Sundance will require Covid testing every 48 hours for employees, artists, press & industry

The Sundance Institute will offer free testing to all employees, volunteers, artists, filmmakers, press and industry, contractors, general attendees, and community members at specific locations around the festival. Photo: Sundance Institute

PARK CITY, Utah — Members of the Sundance Institute showcased their COVID-19 protocols to the Summit County Board of Health on Monday for the upcoming Sundance Film Festival in January.

The annual movie celebration will be a hybrid of virtual opportunities along with in-person events. It will run from January 20 to 3o.

“In our planning for this year of the festival, one of the most important considerations has been how to safely bring together artists, audiences, volunteers, employees, really with a paramount focus on the health safety of our community,” Sundance Institute Managing Director Betsy Wallace said at the beginning of the meeting.

“All individuals working, participating, or attending the festival are required to be fully vaccinated with a WHO-approved vaccine — there are no exceptions to this rule,” said Gina Duncan, a Sundance Institute producing director.

They will be utilizing a third-party company to verify proof of vaccination.

“Ticketholders will receive an email instructing them to upload their vaccination card to a third party app, which will be verified by our partner and a QR code will be provided,” Duncan said.

“When a ticket holder arrives at the festival. They will be directed to a testing and vaccine verification hub (TVV) where they will use the QR code or another proof of vax to receive a wristband indicating that they’ve been verified, this wristband is non-removable/non-transferable.”

In the event that someone is not verified at the TVV hub, Sundance will accept QR codes at the theaters but not paper vaccine cards.

Everyone attending the festival is required to wear face masks. “We are training all employees in de-escalation training, that is really key for helping us enforce this piece,” said Yasmin Abbyad, Sundance’s health safety manager.

“Our third-party testing partner will provide free testing to all staff volunteers, artists, talent, press and industry contractors, attendees, and the local community,” Abbyad said.

For testing:

• Employees, volunteers, artists, press & industry are required to be tested within 48 hours prior to arrival or upon arrival at the festival.
• Anyone participating in receptions, parties, or seated meals with more than 20 people will have to show proof of a negative result.
• If any individual tests positive, they are required to quarantine for 10 days (the festival is 10 days).
• Free testing will be made available to anyone during the festival.
• Staff, volunteers, and contractors are required to quarantine for 5 days if they are unmasked while in close proximity to a known positive Covid case.

Sundance employees and volunteers will undergo daily health screenings on top of the frequent tests.

Full Sundance COVID-19 protocols

Tickets for Sundance go on sale on December 17. Films are expected to be announced on Thursday, December 9.