Sundance Announces Dates for 2023 Hybrid Festival

variety.com:

Angelique Jackson After two years of upheaval due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Sundance Institute has announced dates for the 2023 edition of the Sundance Film Festival.The fest will take place as an in-person and virtual hybrid, running Jan.

19-29, in Park City, Utah, and beyond, with selections also screening on Sundance’s digital platform.“We can’t wait to return to our home in Park City and present exciting new work from around the world live and in person,” stated festival director Tabitha Jackson. “We also have two years of digital exhibition and participation under our collective belt, and are returning to the excitement and immediacy of live events while retaining a powerful online offering.” Sundance pivoted to a virtual presentation for its 2021 program, offering select physical screenings in markets across the U.S.

The 2022 edition of the festival was intended to include an in-person component, but plans were canceled just weeks before the festival due to the omicron variant.Despite its primarily virtual presence, the 2021 and 2022 selections made real-world impacts in the film industry.

In fact, festival organizers noted that the program and the independent stories it highlights “reached larger audiences and was more accessible” than past in-person festivals as a result of the innovation, which necessitated the continued hybrid model for 2023.