Widely known as a forum for independent filmmakers (Quentin Tarantino got his big break here in 1992 with Reservoir Dogs), the Sundance Film Festival has grown into a multi-pronged event offering top-notch music performances, intriguing panel discussions, awards ceremonies, amazing parties, the much lauded gifting suites, oh and if you have any energy left, there’s world-class skiing and snowboarding.  

The good news is, you don’t have to be ‘in the biz’ or spend a ton of money to take part in the festival experience, but you do need to be in the know, at least a little.

Attending Film Screenings

There are several Festival Pass options available for advance purchase through the Sundance organization, however they’re very limited, and expensive. During the festival, the Film Festival Box office releases a limited number of new tickets for sale each day at 8:00 am, however there are often people already in line since 6:00 am! Many opt to waitlist the films they want to see, but if it’s a popular film, you have to go extra early. The official Sundance Film Festival website (www.sundance.org/festival) explains the waitlist procedure, which is part of the festival experience. What Just Happened, directed by Barry Levinson was a hot ticket, as its cast included Robert De Niro, Catherine Keener, Sean Penn, Bruce Willis and Stanley Tucci. Festival-goers who showed up at 7:30 am Sunday morning to get a waitlist ticket for the 8:30 am screening found 100+ die-hard fans already in line, many of whom had arrived at 5:00 am to ensure getting a seat. Note that this was 5:00 am on a Sunday morning, in temperatures below 20 degrees Fahrenheit! 

Fortunately, there is an excellent shuttle bus system that stops at all of the film screening venues, and it’s free. The drivers were generally friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. If you’re running late or going extra early (when the shuttles aren’t running) there are cabs driving around town 24/7. However many of the cabs had no meters and charged a flat fee that was high for a very short ride. Many of the locals make their biggest money of the year during the festival, so beware.

The Parties

Yes, one does need some connections to get on the lists for entrance to the parties; the efforts made in this regard are well worth it. Food and drinks were gratis and were top quality; Patron tequila was flowing generously at the My Space Party in the Hype lounge. We were happy to see healthy vitamin/energy drinks being offered as mixers with the alcohol, if you’re going to have a cocktail, why not get some vitamins and minerals along with it? Fotokem’s Indie Moguls party featured a sumptuous buffet, a full bar, and a large room of approximately 30 or so massage therapists offering chair massages for guests, ah! The DJs played amazing sets and it was great to see lots of people dancing and just plain getting’ a groove on and having a good ole time. 

The Gifting Lounges go green

Gifting lounges were omnipresent around Park City and featured a broad array of products and services, with most offering food, drink and entertainment to boot. Instead of the large gift baskets, which have come under scrutiny by the IRS, individual products are displayed and guests browse the mini-boutiques and select items they chose. Non-celebrities can gain entrance to these fabulous emporiums, but one must have connections to get in. Hint: it helps to be a guest of cast or crew on one of the films, or be a guest of a member of the press. Happily, they weren’t all about conspicuous consumption, many lounges had a green/educational theme, and even several non-profits, (Amnesty International was one of several) were present. A few of the standouts were: 

The Pure & Natural Celebrity Eco-Retreat aimed to “gift and educate guests on the east of living an environmentally conscious lifestyle”. We did feel a genuine attempt to educate and inform guests about new environmentally and health conscious product options becoming available. Personal care line Pure & Natural was launching a new body wash, liquid handsoap

'Trying on a pair of boots from Warmbat's Gecko Grip line'

and bar soaps packaged in 100% recyclable plastic, and recycled paper. The soap inside is biodegradable and paraben free, something consumers are becoming more aware of and demanding from their cosmetics. Warmbat Australia had a presence in the lounge, showcasing their eco-friendly line of sheepskin boots that have a similar look to the trendy Ugg boot. We were curious to know what was special and different about the Warmbat boot, with so many Ugg copycats around, and their rep explained that Warmbat boots have a removable insole (good for cleaning), arch support, and a memory foam cushioned footbed for a more comfortable, supportive boot. We’re anxious to try a pair – being on our feet a lot, comfort counts big! Gecko Grip is the name of their eco line, its made from natural rubber and tanned with a chrome-free tanning agent that is recyclable and biodegradable. The rep explained that the double-faced sheepskin Warmbat uses breathes well, and no socks are needed!  

The Village at the Yard was one of the larger lounges with an interesting mix of suites. The Timberland suite was popular with many celebrities including Jessica Alba, Kerr Smith and Kevin Sorbo. Boots made from recycled materials as well as down jackets and vests were gifted to guests and celebrities. In keeping with the eco theme, the Timberland suite announced their new Earthkeeper line of boots made from recycled materials and new packaging to contain a ‘nutrition label’ of sorts,

'An actor enjoys the Timberland suite'

describing what materials the shoes are made from, in an effort to be more transparent and socially and environmentally conscious. Other suites at The Yard included Pure Romance, who liken themselves as “the Mary Kay of intimacy products” showcasing an elaborate line of massage lotions, flavored lubricants, and other ‘intimate products ‘, The Humane Society offering information about prevention of cruelty to animals, and Drugstore.com, who set up a mini-drugstore offering basics such as toothpaste and dental floss to higher end hair care products from the Frederic Fekkai line. Vodka cocktails and beer were passed around to guests as they browsed the boutiques. We were there around 10 am, and perusing sensual products and celebrities whilst sipping cocktails at that hour was quite the experience.

'The St. Ives Sensory Spa and Gallery'

Back on Main Street, St. Ives skincare introduced its new ‘Elements’ line of nature inspired cleansers and scrubs at its own spa/ gallery suite. Guests were given mini-facials and healthy beverages in an elegant setting. The new line of products will be available at drug and mass retailers starting March of 2008, and are refreshingly low priced, only $6.99 for the 6.7 ounce olive oil cleanser. 

The Eco-Luxury Lounge was the grandest and most gorgeous green themed lounge, sponsored

'Desperate Housewives actress Felicity Huffman at the Lexus Eco-Luxury Lounge'

by Lexus Hybrid Living, yes, the car company positioning itself as a lifestyle brand, apparently to help promote their hybrid SUV. Their website www.lexus.com/hybridliving is worth a look; it appears to be an intriguing collection of eco-friendly products and services from many different companies, touting an environmentally conscious, yet luxurious lifestyle. The Eco-luxury lounge exemplified this concept well. The lounge aims to “encourage filmmakers to see how to live a pampered life without hurting the environment.” The lounge showcased floor to ceiling organic interior designing —including vegetable-dyed organic cotton couches with non-toxic glues, and chic, earth-friendly fabrics made from bamboo and pineapple threads.  Natural soy candles from Rodarte were gifted along with information about the toxic petrochemicals found in most candles. Ever seen the black soot collect around one of those fancy, expensive pillar candles housed in a glass jar, or seen the black soot emitted from the wick of a burning candle? Petro-chemicals people. Who wants to be breathing in soot? Hence the need for a candle made from soy. Another vendor we liked there was the Pangea Organics line of organic, handcrafted skincare that is free of petrochemical products and parabens. 

Maybe its the natural mountain setting of Park City, or all the pure white snow, but people were just plain friendlier and polite at Sundance. Parties would get crowded, but people would say ‘excuse me’ if they bumped into you, which surprisingly didn’t happen much, no spilled drinks. There was a remarkable lack a rudeness given the large number of people converging at small, packed venues. Sundance lacked the pretense felt at industry events in Los Angeles. Celebrities were even warm and accessible, and while there were lots of photographers everywhere, they lacked the aggressiveness of the paparazzi we often see in Los Angeles. I don’t mean to knock LA, I’m a native after all, but the difference was noticeable. Summing it up, Sundance was a blast, pure fun and in spite of all the free food and alcohol, we actually lost weight from all the walking!