Sundance 2013

And so another year of Sundance is upon us. Best week of the year! The films, the celebs, the general excitement in the air!

I guess I never have explained how this works....
Sundance started in Utah in 1981 by Robert Redford.  Each year it seems to get bigger and bigger.  Park City has a population of approximately 8,000 that increases to approximately 50,000 for the 11 days of Sundance. There are approximately 100 films that premier about 5 times each in various theatre venues.  Most often, the celebrities who star in the films attend the #1 premier and conduct Q&A after the film.  This is the best!  Private parties, great restaurants, musical events, cocktails and shopping surround the films.  And lots of relaxation and spa time for us too!

I fell in love with Sundance and Park City when I first visited over 12 years ago.  Because of this, and how expensive it is to attend each year, I decided to invest in a condo which I purchased about 3-4 years ago. Now I experience Park City more than once per year!

Now for the Festival itself..... Not as easy as simply showing up. Movie tickets are hard to come by- registering for various lotteries and time slots months prior. Dinner reservations must be acquired months prior. Lots of planning and juggling times & events. Some ups and some downs- luck of the draw many cases.  But after several years, without industry connections, we seem to have mastered the game the best we can.  Now that you have the background, here is a little bit of the start of Sundance 2013.

Thursday Jan 17
Arrival day!
Amy and Kari for Sundance Round 1 (Thursday thru Tuesday)
Settle, shop, sip is a good way to describe the start
Dinner at the BEST place in Park City- PURPLE SAGE
Amazing food, service and libations- Purple Bubbles was the new cocktail this year!
Meeting the Gasoline Lollipops on Main Street after dinner (you had to be there)

Friday Jan 18
Gym, spa, relax, Film #1
"Two Mothers" with Naomi Watts & Robin Wright Penn
Started out the festival with a very traditional Sundance flick- this one was about 2 best friends who fall in love with each others son. Huh.
I enjoyed it. Naomi Watts was there. Great way to start the films (1 of 8 for me).
We missed Dave Grohl's Sound City concert, but we saw the heart of Sundance with this film.

Today is a new day. Saturday brings a ton more. Stay tuned.