Taking cues from how last year’s all-virtual Sundance Film Festival dealt with COVID-19, Sundance Institute will return to Park City in 2022 and offer a combined in-person and virtual experience from Jan. 20-30.

“We are in the process of designing a safe and accessible festival where our audiences and artists can come together to celebrate and discover new work, and each other,” said Tabitha Jackson, Sundance Film Festival director, in a press release.

“With the return of an in-person Festival in Utah, we’re looking forward to not only safely bringing together artists and local audiences, but also inviting Utahns to come together online to celebrate storytelling with some special custom perks,” Jackson said.

The release also emphasized that the health and safety of attendees and filmmakers are “paramount.” Organizers will require attendees be vaccinated against COVID-19 at least two weeks before the festival.

In addition, attendees will be required to wear masks “at all times in interior spaces and in queuing lines,” according to the release.

“We are actively in contact with the local health officials, working together utilizing recent information provided from top public health and safety organizations to create the safest possible experience for our attendees,” it said.

FOR INFORMATION AND UPDATES ABOUT THE 2022 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL, VISIT FESTIVAL. SUNDANCE.ORG.

The Sundance Film Festival moved to Park City in 1981 after its Salt Lake City debut as the Utah/U.S. Film Festival in the fall of 1978.

The move pushed the festival to January, and in 1984 the event was officially christened the Sundance Film Festival.

The festival became known as one of the premier showcases of independent film in the world. And throughout the years, it has either launched or boosted the careers of filmmakers such as Kevin Smith, Robert Rodriguez, Quentin Tarantino, Steven Soderbergh, Darren Aronofsky, James Wan and Jim Jarmusch.

The festival has also introduced hundreds of films, including “Get Out,” “Saw,” “The Blair Witch Project,” “Napoleon Dynamite” and “Whiplash,” and others that have received critical acclaim. Documentary features such as Malik Bendjelloul and Simon Chinn’s “Searching for Sugarman,” Morgan Neville’s “20 Feet From Stardom” and James Marsh’s “Man on Wire” have all taken home Academy Awards.

Just this last year, many films involved with the 2021 Sundance Film Festival were honored with Oscar wins. They include:

• Best Actor: Anthony Hopkins, “The Father”

• Actress in a Supporting Role: Yuh-jung Youn, “Minari”

• Actor in a Supporting Role: Daniel Kaluuya, “Judas and the Black Messiah”

• Original Screenplay: Emerald Fennell, “Promising Young Woman”

• Adapted Screenplay: Christopher Hampton and Florian Zeller, “The Father”

• Best Original Song: “Fight for You,” “Judas and the Black Messiah”

While Sundance benefits up-and-coming artists, through daily panels with filmmakers, actors, musicians and industry insiders, it is also an economic benefit for Utah when held in person.

More than 116,800 people attended the 2020 festival, 44,000 of whom were visitors from out of state, according to a study conducted by Y2 Analytics, a Salt Lake City- based market research and data analytics group.

These out-of-state visitors alone spent an estimated $135 million in Utah, while the Sundance Film Festival contributed a total of $167.5 million in Utah gross domestic product, 2,730 jobs for Utah residents, $88 million in Utah wages and $17.8 million in state and local tax revenue, according to the report.

SLAMDANCE GOES HYBRID

Film festival returns to Park City

Slamdance is planning a hybrid in-person and virtual film festival for 2022.

The in-person dates will run from Jan. 20-23 at Treasure Mountain Inn, and they will coincide with Slamdance’s virtual event that is scheduled for Jan. 20-30, according to the festival’s co-founder Peter Baxter.

“We’re busy preparing for our Park City return this January,” Baxter said in an email. “It’s been a record breaking submission year.”

Organizers made the decision based on the success of the 2021 online festival that ran Feb. 12-25, according to an online post.

“Films officially selected for the 2022 Slamdance Film Festival may be presented in Park City, online, or both — depending on emerging circumstances,” the post said.

Slamdance Film Festival, created by Baxter along with Dan Mirvish, Jon Fitzgerald and Shane Kuhn, debuted in 1995, and has remained an innovative platform for independent filmmaking by keeping true
to its motto, “By Filmmakers, For Filmmakers.”

Some of the festival alumni include Bong Joon Ho (“Parasite”), Rian Johnson (“Star Wars: The Last Jedi”), The Russo Brothers (“Avengers: Endgame”), Jon M. Chu (“Crazy Rich Asians”) and Christopher Nolan (“Dunkirk”).

By utilizing the narrow halls and intimate space of Treasure Mountain Inn’s ballroom, Slamdance presents a unique experience where the audience, filmmakers and industry professionals enjoy the films together.

Because of the intimacy of the festival, Slamdance officials are monitoring the COVID-19 situation, and will make adjustments accordingly.

“We will continue to monitor and adapt as circumstances evolve to provide a safe, supportive, and engaging film festival experience for all attendees,” the post said. “As we tentatively return to in- person community events and festivals, we want to reaffirm our commitment to fostering an inclusive environment within our Slamdance non-profit and the larger creative community. Our mission has always been to elevate the independent artist and these efforts are even more crucial as we move into 2022.”

For information, visit slamdance.com.