Your first Sundance starts in Boulder

Sundance has set aside January 21–26 for world premieres, with repeat screenings continuing through January 31. An opening stretch trip makes sense if your idea of fun is seeing something with its first audience. Look for screenings marked as world premieres. If you have two days off toward the end, you can build a trip around repeats. A first public showing and a later showing of the same movie are two different entries on the schedule. Read the entry for the one you can make, especially if you’re hoping for a filmmaker conversation.

For a local day trip, wait until you can see the showtimes on a map. That lets you choose between a downtown afternoon and a campus evening without committing to both. If you’re booking a room from farther away, decide what matters more: dates in the premiere window or an easy trip back after your last film. A room in another city can work if you have a ride home after the credits. Check the return journey from the actual venue before you count on it.

When the schedule lands, make a short list with a second choice for each time slot. Put a specific film at the top, then a screening you would happily see if the first sells out. Choose them by date, time and venue. Two screenings of the same film a few days apart give you more flexibility than two films that require the same free hour. Neither January weekend needs to carry the whole festival for you.

The purchase most first-timers need to understand is the single-film ticket: one seat for one specific screening. At the November 14 check, Sundance’s sales page marked the Full Festival, Encore, Second Half, Matinee and Ignite ticket packages sold out. Inventory can change, so look at the organizer’s listing before making a plan around a package.

You may still see expensive Express passes listed. The listed Express passes offer in-person screening and Offscreen access during their respective windows, with priority entry. Some are donor-only. A ticket package works differently. It gives you a set number of selections to make, within its own dates and restrictions. The Encore package applies to eligible encore screenings. Check the listing before using an Encore selection. If you already have a package, confirm the date when you can make selections. That selection window matters more to a package holder than the public single-ticket sale.

If you’re 18 to 25 or an enrolled student of any age, set a reminder for the $15 Ignite single. The December 8 registration and the January 8 purchase are separate steps. You’ll need to register through Sundance to access the discounted sale. You still have to choose and buy a screening when sales open. The sold-out Ignite package was a separate bundle. Sundance lists earlier January 6 and 7 presales for eligible donors and members.

Make an account before sale day and leave your backup screenings somewhere easy to find. Once you have a ticket, save the door time and entry instructions from your confirmation along with the start time. The two times you really need on your calendar are when to leave where you are and when to be at the theater.

Sundance says its four main dramatic and documentary competitions will each expand to twelve titles. That means twelve each in U.S. Dramatic, U.S. Documentary, World Cinema Dramatic and World Cinema Documentary. Premiere announcements will still get a lot of attention, but browsing by section is a more rewarding way to choose a second film. Start with the two sentences about the story, then look at the running time. If a description makes you want to know what happens next, that’s as sound a reason to go as any familiar name in the cast.

Look at NEXT for work taking chances with film form, or check Midnight when you want a later screening and something stranger. Family Matinee is its own section to scan if you’re bringing children. Read the listing and age guidance for the individual film. The lineup will tell you what actually belongs on your list.

Give the second film room. At a regular multiplex you might be able to cross a lobby and slide into the next show. In Boulder you could finish at the library and have to find your way to a campus auditorium. For a first visit, build around one film you really want and leave enough time before the next one to sit down and eat. If your show is followed by a conversation, you’ll be glad you can stay through the last question.

Public online screenings run January 28–31. Sundance says the online program will include films from five competition sections, including NEXT, with some films in other sections able to opt in. Browse the online lineup itself for the titles you want. Check where a ticket can be used and the window in which you must start or finish viewing before buying it. The public in-person sale on January 8 is the date for seats in Boulder.

You can make a small festival out of a couple of nights at home. Pick one film without reading more than the official synopsis. On another night, follow a subject you seldom see in a movie. If you’re sharing the experience with a friend, agree in advance on the night you’ll both watch so the conversation happens while the film is still fresh. Check the viewing window before you decide on a time.

Back in Boulder, it’s tempting to treat the new city as a problem to solve with more bookings. Once the schedule comes out, pick a theater and one film that makes the trip worthwhile. Build from there. The good story you bring home might be about the movie you went to on purpose, or the one you found because there was an hour free and you liked the sound of it.