The Sundance Film Festival has announced that the upcoming edition of the 2023 festival will be held with in-person screenings and festivities in Utah along with an online component for audiences at home.
The 2023 edition will begin on 19 January 2023 in person at venues in Park City, Salt Lake City, and the Sundance Resort in Utah in the US. The online section of the festival will begin on 24 January 2023, and end on the festival's final weekend of 28 and 29 January, with screenings of the festival award winners, both in person and online.
For the past two years, the festival faced certain restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, the festival combined in-person screenings along with online screenings and viewings on screens and in drive-ins across the US. This year, the in-person component was scrapped and the festival was held virtually in January.
The online offering will showcase a curated on-demand selection of this year’s feature films, including all competition titles (US Dramatic, US Documentary, World Cinema Dramatic, World Cinema Documentary, and NEXT) and work from other sections of the feature film program, as well as episodic work and short films.
Joana Vicente, Sundance Institute CEO, shared, “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. 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.”
The festival’s showcase for dynamic, innovative work at the intersection of film, art, and technology, New Frontier, has enabled audiences to experience the festival while physically apart for the past two years. In the 2023 edition, audiences globally can experience a regenerated edition of New Frontier, which will feature a lineup of multimedia works and keynote discussions on its digital platform beginning 24 January, when the online portion of the festival kicks off.
“We can’t wait for our 2023 Festival to give a bold start to the year, with the help of our inspiring storytellers, ingenious creators, and engaged audiences,” director of programming Kim Yutani said. “For 39 years, the Sundance Film Festival has been a stalwart in the independent film community, and we’re thrilled to continue to be such an exciting annual gathering for artists and audiences.”
The Institute also announced that it will continue to work with its COVID-19 safety team and is following all Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines.