2022 Sundance Film Festival cancels in-person events amid COVID-19 surge

PARK CITY, Utah (KUTV) — Officials with the 2022 Sundance Film Festival have announced all in-person Utah elements will be moving online for this year's event.

The announcement comes amid a surge in COVID-19 cases in the state brought on by the omicron variant.

"While it is a deep loss to not have the in-person experience in Utah, we do not believe it is safe nor feasible to gather thousands of artists, audiences, employees, volunteers, and partners from around the world, for an eleven-day festival while overwhelmed communities are already struggling to provide essential services," the Festival said in a press release.

The decision was made following the spread within the community. Event organizers noted that Summit County health services were already burned with high case counts and putting the more than 1,500 staff and volunteers at risk would be irresponsible.

"It has become increasingly clear over the last few days that this is the right decision to make for the care and well-being of all of our community," Sundance said.

The announcement was something locals in Park City pretty much expected, according to Dan Howard with Visit Park City.

“I think it showed a lot of leadership and responsibility in putting public health first, the reaction among most Park-ites today is one of gratitude and relief," Howard told 2News. "We knew that the festival had a tough choice to make. We’re ok delaying it another year given where the country is at right now.”

The Summit County Health Department announced Wednesday night that it supports the decision:

Case rates are at record-highs in Summit County. The current Omicron surge represents an unprecedented threat to local and state infrastructure and is projected to peak during the dates of the festival. Accordingly, the Sundance Film Festival's action is a responsible, community-focused measure in response to the current infection rates in our communities.

Sundance will begin Thursday, Jan. 20, 2022 as planned and the 11 days of online programming will proceed with screening schedule adjustments to account for an online-only schedule.

Single tickets will now go on sale on Jan. 13 at 10 a.m. with membership pre-sale set for Jan. 12.