I accomplished part one of my Midlife Crisis: I went to the Sundance Film Festival. (Did not have time to get my nails and hair done, however.)
In college, I went to the Sundance Film Festival every year. It was a blast. My friends and I would show up, get in a waitlist line and watch a movie. It was a really casual scene. It was low key. It was fairly easy to get a ticket. There were a lot of ‘people’ who showed up and went to movies.
That was 15 years ago.
Now, if you want tickets, you need to register online in October. In December you get a time in January when you can buy the tickets.
Waitlist lines start at least two hours before the movie. And there is no guarantee you will get in. People stood in line for three hours in a snowstorm for the film Arbitrage and not one got in. (Amazing film by the way)
Paparazzi were everywhere. We ate very tasty Buffalo Burgers by a window and the WHOLE time we were there, about 40 people were standing around outside because there was a rumor Robert Redford was in the building.
Most of the people we met were in the film industry. We stood in line half the day and got to know fellow wait listers. Only one was there because she likes movies. We met one guy from Norway who ‘took a break’ from his medical residency to move to NYC and try to make it as an actor. I was in awe because I could not do that.
I did have fun though. We got into four movies and I liked two. One was nice and artsy but a little slow and one was so bad that I feel like suing everyone in it for my time. (I understand if a movie goes wrong but during the question and answer period the cast and director stated that they had INTENDED to make a bad movie. That should have been in the catalogue.)
This is the cast from The First Time. We may not have had very good seats. And the camera in my phone may not be all that great. (Loved the movie, though)
It was a good time, but it made me nostalgic for the past and the ability to drive to Park City, find a parking space, and go to a movie. *insert sigh.
Comedy of Errers - Marianne Hansen 
I’m glad that you made it back to Sundance! I’ve been talking with a lot of people this year about how much the festival is changed, and your nostalgia is right in line with what others have been saying. Isn’t there something special about standing in line and bonding with strangers, though? It’s rare to share that experience now that most everything is online.
Out of curiosity, what were the films you liked? I’m always looking for recommendations!
LOVED Arbitrage and The First Time. For Ellen has great acting and cinematography! And waiting in line talking to people did make the weekend even better. My husband and I think we will buy a package for next year to guarantee seeing some movies, but will still wait list just for the people…
A journey after me own lil heart. Cool that you went to Sundance! Never did anything like that meself.
Any time you wanna go, I will be there. And we can wear sunglasses and only nod at each other so we look really really cool
Wow, I had no idea it was so complicated to get tickets. Now I want to go. Except I’ll forget to register come September and October.
I’ll probably post when I do. I need to put it in my phone or on my calendar. But that seems kind of hard.
Pingback: The Day I met Timothy Hutton | Comedy of Errers – Marianne Hansen