will expand the reach by ensuring accessibility not only for audiences in Utah but also elsewhere.
Park City venues
Screenings (duration of the festival):
The Eccles Theatre, 1750 Kearns Blvd., Park City, UT 84060
The Egyptian Theatre, 328 Main St., Park City, UT 84060
Holiday Village Cinemas, 1776 Park Ave., Park City, UT 84060
The Library Center Theatre, 1225 Park Ave., Park City, UT 84060
Prospector Square Theatre, 2175 Sidewinder Dr., Park City, UT 84060
The Ray Theatre, 1768 Park Ave., Park City, UT 84060
Redstone Cinemas, 6030 Market St., Park City, UT 84098
Non-theatrical events (Jan. 21-25; free and open to all festival patrons):
The Filmmaker Lodge, Elks Building, 550 Main St. (2nd Floor), Park City, UT 84060
The Craft, 950 Iron Horse Drive, Park City, UT 84060
Salt Lake City venues
Screenings (duration of the festival):
The Grand Theatre, 1575 S. State Street, Salt Lake City, UT 84115
Rose Wagner Center, 138 W. Broadway (300 S.) Salt Lake City, UT 84101
Broadway Centre Cinemas (2 screens), 111 E. Broadway (300 South) Salt Lake City, UT 84111
SLC Library Theatre, 210 E. 400 S., Salt Lake City, Utah 84111
Non-theatrical events (hosted by Visit Salt Lake, Jan. 21- 29):
Festival Lounge at Copper Common, 111 E. Broadway #190, Salt Lake City, UT 84111
The Queer Lounge at Twist, 32 Exchange Place, Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Screenings also will be held at the Sundance Mountain Resort Screening Room, 8841 N. Alpine Loop Road, Sundance, UT 84604.
Locals can prepare for the festival by registering online at festival.sundance.org and sign up for Insider emails here. Once the films are announced, details for how to secure tickets to the free screenings and how to take advantage of the discount offer will be on the locals page.
Also, participants and visitors should review the festival’s current guidelines on health and safety at the COVID-19 section of the Festival here.