Save the Date!
Rub shoulders — and exchange business cards — with boldfaced names, power brokers, and high-minded celebs at the most influential schmoozefests on the planet. Get out there and network like it's your job!
By Faye Penn
Photo Credit: Barbara Kraft/Courtesy of the Company
SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL
January 17 — 27, 2013, Park City, UT
WHAT IT IS: The country's largest indie film fest draws art house distributors like Magnolia Pictures and Fox Searchlight, eager for the next Blair Witch Project or Little Miss Sunshine. Auteurs like Darren Aronofsky and Quentin Tarantino had their big breaks here, so brace yourself for some jeans-and-Converse-clad cinema obsessives. Also in attendance: writers, actors, agents, and the hangers-on they roll with.
WHY GO: You maxed out your Visa on a brainy rom-com featuring the requisite absent dad, ambivalent boyfriend, and foul-mouthed gal pals.
COST: $400 to $3,000 depending on your access, but know that registering for Sundance is about as painful as getting a North Korean travel visa. In brief: Step #1: Go online beginning September 20 and register to register. Step #2: Receive your half-hour time slot, randomly assigned by computer, during which you can purchase your ticket package. Step #3: If successful, submit passport photo electronically. Step #4: Once at Sundance, wait in endless lines for movies while keeping an eye out for Zooey Deschanel. See the FAQs at sundance.org for more confusion.
WHO YOU'LL MEET: Who won't you meet? Depending on the films competing, any of your favorite stars could show up in anoraks and furry boots; extra points for sighting founder Robert Redford.
ACTION PLAN: Slog to screenings, collect sponsor swag, talk your way into VIP parties, try to sound erudite at shuttle stops. What you won't do: ski.
LODGE HERE: The closer to the festival loop, the more expensive rooms get, to the tune of $2,000 a night. Most A-listers rent homes in Park City or Deer Valley, but mere mortals pack hotels like the glammy new St. Regis and Montage. Try the Yarrow for value. Book rooms directly through the Sundance site starting in August, or for a cheaper option, try Airbnb, which has tons of rooms available, starting at $60 a night.
HUNGRY GIRL: Talisker on Main for lobster hush puppies, Glitretind for a star-studded splurge, El Chubasco because you blew all your cash at Glitretind.
DRESS CODE: Moncler puffer, MiH jeans, and fur-lined Sorels. (Heels are for pop stars — both as welcome here as black ice.)
MUST-HAVE GEAR: Portable boot dryer. (Yes, they exist.)
HOOKUP PROSPECTS: Medium — sorry, who are you? — but aided by mountain vistas, fireplaces, and free-flowing booze. Just ask Kirsten Dunst and Garrett Hedlund, last year's breakout couple.
PRO TIP: Sundance deploys some 1,600 volunteers each year for ticket and merch sales, crowd control, and party help. Perks include free movie tickets, party and shuttle passes, groovy orange jackets, and potentially higher hookup prospects. Apply at sundance.org/festival/info/volunteering.
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