You don’t have to throw up your hands or stand in the cold because you didn’t get in on the early ticket packages or just weren’t ready to pull the trigger on a movie tickets. You have options for movie viewing during the Sundance Film Festival like you’ve never had before even if you don’t like them. But it looks like the eWaitlisting for Sundance is here to stay.

Try the NEW eWaitlist

Whether those film execs are stuck at their private shindig at the HQ lounge or decided to take a few extra ski runs, there’s usually a vacant seat or two at any number of screenings throughout the Festival. And organizers love to have butts in seats. That’s why there’s always been a line-up of shivering folks prior to the start of each movie, hoping for the golden “standby” ticket. Well, did you know the eWaitlist is running smoother than ever? Sign up on the Sundance eWaitlist from anywhere with an internet connection. The first incarnation emerged in 2014 to pure hatred.

The app worked so well that those set on “earning” their seats by standing in line the earliest fumed. They complained that the app ruined the experience and pandered not to the film lover but to the one with the fastest LTE connection.

The idea behind the Sundance app was to prevent folks from waiting twice- once to get a waitlist number and then later to see if they would even be admitted to the screening. With the mobile-enabled check-in system, festivalgoers have a shot to reserve a line position over the internet. Those with smartphones and tablets (or close to a self-serve kiosk) can claim a spot in line two hours before the scheduled screening. The system also allows festivalgoers to view/manage their check-in and gauge their chances of actually getting into the event. The drawback is obvious. The list fills almost instantly.

In addition, there’s no guarantee that a single waitlister gets in. The waitlist seats open up only if ticket or pass holders don’t show by the 15-minute mark. At that point, the theater management assesses the number of open seats, and sells to the waitlist. Pass holders and ticket holders are still admitted during this time and have priority over waitlisters.

Finally, in order to use the eWaitlist you need to register ahead of time. Check the Sundance website to see when they go live with it (early January).  You can only be on one waitlist at a time per two-hour window so choose wisely. Once you sign into a waitlist, you’ll be given a waitlist number; btw, you can connect with a friend so you can both go to the same screening; though you’ll each get individual consecutive numbers in the queue. You’ll then need to get to the theater at least 30 minutes prior to showtime; tickets will then be sold (cash only, $25 per ticket) beginning 15 minutes prior to showtime. While the number of available waitlist seats vary by venue, history has shown that early mornings and late nights are the best times to get seats, and larger venues like Park City’s Eccles Center will obviously offer your best chance. WAITLIST NUMBERS DO NOT GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL BE SOLD A TICKET TO YOUR DESIRED SCREENING.