Sundance Film Festival announces return to in-person for 2023

Sundance Film Festival returns to in person screenings after a two year hiatus due to the pandemic. Photo: Courtesy of Sundance Press

PARK CITY, UTAH – On Tuesday, the Sundance Institute announced its return to in-person for the Sundance Film Festival on January 19. The Festival will run in-person until January 29 in Park City, Salt Lake City, and the Sundance Resort.

For those unable to join in person, beginning Tuesday, January 24, the Festival will expand with online viewing options. Online offerings will include an on-demand catalog of feature films from the 2023 Festival, including all competition titles. The Festival will cap off with a weekend of Award-winning film screenings on January 28–29, both in person and online.

“We are excited to bring the Sundance community together for the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, a celebration of independent filmmaking. After two years of being apart, our priority is reuniting in person, while still sharing bold new films with audiences across the country through online access,” said Joana Vicente, CEO of the Sundance Institute, in a statement. “We’ve designed this year’s Festival based on our learnings from previous years — embracing the traditions that have been meaningful in the past, while also looking toward accessibility for audiences and expanding the platform we provide our storytellers.”

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Returning to an in-person festival also means a higher priority for safety for those attending it. The Sundance Institute has confirmed they will be following CDC guidelines, requiring staff and volunteers to wear masks and to test for Covid-19 on a weekly basis. Masks will also be required for festival attendees. Sundance is also encouraging testing prior to, and during, the Festival, as well as being up to date on all vaccinations.

For those interested in entering the Festival, Program Submissions are open until these dates:
Feature film submissions: September 5 (official) and September 26 (late)
Short film submissions: September 5 (late)
New Frontier submissions: September 9 (late)
Episodic content submissions: August 26 (official) and September 12 (late)

For more information on the application process visit the Sundance submissions page.

Tickets and venues will be announced at the end of September. For more information and updates, visit festival.sundance.org.