Notes on the 2023 Sundance Film Festival

I took our family of five to the Sundance Film Festival for the first time this year. It was my Christmas present to them and far better than any trip to Disney World.

Having just returned I wanted to make notes of the trip and some of the lessons learned.

We bought a package through the Sundance Film Festival that allowed us to see several award winning films screened during the festival's last weekend. We also brought our skis since our Ikon passes were good for Deer Valley , a short bus ride from the center of Park City.

We would never see in a theater here the films we saw at the festival. The nature of these productions in today’s landscape of film making are limiting and without access to the festival some of these great films may only get the reach of a?home movie.

This is especially true of the short film program. The program featured several films that were typically 15 minutes or less. One of the most powerful films we watched was a film called Will You Look At Me by Shuli Huang. It’s an autobiographical story of the Chinese filmmaker coming out to his parents.

Many themes of the festival were for mature audiences. Be prepared for frank conversations with your kids. If you take a family of teenagers like we did, powerful and important discussions turn into some of the most rewarding moments of the festival.

I think we too often shy away from any in-depth exploration of topics like sex, death, and war. The idea of “protecting” our kids from unpleasant life truths would be a great thing for all of us to unlearn. Seeing films to have these discussions, no matter how difficult they might seem, should be at the top of your list for reasons to attend.

Now onto the bad stuff. Don’t attend the festival unless you really, really want to!

It’s a major hassle to travel to Park City. If you fly, you’re flying in the winter so expect delays.

Another problem is transportation and lodging.

Renting a car and driving to Park City and staying there is exorbitant. If you do go, arrange for a shuttle to Park City. Lodging is just as expensive as a place like Aspen and quite a disappointment if you find something affordable. We did and the unit was poorly maintained and unclean.

A better more affordable option is to stay in Salt Lake City. Sundance uses several theaters in the city and almost all of the film screenings happen there. Staying in Salt Lake will save you big time.

I also found the Sundance Film Festival unwelcoming. The festival caters for the most part to the film industry and not its audiences.

Without spending a small fortune for access, expect to be disappointed. The festival also requires the use of a half-assed phone app to purchase tickets and reserve screenings if you’re a package holder.

We spent a lot time trying to sort through a horrendous application made by Eventive in order to see the films.

In one case we couldn’t actually redeem and use the tickets we purchased and the organizers were unsympathetic and unreachable other than email. If you can’t use the tickets you paid for don't expect anyone to help.

So that was the bad.

The good is this. Sundance offers many of the films online and you can view them starting January 29 through the web site Festival.sundance.org . At $20 a screening it's a hell of lot cheaper to watch the films at home!

If you’re like me and tire of the streaming services as well as the boring feel-good subject matter offered I highly recommend watching films the festival offers online.

Attending the festival, I learned there is still a vibrant, dynamic community of film makers and cinema that is both enthralling and captivating. Watching some of these films with children is an enriching and fun experience.

Below are some of the award-winning films we viewed and this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the 2023 festival.

A U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award: Ensemble was presented to the cast of Theater Camp / U.S.A. (Directors and Screenwriters: Molly Gordon, Nick Lieberman, Screenwriters: Noah Galvin, Ben Platt, Producers: Erik Feig, Samie Kim Falvey, Julia Hammer, Ryan Heller, Will Ferrell, Jessica Elbaum) — When the beloved founder of a run-down theater camp in upstate New York falls into a coma, the eccentric staff must band together with the founder’s crypto-bro son to keep the camp afloat. Cast: Molly Gordon, Ben Platt, Noah Galvin, Jimmy Tatro, Patti Harrison, Ayo Edebiri. World Premiere. Available online.

A World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award: Creative Vision was presented to Fantastic Machine / Sweden, Denmark (Directors and Producers: Axel Danielson, Maximilien Van Aertryck) — From the first camera to 45 billion cameras worldwide today, the visual sociologist filmmakers widen their lens to expose both humanity’s unique obsession with the camera’s image and the social consequences that lay ahead. World Premiere. Available online.

A World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award: Best Performance was presented to Rosa Marchant for When It Melts / Belgium (Director and Screenwriter: Veerle Baetens, Screenwriter: Maarten Loix, Producers: Bart Van Langendonck, Ellen Havenith, Jacques-Henri Bronckart) — Many years after a sweltering summer that spun out of control, Eva returns to the village she grew up in with an ice block in the back of her car. In the dead of winter, she confronts her past and faces up to her tormentors. Cast: Charlotte De Bruyne, Rosa Marchant. World Premiere. Available online.

The Audience Award: World Cinema Documentary, Presented by United Airlines was awarded to 20 Days in Mariupol/ Ukraine (Director and Producer: Mstyslav Chernov, Producers: Michelle Mizner, Raney Aronson-Rath, Derl McCrudden) — As the Russian invasion begins, a team of Ukrainian journalists trapped in the besieged city of Mariupol struggle to continue their work documenting the war’s atrocities. World Premiere. Available online.

The Short Film Jury Award: Non-Fiction presented by Shutterstock was awarded to Will You Look At Me / China (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Shuli Huang) — As a young Chinese filmmaker returns to his hometown in search of himself, a long-overdue conversation with his mother drives them into a quest for acceptance and love. Available Online.