‘Mistress America,’ image courtesy of Sundance Institute
Sundance is my favorite time of year, my favorite place in the world, although only for this specific week of the Sundance Film Festival. I’m sure Park City, UT is lovely year round, but it’s the people who congregate in late January to celebrate films that put it over the top.
I love movies, and getting a first look at the year’s most promising movies is a thrill. Meeting the awesome actors and filmmakers in person is great too, but the number one reason I keep going back to the Sundance Film Festival is for the friends I make there. And that seems to be the aspect of Sundance that gets the least amount of publicity.
For the next week, you’ll hear a lot about what films sold to which studio, which actors are already generating Oscar buzz (before the awards for 2014 have even been given out) and which films took Park City by surprise. I’ll be telling you about some of those too, but for right now, at the beginning of the fest, I’m going to tell you how to make new friends at Sundance. If you’re going to join me this year, here is how you should begin your week, and if you’re not, I hope to see you next year.
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Line Friends
Some people may find this crazy. It could seem counterintuitive to actually enjoy waiting in line. Conventional wisdom is you want the line to move as fast as possible and get into the movie. But, my favorite part of film festivals, and especially Sundance, is waiting in line for movies and making friends with the people waiting with me.
I love my line friends. They are people who are just as committed to films as I am, whether they are in the industry like me or die hard movie buffs or even just on vacation. We’ve all decided to spend a week seeing as many movies as possible, and waiting an hour or more under a warm tent to be among the first audiences to see them. I actually made one line friend at SXSW who is now my Sundance roommate. Others are year-long Facebook friends who give me positive support from a distance, and a select few are people I see several times a year on the film festival circuit.
So embrace the lines. Talk to people in line. It’s the world’s easiest icebreaker. We’re all in the same place for the same reason. You don’t need to have a line to talk to someone in line. You can just talk. This goes for men and women. I did have a mini Sundance romance in 2012, so it’s possible. I do still fantasize that I’ll meet my wife at Sundance, but even if it’s just an acquaintance for the week, line friends are the most unique and wonderful part of any film festival.
Don’t know where to start? Here are some ways to start the conversation with your fellow Sundancers in line.
“What have you seen?”
This is the easiest thing to talk about. There are over 100 movies showing at Sundance. Nobody will see them all. Chances are the people with whom you’re standing in line have seen different movies than you. Find out what they’ve seen. At the very least, it’s a recommendation for something to add to your schedule, or something to avoid.
Maybe you have seen some of the same movies. You can bond over your mutual discoveries. Or if you drastically disagree on that movie you can have a spirited debate over it. Just don’t fight. We’re all at Sundance to celebrate movies, and the movies are just a vehicle for us to make new friends.
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“What are you going to see?”
On the first day or two, when nobody has seen much yet, there might not be much to discuss on that front. So you can always look ahead. If your new line friend is seeing the same movie as you later in the week, maybe you can make plans to meet up again.
But this is also a valid discussion at any point in the week. Seriously, some waits are an hour or more, so you could burn through every movie on both of your schedules, and still have time to ask what’s coming up. This can be a good way to find out what films are becoming must sees, if you notice that everyone you talk to is trying to get into the same encore showing of an unexpected hit.
“Is this your first Sundance?”
The value of this conversation is twofold. One, if it happens to be your first time at Sundance, you could ask a veteran Sundancer for tips. Or, if you’re the veteran, you may find a Sundance newb who could benefit from your wisdom. Consider it paying it forward. Everyone had their first Sundance once.
The odds are lower, but on the chance this Sundance is the first for both of you, you can share your experiences. Really, you’ll never experience Sundance for the first time again, so be present in this moment. Share your discoveries, but at the very least you’ll be talking to someone new.
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“Where are you from? What do you do?”
When all else fails, the basics of conversations still work. People come from all over the country, even the world, to see films at Sundance. Find out how far they came to Sundance and what brought them there. A good number of people come to Sundance on movie-related business. You may find out about a cool event or party, or maybe even meet a filmmaker.
Beyond the Line
The movie lineups are probably your most extended opportunities to socialize with people, but there are plenty of other places in Park City to talk about the movies. The shuttle system is great; the Theater Loop bus makes a circle around town, hence the name. It may only take five or ten minutes to get from the Eccles to the Marc but you can use that time to catch up with your fellow busmates.
Main Street is full of bars and restaurants and some popup spots which are exclusive to the festival. There are also parties, although I tend to feel that if you’re at a Sundance party, you’re just missing a chance to see another film. Then again, a lot of movies sell out and spending a few hours making new Sundance friends isn’t the worst way to kill time between screenings.
Other Festivals
All of the above applies to most of the film festivals you’ll ever go to. Austin is a great place to make line friends at SXSW, and Fantastic Fest is such a communal atmosphere that it’s not even about waiting in line. You’ll see all your new friends all over the Alamo Drafthouse. Line friends also work for Telluride, Cannes and even Los Angeles Film Festival and Screamfest.
The only place I don’t make as many line friends is the Toronto International Film Festival. Much of Toronto is local people from Toronto who don’t necessarily have much interest in making brand new out of town friends. Even if you do make line friends at TIFF, the festival is so big and spread out that there’s a good chance you’ll never see them again.
There is something magic about Sundance though. It’s a winter wonderland. The air, the altitude and the atmosphere seems to contribute to people’s friendliness and accessibility. Now I’m going to focus on the movies and filmmakers of Sundance, but each time you read one of my movie reviews, know that I also spent a solid hour making new friends before I saw each film.
Fred Topel is a staff writer at CraveOnline and the man behind Best Episode Ever and The Shelf Space Awards. Follow him on Twitter at @FredTopel.
