Screenings, Stars, Skiing, Soirees, and SWAG - Sundance 2004

Screenings
From surfing to romance to death to sex between brothers, the films at Sundance ranged from great to good to disturbing. There was indeed a little bit of everything.

Stars
They were crawling all over Park City. According to People and US magazines, Ashton and Demi, Courtney and David, Ben (without Jen), and Nick and Paris were among the many stars spotted in the snowy mountain town. According to me and Lori S., Mario Van Peebles, Mario Van Peebles' dad, and that guy who played Sara Gilbert's boyfriend on Roseanne were also in attendance.

Skiing
I suck at skiing and have the bruises to prove it. For some it was like riding a bicycle. I can only assume that Emily Z. is an excellent cyclist.

Soirees
Apparently, I missed some of the better shindigs and many required "credentials" to get in. We learned quickly that a pass with someone else's name on it accompanied by a wink and a smile worked just as well. It also helps to know the right people...or VP.

SWAG
If you leave Sundance without scoring some free stuff, you can only blame yourself. This became quite clear at SWAGdance 2004.

A general invite in IndieWIRE Newsletter announced that leftover stuff would be handed out at the atrium in the Marriott in what was to be known as SWAGdance. As people who enjoy free stuff, Lori S. and I set on our way. We could only be amused by what we found inside...

On the first table, there were Red Vines, a bowl of M&Ms, Peppermint Patties, Balance Bars, and one apple. On the second table, we found printer paper, warm diet coke, sticky pads, paper clips, and envelopes. Rummaging through these things was a slew of volunteers. Because we had some time to kill, Lori and I decided to sit down. It's not our fault that people began to believe that we were the hosts of this party. Well, at least it wasn't our fault until we decided to act as if we were; helping people choose the best balance bar for them and steering them away from the nasty M&Ms.

As the "party" dwindled, Lori and I realized that we had learned something from that experience: it doesn't matter how crappy the free stuff is, people will take it and they'll thank you for it too.

In the end, Sundance reminded me of a lot of things:
1. When you fall down you have to get back up or risk perishing in the snow on the side of the mountain,
2. One man's trash is another man's treasure, but trash isn't litter until you leave it behind,
3. A little niceness goes a long way...towards getting you into the restricted areas,
4. Everyone's a critic, and
5. Great art can take your soul to another place.