The Sundance site has a lot of info on these topics. The submission date for 2005 has already passed, though--it was Sept. 24 for feature films and a little earlier for shorts. I missed the deadline myself--didn't finish the rough cut of my film till last weekend.

Also, note that if you submit to another festival before the next Sundance deadline, in the Fall of 2005, you can't call it a world premiere and thus can't compete for a formal prize--but you can still submit it then, potentially be accepted, have it screened at the 2006 festival and call yourself an "official entry."

This isn't meant to discourage you either. I don't look at festivals as places to win prizes--I see them as a market for distributors and agents. So I'm submitting at multiple festivals before next September--starting with Tribeca here in NYC, by Dec. 17. Tribeca has rapidly become a festival of some stature so you might want to check their site in the meantime.

Anyone can enter Sundance. Just fill out the form, send in your 35.00 and DVD or tape, and away you go. Over 2000 entries this year.

wow, 2000? How do they have the time to view all of them? Or do they select what they think is the best to show?

Part of every film is viewed by a reviewer.

I'm proud to say that my brother's daughter is starring in one feature entry: Monster Thursday.
However, the 2005 Sundance website is full of errors, hardly anything works.
Tor

I have tentative plans to come out to see a friend's doc in the show. I'd love to get together, in fact this could be the straw that gets me to commit.

Rob Mack

I'll be there. So will a couple other VASST folks like Cheno.
We'll be there both for the festival, and at times, likely wearing Sony shirts.

Where is the festival held and is attendance required to have something shown? What if someone doesnt attend but a distributor likes your film and wants to purchase the rights to it? Again, just some more curious questions.

Festival is held in Sundance, Utah, but much of it is now spilled into Park City and SLC. Anyone with the desire can attend, but tickets are VERY expensive for the showings. Of course, you can just go and hang out.
Indies from all around the world come to sell their films to distributors, who are also here in huge numbers. You'll see people coming up with ALL SORTS of creative ways to get attention, from being naked in -10 weather to painting the sides of a bus, to giving out food.
I got my film-scoring start at Sundance nearly 15years ago by giving away CD's wrapped in buckskin.

so this is a very good place to sell your features? I have never been to Utah but I just might do something just to have something shown there next year. Would be nice to do a project and then sell it at Sundance. :)

Would be more than nice, having it shown would be huge .

At this point I'm still deciding on the days. Are you and Cheno and other Vasst folks going to be there for the whole 10 days?

The friends with the film being screened are also my employers so the amount and window of time I can spend is fairly flexible.

For those of you not familiar with Sundance, this is one of the really important festivals. It's up there with Cannes and Berlin. It's also supposed to be a crazy madhouse of promotion, parties, and schmoozing. Good clean fun.

Rob Mack

Some of use will be there the entire time, yes. NAMM is also happening at the same time, so Mannie and I will be at NAMM for part of that time.