By Vittoria Socolof ’22, Arts and Entertainment Writer

Every year in mid-January, hundreds of filmmakers and celebrities travel to Park City, Utah for one of the most prestigious film festivals in the United States. Sundance Film Festival is a ten-day screening of independent films, as well as parties, music, and more. The festival predicts movie trends and is a hot spot for filmmakers and celebrities to discuss and admire new technology in the media. Whether you are an avid movie watcher or simply want to enjoy a few films surrounded by the beautiful mountain scenery, then Sundance is the perfect place for you. 

Sundance experienced massive changes over the years. The festival was founded in 1978 and was created to attract filmmakers to Utah and promote independent filmmaking. Originally, the festival was called the Utah/US Film Festival and was held in Salt Lake City, but in 1981, the festival moved to Park City. The new ski resort location helped the festival gain popularity and attract more attendees. In 1984, the Sundance Institute began producing the festival, and in 1991, the festival was renamed the Sundance Film Festival and continued to jumpstart the careers of American filmmakers. Every year, Sundance grows larger in attendance and movie showings are now spread between Salt Lake City, Park City, Provo, and the town of Sundance. On average, the festival faces around 50,000 attendees who are eager to watch a wide variety of films. When I attended my first Sundance, I had never experienced such enthusiastic audiences and a buzzing town and theater. Now that I have attended the festival multiple times, I have grown to love movies and appreciate fim technique. Not only do I love watching movies, but I enjoy walking around town surrounded by people filled with the same excitement as me. 

The Sundance Film Festival gives independent filmmakers the chance to have their voices heard. When a movie is selected for the festival, its chances of being acquired by a studio are much higher. While Sundance traditionally focuses on low-budget independent films, the festival has recently produced big blockbuster hits that made their way to the Oscar stage. Two popular must-see movies from the past include Call Me By Your Name (2018) and Get Out (2017). Call Me By Your Name, starring Timothée Chalamet and directed by Luca Guadagnino, creates a compelling romance between two men, Elio Perlman and his father’s research assistant Oliver, which major film studios might not have endorsed so easily. Independent filmmakers are able to take bigger risks than the film industry in Hollywood. The movie was nominated for best picture and won best-adapted screenplay at the Oscars. Get Out, starring Daniel Kuluuya and directed by Jordan Peele, is a horror mystery movie. Jordan Peele is known for his comedy duo Key and Peele, but he went in a more serious direction when he wrote and directed this horror movie about racism. Peele was able to capture casual racism and turn it into something a viewer can feel in their stomach. The movie was nominated for best picture and won best original screenplay at the Oscars after making its first debut at the Sundance Film Festival. 

This year, in the 36th annual festival, Sundance worked to promote women in the industry. Forty-six percent of this year’s competition films were led by women. In the broader film industry, only 12 of this year’s top-grossing films were directed by women. The festival created a Women at Sundance Initiative that strove to give more female independent filmmakers a voice in the industry. Two must-see films directed by women from this year’s festival include Shirley, directed by Josephine Decker, and Never Rarely Sometimes Always, directed by Eliza Hittman. Shirley, starring Elizabeth Moss as Shirley Jackson, the author of the short story “The Lottery,” centers around a young woman named Rosa and recounts her experience staying with Shirley and her husband. Decker created an artistic psychological drama that left many mysteries under the surface and up for audience debate. This year, I had the opportunity to see Shirley at Sundance. I read the short story “The Lottery” in eighth grade, which is why I chose to see Shirley premier. I could feel the audience’s excitement about the movie while standing in the long line outside of the theater. Waiting in the line surrounded by the mountain views and buzzing shops and restaurants, amplified my own excitement and the movie discussion. Never Rarely Sometimes Always stars Sidney Flanigan as a 17-year-old pregnant woman who travels to New York with her cousin Skylar for an abortion. The movie captures male-female interactions and the hardships of teenage pregnancy and abortion. The strong showing of women at this year’s Sundance was fitting as the Academy had just been criticized for nominating an entire male set of filmmakers for the Best Director Oscar. 

Sundance Film Festival creates a perfect atmosphere for aspiring filmmakers and movie lovers. The festival sticks to traditional, artistic indie films, while also creating big blockbuster hits. Independent filmmaking allows the smaller voices in the industry to be heard and frees creators to take bigger risks that major film studios stray away from. Sundance continues to grow more diverse through the years and more female-directed films are selected for screening. As I have had the opportunity to attend the festival myself, I can say that the Utah scenery, the town in Park City, and the artistic movies are all worthwhile.