Now wouldn’t that be a divine headline. Imagine running into Ryan Gosling on Nostrand Avenue as you schlep your newly copped festival schwag outside of  a bodega turned art-house theater.  Or the throngs of Paparazzi camping out of Nairobi’s Knapsack waiting to snap a photo of Brangelina and the kids.  But alas Sundance is still in Park City and for many a filmmaker in the area that meant it was yet again, a no-go.

As a filmmaker based in Crown Heights who in the past has attended The Sundance Film Festival, I know firsthand how incredible an experience it is  to have a film there. What makes the festival great is, in part, the films but the new ideas and synergies created have a longer lasting effect.

Still even though I was unable to make it out this year, I still wanted a way to  experience the benefits of Sundance without traveling to Utah. Though the festival ended on Sunday, there are still many ways of experiencing that same flurry of new ideas without leaving the comforts of your apartment. Here are my five tips:

1. Follow people who were there on Twitter or Facebook. By hearing their adventures, you can get a good sense of what films got buzz and what events seemed meaningful. Pick people who have a similar sensibility to yours. Otherwise, their adventures will annoy you. My favorites on Twitter have been @1basil1, @ebertchicago, @fromthehip and @wendynuale.

2. Read news sites and blogs that did reporting on the festival. Some good suggestions are Indiewire, Hammer to Nail, Thompson on Hollywood, LA Weekly and the good old fashioned New York Times. I am not a big fan of reading reviews per say but their discussions on trends are top notch.

3. Watch panels online. I subscribe to The Sundance Channel and The Sundance Film Festival on YouTube. I have really enjoyed watching condensed versions of meaningful conversations. My favorite so far was The Producer’s Round Table with producing legends Ted Hope, Christine Vachon, Jonathon Schwartz, Thomas Woodrow and Liz Watts. It made me feel like I was eavesdropping on a great conversation. These stream all year round so you watch them anytime.

4. Watch movies. This year you can actually see a few of the films screening at the festival outside of Park City. You Tube is streaming shorts from the festivals as well. For the films that are not available through either of these means, you can –

5. Keep a list of films that you want to see. That way, when they come to your local film festival, theater or online outlet, you can be sure to catch them. It makes navigating the cinema world a bit easier.

No, these tips don’t replace the experience of running into Ryan Gosling at a party… but they do soften the blow.

Angela Tucker is a filmmaker and writer based in New York City. She is the Director of Production at Big Mouth Films, the production arm of Arts Engine, Inc. She recently made two short pieces for The National Black Programming Consortium entitled Invisible Men. She is happy to be a part of the Nostrand Park team.

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