Line Buddies
by Karen Pecota

Rarely are there any wait-list tickets available for a Sundance Film Festival opening-night film. Nevertheless, hundreds of festival goers try to secure a last-minute seat using the waitlist system with the hope to gain entrance. I was among the hopeful this year. I received a number that the festival waitlist-App documented would be highly possible for entrance. I was excited. I might get into a highly revered film on opening night by happen-chance. Woo Hoo!

Waitlisting for films can be a great experience. It's super fun when you stand in line with a person or a group of people that will engage in conversation while you wait. It's not always the case but it sure makes the wait time go faster.

While waiting in line for the opening film I Don't Feel at Home in this World Anymore I noticed the name on the festival tag of the lady standing behind me. I had remembered her name from a few years prior because at that time she was a freelance festival photographer. I had used some of her photos for my coverage that the festival allowed.

I introduced myself and began to tell her how I recognized her name from some years ago. Deeper in conversation, we discovered that we had some filmmaker friends in common. She then began to tell me about her film project and why the subject matter was of importance.

A Park City, Utah, resident herself she continues to keep in contact with my filmmaker friends having fun making one connection after the other in the industry, thus creating several filming opportunities for each other. An interesting journey which I now follow. One never knows where an encounter with a festival waitlist ticket-line buddy will end up. Often the journey is a wonderful surprise.