VOTD: Experience The True Sundance Film Festival In 'Escape From Park City' Doc Short

We've been covering the Sundance Film Festival for years, watching and reviewing dozens of independent films, most of which are playing for audiences for the first time anywhere. Personally, I've been to the annual cinematic showcase in Park City, Utah seven years in a row, and even though it's always exhausting, it never gets old. But not everyone is as lucky in their experience at Sundance, as a new documentary short illustrates.

Filmmaker John Wilson (aka "Johns Movies") was hired to "uncover some of the festival's secrets" for Vimeo while crashing on their couch during the 2017 Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. Titled Escape from Park City, this short is a truly unique look at the festival that takes away all the glitz and glamor and shows you what it's really like to be at Sundance.

Escape from Park City is presented with the same tongue-in-cheek tone of a segment on The Daily Show, with a hint of the kind of intentionally awkward interviews that Kyle Mooney used to do before he became a cast member on Saturday Night Live (something that he's occasionally brought to the NBC sketch series).

Though this is meant to be satirical, the experience that John Wilson paints is not entirely inaccurate. There is plenty of exclusivity involved when it comes to enjoying Sundance. Almost all parties are invite-only, getting tickets can be a real hassle, and there are plenty of people who are just standing around hoping to get photos with their favorite celebrities. And don't get me started on all the corporate sponsors who take over the far more interesting shops and galleries on Main Street.

Despite all this, Vimeo notes that Wilson still recognizes that "institutions like Sundance are providing a platform for the hope we desperately need to better understand and ultimately triumph over these challenges, by championing independent voices, putting money into arts, and fighting for free speech."

Thanks to FirstShowing.net for bringing this to our attention.