Sundance Film Festival 2021: How to Buy Tickets and Reserve Virtual Seats?

The Sundance Film Festival is still weeks away, but at one of the 70-plus streaming premieres, Thursday is a critical day for both the general public and those business passholders who want to guarantee their first-come, first-served virtual seats.

Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival

On Thursday at 11 a.m., public tickets and passes go on sale. MT/1 p.m. PT/noon MT. For CT/2 p.m. ET. The et. This year, time zones are also relevant, since anybody with a computer and internet connection can access the virtual screenings of the festival anywhere in the US (the VR program is available internationally). Tickets launch at 15 bucks.

Industry participants with regular passes will begin making reservations for interactive premiere screenings at the same time on Thursday. Space is minimal and first come, first served, so if there’s a particular film you want to see at the first showing, it’s vital to make a reservation earlier rather than later. The deadline for reservations ends at 5 p.m. on January 28. PT/8:00 p.m. ET.

Many of the action will take place online, but for satellite previews, Sundance has also collaborated with theaters and drive-ins across the world. Explore satellite screens bellow.

It can be difficult to manage every simulated festival, considering the numerous rules, windows, and play scheduling. To plan for the event, which runs from January 28 to February 3, here’s what you need to hear. Searching for ideas about what to see? Eric Kohn of IndieWire has a glimpse of some hidden secrets, surprises, and other possible breakouts from the lineup this year.

Also Read: Most Awaited Movies of 2021 & Their Release Dates

Public Access

The Sundance Film Festival this year, is more open than ever: in order to be among the first to see upcoming indie classics and make thrilling cinematic discoveries, you won’t need to go to Utah.

There are many options for the festival, ranging from single-film tickets to passes that give virtually all-you-can-eat access to the whole lineup. More below on that.

‘Sundance Film Festival’ has designed the experience of the virtual festival around the dominance of a live, virtual premiere intended to mimic the community and buzz that is a core component of any first screening of a brick and mortar festival. If you purchase a single-film ticket or card, you will reserve a “seat” that will allow you to partake in an immersive experience of the waiting room, start streaming a movie at a certain time, and then join in after the screening on a live Q&A.

You don’t have to start watching a movie precisely at its premiere time, however, you have a three-hour span to start watching a movie you have a seat for. As long as you complete the movie within four hours, you can take as many breaks as you want. Alternatively, within a 24-hour on-demand window that opens two days after the premiere, your ticket or pass would encourage you to watch a given film at any time.

Premiere screenings in blocks are arranged. There will usually be two to five films per block to pick from, and five blocks per day from noon to midnight ET (9 a.m. to 9 p.m. PT). The final day to reserve a premiere seat is January 28, but passholders will be eligible to watch any movie that has not hit capacity during its premiere window. In addition, passholders can watch a second film in any given premiere block provided the three-hour window has not run out and the second film of their choosing has capacity.

All of the talks and activities are available for free worldwide. Next week, the lineup will be announced.

Planning is crucial for any good Sundance event with different windows and ways to watch. The easiest way to plan is to create an account on the online site and use the handy scheduling software from Sundance to discover the lineup.

Ticket options are as follows.

Single-Film Ticket:

$15 a day during the festival for either a premiere or on-demand viewing except Awards Day (Wednesday). Tickets are limited. United States viewers only. If there are one or two movies that you know you want to watch, you should buy them.

Festival Pass:

On-demand previews of award-winning films on February 3, plus on-demand access to the Independent Movies, shorts, and Modern Frontier services. $350 for unrestricted access to debut and on-demand screenings (which have limited capacity). On sale until 22 January. United States viewers only.

If you want full freedom to explore the lineup and make observations by engaging in multiple premieres over several days, you can purchase it. In addition to word-of-mouth chatter, this also allows you the full flexibility to watch titles.

Day Pass:

$75 to access the Indie Series, shorts, and New Frontier programs for a full day of premieres and on-demand screenings, plus on-demand access. Not available on February 3 for opening night, January 28, or Awards Day. On sale until 22 January. United States viewers only.

If you can spend a single day making the most of your at-home festival experience, you should buy it. It’s easy to get your money’s worth, whether you choose a nonstop marathon or just a few premieres paired with some on-demand selections.

Award Winners Pass:

Once they’re announced, $100 to view all 32 audience-and jury-award winning films. However, for one day, February 3, they will only be accessible on request. On-demand access to the Independent Movies, shorts, and Modern Frontier programs is also included. United States viewers only.

If you are less interested in experimentation and more interested in being among the first to watch any of the films that will dominate conversation and win important awards over the next year, you can purchase it. But don’t expect anything you’ve paid for to be able to watch, however.

Explorer Pass:

$25 for the duration of the festival to view the Independent Series, shorts, and Modern Frontier programs on demand. This is the first general public pass open to foreign viewers, but only the Current Frontier initiative would be accessible to those overseas.

If you live outside the US or are on a tight schedule, you still want your own Sundance experience at home, you can buy it. Or, if you are interested in the non-feature options from Sundance, this is an especially good choice for those interested in VR.

Note that most selections from the Modern Frontier are available on demand, some of which contain live performances. Those are used with both passes as well.

To buy tickets and learn more please click on the following button:

Business Pass:

Premiere seats are guaranteed for those who have all-access keys. But for a guarantee they can get a spot, general passholders will have to pick which movies they want to see in advance.

Sundance has developed the experience of the virtual festival on the superiority of a live, virtual premiere designed to mirror the culture and hype that is so embedded in the experience of Sundance. Getting a seat at a premiere ensures that after the screening you will be able to partake in an immersive waiting room environment, start streaming a film at a particular time, and then join in on a live Q&A.

You don’t have to start watching a movie precisely at its premiere time, however, you have a three-hour span to start watching a movie you have a seat for. As long as you finish the movie within four hours, you can take as many breaks as you want.

Premiere screenings in blocks are arranged. There will usually be two to five films per block to pick from, and five blocks per day from noon to midnight ET (9 a.m. to 9 p.m. PT). The final day to reserve a premiere seat is January 28, but passholders will be eligible to watch any movie that has not hit capacity during its premiere window. In addition, passholders can watch a second film in any given premiere block provided the three-hour window has not run out and the second film of their choosing has capacity.

The reservation window for the premiere will open on Thursday and close on January 28.

Alternatively, in the two windows after the premiere, you will watch a video on demand. The first window, lasting 24 hours, opens the morning after the premiere and is confined to the press and business. In this window, per normal pass requires 10 films to be viewed; a view is counted 20 minutes into the movie. Ability is limited.

Two days after the premiere, the next window starts and runs for 24 hours. It is accessible to the general public and does not count against your 10 views, but there could be restricted space.

All industry passes allow access to the Modern Frontier, Indie Series, and short programs on demand; talks and events; immersive film parties; and a virtual analogue of Park City’s Main Street, the Festival Village.

Passes for business are also available and will be on sale until 14th January.

How to Watch?

At first, you’re going to have to set up your schedule on a computer where you’ll have direct access to the web interface of Sundance. Your best option is to either connect your machine to a TV to watch movies, or browse your options via the app.

For Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, iOS, and Android, Sundance’s apps are available. Again, you’re going to have to set your film schedule on the screen ahead of time. You will watch live Q&As, but with the applications, you will not be able to join in them or enter the waiting room.

—Times Read

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