Sundance Film Festival criticized over no-refund policy

The Sundance Film Festival begins virtually on Thursday. Photo: Michele Roepke

PARK CITY, Utah — People who purchased ticket packages prior to the Sundance Film Festival’s pivot to an entirely online event are finding out that the nonprofit is not offering refunds.

Following a surge of complaints to their customer service department, the Sundance Institute is now offering package holders partial credit for next year’s event (more info below).

Before the surge of the COVID-19 Omicron variant changed the festival’s plans, Park City residents Teresa Ou and her husband bought two hybrid festival packages at $750 apiece, a combined total of $1,500. The package included ten tickets to in-person or online screenings during the festival, which starts on Thursday.

She said they intended to attend films in person. They were excited, given that it was their first experience at Sundance.

After the in-person portion of the festival was canceled, which Ou called the “right decision,” they were shocked to find out what they had purchased was non-refundable.

They were now paying roughly $75 per ticket for virtual screenings. Now that single film tickets have opened up; you can purchase an individual online screening for $20 apiece.

“If it’s going to be a virtual showing, why would we buy two packages?

“I think there were a lot of really, really upset people,” Ou said.

“It seems like they’re treating the people who opted to buy their packages early…[Sundance is] basically making them going to resent Sundance and not want to support it in the future,” she said.

Despite the couple now receiving $400 in credit for next year’s festival, they remain unsatisfied.

“At this point, I don’t really care if I’ve never had the Sundance experience. This has so soured us on it. We don’t know that we would attend in the future.”

A flurry of criticism arose last week amongst locals on many social media sites.

Sundance said that “all products were clearly noted as non-refundable” at the time of purchase.

The festival host is now offering ticket holders the option to add additional screening tickets to packages this year or partial credit towards purchasing a festival package in 2023.

Sundance is also offering the option to gift the product to family members or friends. Another choice is to convert it into a tax-deductible donation or membership at the same cost.

Package refunds, per Sundance:

Festival Package, Industry Package: For those who purchased a full priced Festival Package or Industry Package, we are offering a $200 credit to apply towards a ticket product purchase next year of equal or greater value OR an additional ten complimentary single film tickets, also with a value of $200, to be used this Festival.

Salt Lake City Package, Awards Package: For those who purchased the Salt Lake City Package or the Awards Package, we are offering a $100 credit you can apply towards a ticket product purchase next year of equal or greater value OR an additional five complimentary single film tickets, also with a value of $100, to be used this Festival.

To take advantage of these options, ticket package holders for the above products need to notify customer service (or their Sundance Film Festival representative) by Tuesday, January 18 at 5:00 p.m. MT. The offered credit for next year’s Festival is available for package purchases made through December 31, 2022. It is not transferable, and any amount unused will not be refunded. Any unused single tickets will become void at the end of the last day of the Festival, January 30, 2022.