The holy grail of independent filmmaking, which is the Sundance Film Festival, announced its 2021 event. For the first time, the Sundance Film Festival 2021 will be held online (Jan. 28– Feb. 3), and with the goal of connecting filmmakers from all over the globe.

Sundance Film Festival 2021

Sundance Institute has just announced its 2021 Film Festival, and published a new teaser trailer for the upcoming event which looks back at some iconic discoveries from decades of the Festival, and reminds us how every year, we come together as a community to explore the boldest new independent work. Furthermore, the brand-new, dedicated online home, festival.sundance.org was launched, alongside a countdown clock. As stated by the organizers: “We hope that the trailer will lead you — and all lovers of film, creativity, and storytelling —  to get excited for the Festival and sign up for email updates as we roll out announcements in the coming weeks”.

Check the 2021 Sundance Film Festival trailer below:

We’re doing things a bit differently this year! From Jan. 28–Feb. 3, audiences all over the world will gather for the reimagined 2021 Sundance Film Festival.

Sundance Film Festival organizers

When and how?

Opening night is January 28, at which point you’ll be able to access a wide range of free panels, videos, and exclusive content in the company of fellow cinephiles and art enthusiasts from all over the world. If you’re looking to buy tickets or passes to access film screenings during the Festival, we’ll have more information for you in the coming weeks. Furthermore, for the first time ever, the 2021 Fest will unspool online, world premieres and all. “We’re doing things a bit differently this year! From Jan. 28–Feb. 3, audiences all over the world will gather for the reimagined 2021 Sundance Film Festival” the organizers say.

2020 was a tough year for filmmakers

There is no secret that 2020 was (and still is) an unprecedented insane and tough year, especially for the entertainment industry. Filmmaking under COVID restrictions is an unreal and most challenging task. Independent festivals are the main engine of the filmmaking industry, and it’s hard to explore so many canceled events and screenings. Nevertheless, Sundance has decided to make lemonade from this crisis and to step up to the online platform.

As stated by Tabitha Jackson, Director, Sundance Film Festival: “Welcome to the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. A new chapter filled with possibilities. Despite the challenges this year has brought, nothing could stop us from celebrating independent film, visionary artists, unique perspectives, and you, our adventurous audiences. So, for the first time ever, we are bringing the festival to you—both online and in the real world across the US and beyond. The heart of our festival is our community. The joining of artists and audiences forms something truly extraordinary. We invite you to explore the program, join the conversation, and experience this new festival with us”.

Despite the challenges this year has brought, nothing could stop us from celebrating independent film, visionary artists, unique perspectives, and you, our adventurous audiences.

Tabitha Jackson, Director, Sundance Film Festival

Sundance Film Festival

We wrote a couple of interesting articles regarding this fascinating event. For instance, you should check out our filmmakers’ guide focuses on the Sundance selection process, with a few juicy tips on how to get your film selected by Sundance (read: Sundance Film Festival: A Guide for Filmmakers).

Also, there are more technical articles we wrote about the cameras and lenses that were used to shoot Sundance 2020 films. Check them out below:

• The Cameras Behind Sundance 2020: ALEXA Mini, SONY Venice, and RED Helium
• The Lenses Behind Sundance 2020: Cooke, Panavision, Angenieux, and a lot of Vintages

Final thoughts

As explained, this is the first time ever that the Sundance Film Festival 2021 will take place on-line. The power of this huge event is based on the community, connections, and filmmakers gathering together. However, this time will be different, for sure.