Sundance Festival

Sking the slopes until you're exhausted.
Taking in Midnight premieres.
Waiting in line for tickets.
Meeting interesting people from all over the world.

Quick Tips:

Book accomodations well in advance since they go rather quickly during the festival.

Best Way To Get Around:

Shuttle for sure! It's free, easy to use and another great way to meet other festival goers.

Who'd have thought you'd have to travel to a mountain ski town for the best crabcakes in the state? It's not about fancy sauces or pretty presentation; it's about high quality white crab from Maryland. Blind Dog Grill has a feel I like. Upscale for sure, but comfortable and unpretentious. Canines are the theme at Blind Dog, named for the owner's dog who suffered a loss of sight after being struck by a car. The restaurant is a dog lovers paradise, with photos, cartoons and other renderings of mutts adorning the walls. In fact, you're invited to bring your own pet's picture to add to the collection. The food, as I say, is serious-but not stuffy. And it's a credit to Blind Dog Grill that they are able to serve relatively complicated dishes, yet keep things light overall. I like the fact that the service at Blind Dog is friendly and outgoing, not formal or stuffy, as is so often the case in restaurants that have words like coulis and mousse on the menu. And again, the ambiance is cozy and comfortable - perfect for either a romantic date or an apres ski dinner for eight.

The moment you set foot in Vie Retreat Day Spa, you enter a different world--a place whose serene ambience invites you to relax after a long day on the slopes or recuperate from the numerous cocktail parties that abound during the festival season. Personally I don't get to ski a lot during the festival, so for me I go to rejuvenate -- and it did just the trick.

America's premiere showcase for independently produced documentary and dramatic films, this festival offers audiences the first opportunity to view 32 features, (usually amazing films at that). As a writer it's a source of great inspiration and valuable contacts. It's one big smooze-a-rama.

However, my favorite part of the Festival is what they call, 'Park City at Midnight' which provides a late-night treat for film enthusiasts. Aimed at those die-hards still hungry for more after a day's film-going, this series provides kinetic, surprising, and occasionally outrageous concoctions throughout the week. The hit of last year's series was the world premiere of The Blair Witch Project. It's one big party in the snow. You know you're a die-hard when you wait in line in the freezing snow for a ticket, or just to get in.

Since Park City is a TINY town, you're envitably going to run into celebrities but recognizing them all bundled up in scarves and hats may prove difficult. The last Sundance I attended, I had the pleasure of meeting one of my favorite actors - Gabrielle Burn. Simply walking down Main Street I spotted Parker Posie, Matt Damon, Rosie Perez, Kevin Spacey just to name a few. Main street is by far the best place for people watching and star gazing!

Wednesday night, and you're standing in a cold alley on Main Street, hoping against hope you'll get into the theater to see a movie that you know very little about, that stars only marginally famous people, but which is nonetheless sold out.

And you don't have a ticket.

You're not alone. There are about 30 other festival-goers in front of you and another 20 behind. Just like you, they're bundled up and watching their breath vapors, bored as hell and trying not to freeze. The wait will be a long one, nearly two hours. If it never dawned on you before that you aren't exactly a V.I.P. at the Sundance Film Festival, now it should.

Welcome to Park City at Midnight. This is where the coolest, edgiest, most offbeat films of the festival are screened. While the stodgy adults (read: people older than 30) spend the days watching stuffy dramas, high-minded documentaries and foreign films with annoying subtitles, at the Midnight series you find films such as 'Psycho Beach Party' and 'Spike and Mike's Sick and Twisted Animation.' Or to put it another way: There's a reason the Midnight series is sponsored by Joe Boxer, while some of the other Sundance programs are sponsored by the likes of AT&T and Mercedes Benz. Well, all right then. During the midnight-movie screening there is more energy in the crowd. The audience is always hyped and pumped. They know they're there for a good time, for good quality entertainment, there's no big morals about it. This is midnight madness at Sundance

Not only do independent films compete at Sundance, but so do the after parties. Sometimes I think people are more concerned about getting into the party of choice than screening of choice. These parties get rather crazy --people often end up naked in the snow and it's not uncommon for cops to be called.

One party I attended encompassed two houses as well as its Park City-ubiquitous bus (equipped with a rooftop projector that screened shorts on the semi-snowy hillside). Tiki torches led the way to a long line outside the multi-level condo, converted into a throbbing house party with three separate dance floors (one being a crowded downstairs garage). Inside, a youngish twentysomething crowd grooved to everything from 'Fight For Your Right' to 'The Humpty Dance' to the expected '90s techno tunes. Drinks included the usual assortment of mixed drinks (lots of Coke and Sprite on hand) and a lightweight beverage called Wasatch Ale (limited to 4 percent alcohol). Free-food entrees consisted of frosted strawberries, olives (both kinds -- green and black) and lots and lots of cheese. Dessert came as free goodie bags, packaged like military MREs and each loaded with an ever-pulsing night light, an T-shirt, plenty of decals and the always useful toothbrush.

But the fun didn't last -- the authorities were finally called to shut down the thing due to noise and a long wait line outside.

Across the street, a smaller crowd gathered at another house. This laid-back bunch generated only a limited amount of craziness, allowing party-goers to rock on for another half-hour before the locals shut down that one as well.

Although the mood was subdued (and the star-watching factor low), the avid shorts-watchers still looked satisfied, with plenty of Wasatch in hand.

Drinks were flowing freely at the nearby Cisero's Ristorante & Nightclub, where Film Threat co-sponsored a premiere party for the Slamdance feature, 'What I Like About You.' Turnout was heavy, and Shawn Colvin ('Sunny Came Home') did do a very cool acoustic set, but overall it wasn't too unlike a night out at the local (crowded) bar. There also was a cloying jam by a band called the Agency, which performed the obvious cover of, yes, 'What I Like About You.'

My friend partied on but I turned in for the night at around 3:30 in the morning.