SALT LAKE CITY — The 2020 Sundance Film Festival begins next week, which brings new films, celebrities and excitement to Park City. But with the excitement of Hollywood magic in our backyard comes crowds and parking problems.

Luckily, for those who prefer to avoid the traffic in Park City but still want to watch a festival film, multiple theaters around the Salt Lake City area will be playing premiering films.

Sundance in Salt Lake City

There are several showings being offered at different theaters in Salt Lake City, and we've selected a few films to highlight. The full schedule can be found here.

Friday, Jan. 24

• "The Perfect Candidate," 9 p.m. at Broadway Centre Cinema 6 (Spotlight)

• The film centers around a young doctor who challenges the Saudi Arabia patriarchy after she is not allowed to fly to Dubai without a male guardian’s approval.

Saturday, Jan. 25

• "Miss Juneteenth," 12 p.m. at Rose Wagner Center (U.S. Dramatic)

• Set in Texas, “Miss Juneteenth” explores the story of a single mother encouraging her daughter to enter a beauty queen contest she won as a teen.

Sunday, Jan. 26

• "Us Kids," 6:15 p.m. at Grand Theatre (U.S. Documentary)

• The film follows Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School students who became activists in the wake of a mass shooting that killed 17 in 2018.

Monday, Jan. 27

• “Beast Beast,” 9 p.m. at Salt Lake City Library Theatre (NEXT)

• Two young students share a special bond, but soon their lives become wrapped up with a gun-loving neighbor.

Tuesday, Jan. 28

• “City So Real,” 6 p.m. at Salt Lake City Library Theatre (Indie Episodic)

• A Chicago mayoral election takes place alongside the trial of the police officer who killed Laquan McDonald.

Wednesday, Jan. 29

• "Scare Me," 6 p.m. at Tower Theatre (Midnight)

• A copywriter goes to a winter cabin to write his first novel and meets a young horror author. The two challenge each other to tell scary stories and the copywriter must face his insecurity that the author is better.

Thursday, Jan. 30

• "Yalda, a Night for Forgiveness," 6 p.m. at Tower Theatre (World Cinema Dramatic)

• After a young Iranian woman is sentenced to death for the murder of her husband, her life lies in the hands of her daughter, who can spare her mother’s life through Iranian law.

Friday, Jan. 31

• "Nine Days," 6 p.m. at Grand Theatre (U.S. Dramatic)

• Filmed around Salt Lake City and at the Bonneville Salt Flats, this supernatural film explores an alternate life where being born isn't the beginning, but the end goal.

Saturday, Feb. 1

• "The Killing of Two Lovers," 12:30 p.m. at Rose Wagner Center (NEXT)

• Directed by a BYU photography professor, the film showcases a couple experiencing marriage troubles.

Sunday, Feb. 2

• "Wendy," 12:15 p.m. at Grand Theatre (Premieres)

• An adaptation of the children’s classic “Peter Pan,” this film focuses on Wendy’s story and shows how she must save everyone with love.

Ticket sales open to locals on Jan. 16 from noon to 8 p.m. Members can buy tickets starting Jan. 14, and ticket sales open to the public on Jan. 21.

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