Who Needs Sundance? Host Your Own Film Fest with Kanopy

If you’re a cinephile, you probably know that Sundance is the largest independent film festival in the United States, held annually in Park City, Utah. You’re also probably aware that attending the festival in person would be quite expensive and might mean dealing with some nasty winter weather. Getting a virtual pass to watch the festival films from home is also costly.

Fortunately, there’s a way to attend your own custom-designed, cozy festival, and all you’ll need is something that’s probably already in your physical or virtual wallets: your Canton Public Library card.

That’s because your library card gives you access to Kanopy, a streaming service of films and television that features a library sure to excite all kinds of film fans. Intrigued? You can get started by signing up for an account.

Each month, you get 20 tickets to check out films and TV programs. Each item you check out costs a certain number of tickets and is available for a few days. Most movies cost two tickets and are available for 72 hours.

It’s time to decide on the theme of your film festival. If you want to stick with Sundance, Kanopy has a searchable tag that brings up its current library of films that played at Sundance. If you’re a genre fan, they have science fiction and fantasy, action and adventure and horror sections. They also have a family-friendly category.

If there’s a movie you like and you want to find something similar, check out the “tags” section in its description. There will be clickable links with words that describe the film’s subgenre and key plot elements. Clicking on these links will bring you a list of similar movies that share those tags.

Finally, part of the fun of having your own film festival is using the theme to create an extra immersive experience. Are you watching movies set in castles? Why not build your own palace out of blankets and pillows? Or if you’ve picked films all set in a particular real-world locale, how about serving some of the food and snacks that place is famous for?

If you want to be creative, you can. If you want to stay intimate and cozy, you can do that as well. Kanopy is a valuable resource that helps you build your ideal movie-watching experience.