Idaho State Journal, January 19, 2004

Sundance Film Festival kickoff features non-stop action

by Sarah Keech, Features Editor

   PARK CITY, UTAH - From FOX's reality TV stars to a chilly night of live music on Main Street, the first weekend of the 2004 Sundance Film Festival was non-stop action.
   Surfing thrill ride "Riding Giants" kicked off the 10-day party Thursday night, and since then celebrities, star-struck fans, filmmakers and movie buffs have converged on this small snowy town to take it all in.
   Movie tickets sold out quickly. Tamarinde Doane of Colorado Springs, Colo., and her friends purchased tickets in advance online to ensure they could see some films while in Park City.
   "We saw, and we really enjoyed, 'Brother to Brother,'" Doane said about a new movie which explores what would happen if the Harlem Renaissance took place in modern times. Doane and her friends plan to see several more films while they are here.
   Many of the filmgoers are in town to see some unusual flicks they likely wouldn't see otherwise.
   One Sundance patron, who came to Utah from New York City, said the festival is one of the few places where film fans can see a lot of original movies, ones they wouldn't usually get to see in a theater.
   Sundance is a place for independent film actors and filmmakers to display their work, often small works made on shoestring budgets, and considered more of a labor of love than a Hollywood box office cash cow.
   "The independent film community doesn't uphold to certain constraints that the Hollywood community does," said Anthony Katagas, producer of the film "Second Best," starring Joe Pantoliano, Jennifer Tilly and Bronson Pinchot. "There isn't anyone telling us filmmakers, 'This is your job, this is what you are getting paid for, this is what we want from you.'"
   Premiere Magazine held a celebrity-studded party for the cast and crew of "Second Best," at the Easy Street Brasserie on Saturday night.
   But the reason some come to Park City is not to see a movie, but to see celebrities or be seen themselves.
   Midday Saturday, Demi Moore, Kyra Sedgwick and former "Punky Brewster" star Soleil Moon Frye, were just some of the celebrities hanging out at the Village at the Lift on Main Street. The Village at the Lift offers celebrities exclusive services, including a local version of the famed L.A. shopping haunt Fred Segal, use of high-priced General Motors cars and a VIP lounge sponsored by Phillips Electronics.
   Upstairs at the Village at the Lift, the Crown Royal Lounge became a frequent stop for FOX reality TV stars Paris Hilton and Nicole Ritchie, who arrived Saturday night along with Hilton's rumored boyfriend Nick Carter. Also at that party was Matchbox Twenty vocalist Rob Thomas.
   "To be able to have our brand be associated with celebrities is a nice intangible," said Greg Leonard, director of public relations and events for Diageo, parent company of Crown Royal.
   Leonard said this is the second year his company has sponsored parties for the festival, adding the parties help reduce stress for filmmakers and actors during a crucial moment in their careers.
   "People come (to Sundance) to live a dream, they are coming to do their artwork and to see if it can be purchased by one of the studios," Leonard said.
   The Sundance Film Festival continues through Sunday and concludes with an award ceremony honoring the best films.