Opening Sundance Film Festival individual ticket sales is always exciting, said Festival Director Eugene Hernandez.“You start seeing where people are focusing their attention,” he said. “Of course we want folks to explore our program, but we know there are some shiny stars and subjects that are going to generate some attention.”Tickets went on sale last week, and the 2025 festival opens Thursday with screenings from noon to midnight, said Hernandez, who is also the festival’s director of public programming.“Day one starts with 16 premieres, so if people don’t get tickets to the films they want, we encourage them to take a chance on something different,” he said.That’s what Hernandez did while attending his first festival in 1993.“I didn’t know what I was doing,” he said. “It was the day after Bill Clinton had just been inaugurated, and I showed up at the festival with a pass.”Hernandez wandered into the experience and selected films he thought looked interesting.“I went in different directions every once in a while to see things that I might not otherwise have been able to see,” he said. “That was exciting, because it introduced me to so much — different filmmakers, different ideas, perspectives and filmmaking styles.”Introductions to those diverse elements is what always makes Sundance interesting, Hernandez said.Eugene Hernandez is the director of the Sundance Film Festival. Hernandez became the fourth festival director in September of 2022. Prior to Sundance, he was festival director at the New York Film Festival, and before that he was the co-founder and editor in chief of IndieWire, a publication covering independent and international films. First attending Sundance 30 years ago as a curious film buff, Hernandez was energized by the mission of Sundance as a platform for independent filmmakers and he now calls that visit a life changing experience.“Independent film is so vibrant right now,” he said. “There are so many different stories. There are so many different approaches, and they elevate and illuminate what we see in our media.So, you get the opportunity to go deeper into a subject or topic or see something that is unlike anything else that may influence what the mainstream may do in the coming years.”Another reason Hernandez encourages festival goers to go out on a limb is the film programming.“We have a limited number of slots, and 16,000 submissions,” he said. “Out of those, we selected between 85 to 95 feature films and 56 shorts. We had to make some very tough decisions, but we want people to know that everything in the festival is chosen for a reason. So if you don’t get the very first film or selection you want, try something else, and I know that won’t be a problem because, and I emphasize this, Park City audiences are always so open and curious.”Some of the films Hernandez encourages festival goers to see are the features, “Train Dreams,” “Omaha” and “The Long Valley,” and the short, “Paradise Man.”While “Train Dreams” was made by Florida native Clint Bentley, the other films were made by Utah-based filmmakers Cole Webley, Robert Machoian and Jordan Michael Blake.“Train Dreams,” which stars Joel Edgerton, will screen on opening day at the Rose Wagner Theatre in Salt Lake City, according to Hernandez.“Clint Bentley is such a great director, and Joel Edgerton is such a great actor,” he said. “When we saw this film, we knew it would play so well in Salt Lake.”The “Train Dreams” screenings are part of the Salt Lake Celebration of Film event, Hernandez said.“We rearranged our schedule this year for the screening,” he said. “We used to host a gala on opening day, but we moved that to Friday to give some space. And we thought, why not make opening day more of a celebration and anchor it around an individual film like ‘Train Dreams,’ which is just beautiful.”“Omaha” filmmaker Webley has lived in Utah for more than 20 years, and is a Brigham Young University alum, Hernandez said.“Cole has delivered this beautiful film to us that was mostly shot in and around Salt Lake City,” he said. “It’s about grappling with loss and, in a beautiful and resilient way, looking forward, and one of the subthemes of the Sundance Film Festival is one of renewal, which is pertinent today as we come out of the fires in L.A. that have impacted staff, audience members and artists.”Webley’s collaborator on “Omaha” is Robert Machoian, who, by the way, is the director, producer and cinematographer of “The Long Valley,” which is also showing during this year’s festival. Jordan Michael Blake, director of “Paradise Man,” has lived in Utah for a couple of years and also attended BYU, Hernandez said.“It’s exciting for us as we go through the process of watching thousands of films to experience the beauty of what’s coming from local storytellers,” he said. “(Utah Film Commission Director) Virgiina Pearce and the organization have done a great job pinpointing and showcasing and introducing artists to us. These films just leapt off the screen, and I think it’s exciting to have premieres made locally.”If opening weekend is too busy and crowded for some film lovers, Hernandez suggested enjoying the Sundance Film Festival through repeat in-person screenings and the nationwide online program that runs Jan. 30-Feb. 2.“I love the energy of the first weekend and those first few days when people are coming in for those first screenings, but that can also become such a blur due to so much going on,” he said. “So in the second half of the festival, these are two ways people can enjoy the festival without the crowds.”Repeat screenings are less crowded, and more accessible, Hernandez said.“Most of the artists stick around the festival’s second half,” he said. “So audiences who do show up in person can ask questions or talk with them after screenings.”The online program is a great way for film lovers to enjoy Sundance films in the comfort of their own homes, Hernandez said.“Starting Thursday, Jan. 30, audiences can enjoy half of our films through this great vehicle for discovery,” he said. “Sundance is about discovery, whether it’s new talent or new stories. And what better way to do that by sitting at home and watching these films with friends while making some popcorn or a meal and having a drink?”Since the films and other programming are the festival’s main focus, Hernandez and his staff are focusing on making sure this year’s event is the best it can be, even while considering the festival’s future.In April 2024, Sundance Institute declared it may move the Sundance Film Festival to a new location, starting in 2027, a year after its contract ends with Park City.The finalist cities are Park City/Salt Lake City; Cincinnati, Ohio; and Boulder, Colorado.“We aren’t going to announce the new place during this year’s festival because we’re still exploring those cities,” he said. “Our aim is to announce the decision at the end of winter or the beginning of the spring, so we’re on track. But we want people to remember that we still have this year and next year in the current structure. So we’re looking for a home for the festival 2027 and beyond.”The post Sundance Film Festival ready to take center stage in Park City appeared first on Park Record.