Sundance Film Festival Coming To Iowa City

Attending movies in a traditional theater setting in 2020 is just not going to happen. Theaters are trying to reopen to limited seating, but production companies aren't willing to share their blockbuster movies to half empty theaters. Film festivals are also facing the same crisis. The pandemic simply won't allow large crowds to gather, so now the Sundance Film Festival is reaching out to theaters across the country to help show festival films.

The Des Moines Register reports that the Sundance Film Festival has announced that Iowa City's FilmScene will be one of more than 30 theaters across the country to help bring a revised edition of the film festival to life next month. FilmScene is the only theater in the state of Iowa to be chosen to participate in Sundance's new format.

The festival is scheduled to run four days, from January 28th through February 3rd. In addition to the satellite theaters like FilmScene the festival will also show features online at festival.sundance.org. Officials with FilmScene say they're in talks to bring films of local interest to Iowa City. A schedule of festival films has not yet been released.

The Register reports that while not all satellite sites will show movies in person, FilmScene does appear to be one that will. How many movies that will be shown and to how many people is expected to fluctuate based on pandemic conditions. Right now, officials expect 7 to 10 titles will be shown at the FilmScene at The Chauncey on College Street in Iowa City.