Sundance Day 2
I woke at 7:30 a.m.. That’s three hours of sleep. The zzzs’ll have to to come in February. It’s because of skiing. I have friends in town that wanted to make turns at The Canyons and they could care less about the Sundance Film Festival. So I had to go, because this was my only chance to catch some of this fresh snow before everything got nuts on Main Street. Skiing and Sundance are separate entities. There’s just no time to do both or you wind up sleeping only three hours.Like me,
The Fest is about the movies, the meetings, the swag suites and the parties. Try to do both and you’re toast. After a few hours on the hill, I cruised into the SkiHouse on The Canyons’ plaza. At first, it looked subdued- cubed sofa couches, muffled lounge music and a smattering of seated guests. Mac gifted tinted lip sticks with SPF15, a perfect item for the harsh outdoors and Prive Salon dolled out products to protect your hair from winter’s elements- like the Reparative Conditioner ($29) made with Rose Hips and ginseng to leave dry hair baby soft. The facade deceived. I stuck my nose around the corner and into a warehouse-sized space filled with what you might call “apres ski” companies showering gifts on the fortunate. 2BeFree’s handpainted grafittied sweats, ts and tanks were not only hip but some of the softest items yet. Hanes had these four-way stretch, sheer “Perfect Panty” that never rides up, and leaves no-panty-lines. I can’t wait to try them under my new Sacred Denim Jeans. It’s better to have my ‘fans’ check out the painted pockets than my bulges. I shared a shot of Patron Anejo Tequila with other VIPs, chatted with Ashley Dearborn (ashleydearborn.com) about her line of boutique shoes, which she began drawing at 14 while watching Purple Rain and other favorite movies. The Vineyard Vines boxers and ties with little two-people chairlifts all over them were irresistible. The exit led me through the Booty Parlour section and, boy, was I surprised to see bright pink sex toys and all sorts of body slathering accessories. This is not nromal Sundance swag. My eyes alighted on the Midnight Cravings Love Kit (with pocket vibe, massage oil, lubricant, condoms and disposable vibrating couple’s ring) soon to be added to upscale mini-bars worldwide. “[Sundance] is an intimate setting where we can talk one on one but celebs aren’t chased by paparazzi as they hold the Freddy or BlingBling vibrating ring,” said Booty Parlor Owner Deb Myers.
A treacherous, snowy drive up to a giant house in Deer Crest (back side of Deer Valley) delivered me to The North Face House where the during and apres activity theme started today, continued. From your morning coffee spurted out by the Tassimo Personal Hot Beverage Maker, to Wigwam socks, The North Face base layers, hats and gloves, to the cozy Keds, and sleek, westerny Lee Jeans (that always fit me, oh so well), celebs like Rob Lowe and Aisha Tyler marched Park City in style. Ski athletes Scott Scmidt and Ingrid backstrom, represented TNF, to get those VIPs out on the hill at Deer Valley and actually testing their gear throughout the week. I need to mention right now that you can spend 10 days at Sundance and never see a movie. I ran into a Beverly Hills Bank exec who showed me his itinerary which was packed with meetings and parties; no films. He smiled proudly.
At The Marquee- named after the New York nightclub and meant as an exclusive high-end gifting house- Paris Hilton, Elizabeth Shannon and corporate women swooned over Intermix (upscale online and NY ‘fashion destination’) and LaRock’s boutique rabbit vest and beaded tanks. The new Godiva drinking chocolate was almost better than sex and the AG baby blue cords hugged me better than my boyfriend.The Sundance ‘exclusive’ Lia Sophia black diamond hoop earrings and intricate olive green Linea Pelle leather belt complimented the outfit. For those wondering how to keep the figure for these clothes, TABEnergy, a revamped TAB drink, just launched their diet energy drink.
Gifted out, I raced home to shower change and head back from the Method Fest party at Easy Street. Though the bar was packed, there wasn’t a single recognizable face. Open bar to the rescue. Ryan got off work and we walked up a frigid Main Street to Harry O’s to catch the end of the Damian Marley show but it was too late. We walked back to Easy Street and snuck into the premiere party for “Thank You For Smoking,” a film getting a fair amount of buzz at this year’s Fest. How do you get in? There’s one famous move I nearly forgot. Wait for a group of people to get ushered under the rope (because they’re on a list or know someone) and attach yourself to them. They usually don’t do a head count. We closed the party and went home at 2 a.m. to sleep before I did it all again.

Celeb Sightings:
Paris Hilton working the sidewalk in hot pink and white pleather with full-face white plastic sunglasses. It looked like one of those Disneyland characters had stopped for the tourist photo op. Anne Heche, with long blond hair and looking slightly mousy and annoyed, stood behind me to get into the SkiHouse main gifting area. Shannon Elizabeth and Laura Prepon worked The Marquee room. Gwyneth Paltrow dined at Prime Steakhouse on Lower Main but I only saw the back of her head. Apparently, Rob Lowe and Aisha Tyler had hit up every major gifting suite because where ever I went I heard, “They were just here.” Terrence Howard hung outside the W Las Vegas Tent waiting for his celebrity poker match to start; Lance Bass and Amber Tamblyn walked out of the Fred Segal Store loaded with bags from Timberland, Pony, Rocawear and Bric’ss Luggage.

Sundance Done

Well, that’s a wrap. One seriously crazy time over the last 10 days of January comes to a close with a stellar outcome. More press, more money, more important films sold, more parties, more people than ever before. Makes you wonder if our little resort town can handle the Sundance Film Festivals of the future.

The final Saturday night awards party at the Park City Racquet Club had the indoor tennis courts looking like a snazzy night club with mood cubes on cocktail tables, glowing white towers, DJs spinning hip hop mixes and waiters passing around cupcakes with Sparkler candles stuck in them.

With the famous faces gone, the room overflowed with talented (and very happy) writers, directors, publicists and press. The climate at this year’s Fest seemed much more relaxed about the competition and the sales of films. One thing of note was the abundance of political films that took home awards. The American Documentary Grand Jury Prize went to Why We Fight, a film that examines the economic, political, and ideological forces that drive American militarism and the war in Iraq. The Festival’s first-ever World Cinema Documentary Grand Jury Prize belonged to Shape of the Moon, about three generations of a Christian family living in modern-day Indonesia, the largest Muslim community in the world. The Hero (Angola/Portugal/France) took the World Cinema Dramatic Grand Jury Prize. It follows a 20-year veteran of the Angolan civil war who returns to the capital city of Luanda. Canadian film Shake Hands with the Devil won the World Cinema Documentary Audience Award for its story of Canadian Lt. Gen. Roméo Dallaire and his controversial United Nations peacekeeping mission to Rwanda during the 1994 genocide. The Danish film Brothers, about two brothers dealing with family dynamics after one is sent to war in Afghanistan received the World Cinema Audience Dramatic Award.

Other winners included:

Forty Shades of Blue – Dramatic Grand Jury Prize.

Hustle and Flow – Dramatic Audience Award

Murderball – Documentary Audience Award/Special Jury Prize for Editing

Jeff Feuerzeig, The Devil and Daniel Johnston – American Documentary Directing Award

Noah Baumbach, The Squid and the Whale – Dramatic Directing Award (The squid also won The Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award)

The Education of Shelby Knox – American Excellence in Cinematography Award

After Innocence – Special Jury Prize for Editing

Family Portrait – Jury Prize in Short Filmmaking

Wasp – Jury Prize in International Short Filmmaking

So what happens now? So far, 20 Sundance films have been bought by independent distributors, TV markets and major studios- and that doesn’t include the 26 premieres you will soon see on the silver screen. The most expensive film to date is Hustle and Flow which sold for $16 million. I believe that’s a record for Sundance. Some reported there was an overabundance of sexual explicitness running rampant in this year’s selections. If there was, I couldn’t find it (darn it :)). In the 10 films I saw, only Inside Deep Throat touched that statement. But I found it compelling rather than nauseating or offensive. Still, be prepared for a little shock value when these flicks hit the screen sometime later this year.