It's a sad state of affairs when the only celebrity you catch sight of at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, is Tom Arnold. He was entering an SUV, with far too much product in his hair, while waving to fans on the sidewalk. One of them actually said, "Keep it real, Tom," without a trace of irony.
Sundance is to the film industry what Fashion Week is to designers and thin, rich women and what South by Southwest is to music. It's the place where deals are made for distribution for independently made movies. Some of these movies go straight to video, others become hits and quite a few are missed entirely.
Not only moviemakers and starlets attend however. States do their best to entice filmmakers to make their flick in their state. Many states have incentives that are highly attractive to those overseeing the budgets. For the first time, the Idaho Film Commission had representation, in Peg Owens and Kathleen Haase. They threw a party in an art gallery along with representatives from South Dakota, Wyoming and the Bozeman Chamber of Commerce to attract filmmakers to their states.
But what really makes the event such a draw is the pure festive nature of it all. The festival began a week ago and will continue through Saturday. Once again, Park City's Main Street overflowed with people parading up and down the hill, checking each other out, snapping pictures and talking on their Blackberries. Paparazzi and fur-wearing folks add to the carnival-like atmosphere. One woman wore her long fur with clear high heels (in the snow!) that flashed with each prancing step. The annual PETA anti-fur protest created total havoc since those wearing fur were forced to cross the street to avoid them. It was like a large animal migration.
Parties are held virtually every night of the two-week festival, and once again the three-story Queer Lounge, held the first weekend, proved to be lively and entertaining.
And of course, though they might try to stay undercover, a bunch of name actors do show up. Many jetted out for the inauguration in Washington, D.C., only to return a day later.
"The heart of this is the talent, but the talent who show up are no-talent clowns," Garret Blommquist of Salt Lake City vented about the dearth of "A" list actors. "The people who show are like Paris Hilton. They show up just to be seen."
However, among those attending this year were Andie MacDowell, Kevin Bacon, Nick Cannon, Denise Richards, Anne Heche, Benjamin and Talisa (Soto) Bratt, Peter Gallagher, Kyle Maclachlan, James Wood, Hugh Dancy, Eliza Dushku, Jim Carrey, Mo'Nique, Zooey Deschanel, Emma Roberts, Jill Hennessy, Amy Poehler, Parker Posey, Slash and, of course, Sundance founder Robert Redford. They all appeared in a feature film or documentary that was being screened.
However, it is the directors and producers who are the most common sight, (if we only recognized them). This is where their life's work appears for the first time and they are looking for studios to spend money on their work.
News of sales began to filter out this week: Max Mayer's "Adam," purchased by Fox Searchlight, stars Rose Byrne and Hugh Dancy in a New York romance. "An Education," a period coming-of-age story directed by Lone Scherfig and written by Nick Hornby, sold to Sony Pictures Classics. Magnolia Pictures purchased the comedy "Humpday" by Seattle-based director Lynn Shelton. And Lionsgate picked up "The Winning Season," about a basketball team starring Sam Rockwell.
Alexis Dos Santos' "Unmade Beds" was one of the best London squatter movies that I've ever personally seen, and the documentary "Kimjongilia" was a frightening and important look into the horrors of North Korea. Speaking of horrors, Anna Wintour, the powerful editor of Vogue magazine, was on display in another documentary, "The September Issue." Other films getting strong word of mouth were the Mexican entries "Sin Nombre" and "Rudo and Cursi," and writer-director Sophie Barthes' metaphysical comedy "Cold Souls," starring Paul Giamatti.
Be on the lookout later this year for these titles.
Meanwhile, an interesting aspect to the event, just as with big events here in Sun Valley, is how the locals handle the crowds and the glitz.
"People come to see the movies but it's the local color that's cool," said Justin Tregoric, a former Wood River Valley resident.
After coping with a long and unruly line at the No Name Saloon, a local named Chris "Catfish" White looked at an incoming visitor and crowed over the crowd, "You come in here, you're going deep." Challenge or threat?
The rumor of semi-public sex in a store window spread up and down Main Street. Was it performance art or just an oops? We never found out.
Despite the crowds on Main Street and at every screening, Sundance was trimmed down. Corporate rentals for parties on Main Street were down by almost half from last year, according to the Park Record newspaper, and there was less superfluous marketing. Street giveaways, once ubiquitous, were sparse, but that actually might be a good thing.
"It reduces the noise and distractions," said Angie Shupe, a drafter and designer from Salt Lake City, who works in Park City.
But the locals couldn't help themselves. They bellied up to their local bars and held tight.
"People keep asking each other, 'What are you doing here?'" said a guy simply known as Social Dave.
Chad and Jeremy played in the ASCAP Music Café in Park City, Utah, Saturday, Jan. 17. Chad Stuart lives in Hailey.
