Sundance - What's it all about?

You live in Houston so you remember last week when it was 20-degrees for three days in a row. Well the Sundance Film Festival takes place in Park City, Utah and that's the median temperature, usually accompanied by plenty of snow. There are some great flicks to be seen for sure, and if I could afford to go the films at the top of my queue wold surely be those with the shortest wait in the driving blizzard.
Park City is a mountain ski resort outside Salt Lake City. To drive into town, during the festival, you need to be a resident or have a pre-purchased parking permit, otherwise you park at a lot outside the festival area. But it's the kind of area you can easily walk across in several minutes. Hotel room are at least $200 a night for a single on the low end; certainly there are B&Bs and co-ops but those would've been gone months ago. People make DIY films for less than it costs to attend Sundance. There's a screen in Salt Lake City that shows festival films also and obviously a la carte allows for distinct selection without the benefit of having unlimited entrance to seminars and whatnot. Even with the highest priced ticket one would be lost for a spot on the guest list of the Joat Jett concert or other exclusive soirees.
The 10-day festival has two five-day tickets with the all access ducat going for $3000 (for the first five days) and $2500 for the second five days. When I asked Free Press Houston overlord and owner Omar for an expense account to cover Sundance his eyes just sort of glazed over like one of those animals in Fantastic Mr. Fox.
As always there are films with name actors that everyone will be talking about that will be in local theaters in a matter of weeks (The Runaways, with Kristen Stewart playing Joan Jett) as well as retros and many under the radar titles chosen for their eclectic quality. Some of this year's bright spots include Enter the Void where we follow the soul of a person who's just died, the latest from Gaspar Noe; and Brit helmer Michael WInterbottom's take on film noir and Jim Thompson with The Killer Inside Me. Howl examines the trial involving the Allen Ginsberg poem. Austin filmmaker Bryan Posyer arrives with Lovers of Hate, which perhaps not ironically he partially lensed in Park City last year.
There's a couple of hundred other films so you pretty much have your choice of foreign or indie or schwag induced celluloid nirvana. Also on the international festival route is Berlin in February. A quick comparison of costs shows how affordable film festivals like SXSW or Worldfest really are. Bottom line, if you want to hobnob with celebs save up for Sundance. If you want to watch films with professional yet unknown filmmakers and other delirious film mavens then Austin in March is your destination.