Sundance

Main Street in Park City during the Sundance Film Festival

Egyptian Theater at night in Park City, UT.

Julie Delpy's "2 Days in New York."

David Zellner's "Kid-Thing"

"Wanderlust"

"The Ambassador"

Sundance Director of Programming Trevor Groth hung out with "Like Crazy" director Drake Doremus following the Awards Ceremony Saturday night near Park City. "Like Crazy" had a terrific time at Sundance, getting picked up by Paramount and then winning the Jury Prize for best narrative film in the U.S. Dramatic Competition. With the closure of one of the festival's main venues, the Racquet Club because of construction, Sundance moved the awards about five miles outside of town to a venue that could accommodate the crowds. The traffic was bad, but the party was fun!

Sundance Film Festival Director John Cooper donned a snowflake and some sexy legs at the Awards Ceremony Sunday night. Despite the fact that there are a number of prizes to hand out at the event, the show moves along pretty well and it was done and onto the party in an hour-and-a-half.

IFC hosted one of its events for "Kaboom," which is screening at the Sundance Film Festival earlier in the fest near Main Street. Richard Linklater, whose "Slacker" is having its 20th anniversary this year (eeep!) is a retrospective screening at this year's Sundance. Gregg Araki's latest, a sci-fi story centered on the sexual awakening of a group of college students, opens Friday in limited release and VOD. And here are Linklater and Araki soaking up the fun at the party...

Film Independent head Dawn Hudson introduced Doran Weber from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation at the FIND/iW afternoon party Monday honoring the non-profit arts organization's Fellows as well as the recipient of the Sloan grant, to producer Nicholas Bruckman. His film, "Valley of Saints" will receive a $25,000 post-production grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, which seeks to create and develop new scripts and films about science and technology, and to see them into commercial production with national and international distribution. Joining Bruckman on stage at the Riverhorse Cafe in Park City is the film's director, Musa Sayeed. Photo by Brian Brooks/indieWIRE

"Incendies" director and fresh Oscar nominee Denis Villeneuve (left), Telefilm Canada Executive Director Carolle Brabant and Toronto International Film Festival Co-Director Cameron Bailey celebrate at the Canadian party in Sundance last night.

Making the event rounds over the weekend, Sundance Film Festival Director John Cooper with fellow programmer Shari Frilot and programming associate Basil Tsiokos stop in the dinner for Gregg Araki's "Kaboom." Photo by Brian Brooks/indieWIRE

Following its world premiere yesterday where it earned a standing ovation from the audience in attendance, Mike Cahill's remarkably assured and restrained narrative feature debut, "Another Earth," had its second public screening today in Park City. Cahill took part in a Q&A after the film wrapped and was joined on stage with the film's two leads William Mapother (left) and Brit Marling (who also co-wrote and produced the film). Photo by Nigel M. Smith/indieWIRE.

HBO Documentary hosted their annual bash at The Canyons resort outside of Park City over the weekend. Filmmakers, industry and others mingled casually - a contrast from the frenzy that often happens at many other Sundance parties. Pictured here are HBO Documentary head Sheila Nevins with filmmaker Peter Richardson ("How to Die in Oregon") and the network's Jackie Glover. Photo by Brian Brooks/indieWIRE

At the afternoon party hosted by Film Independent and indieWIRE Monday in Park City, IMDb's Christian Gaines and the uber site's founder Col Needham hang out with Matt Dentler from Film Buff. Tuesday was another busy round of events including parties for Cinereach, Cinetic and another for Canadian filmmakers. Photo by Brian Brooks/indieWIRE

Ellen Barkin (left), Demi Moore and Kate Bosworth feted their film "Another Happy Day" with a private dinner and after party at SILVER in Park City. Guests indulged in Vida Tequila and Belvedere cocktails. Photo credit: Sara Jaye Weiss/Startraks Photo.

Bing Bar played host to the official cast party for "My Idiot Brother" at Sundance shortly following its world premiere. Late into the night, Florence + the Machine took to the stage to perform an acoustic set to a packed crowd. Pictured from left to right: Hugh Dancy, Paul Rudd, Elizabeth Banks, director Jesse Peretz and Emily Mortimer. [Photo credit of Bing Bar]

Chaz Bono (center) turned up at the Queer Brunch Sunday and ran into iW's own Peter Knegt (left) and Brad Horvath from Ouat Media! under a sunny sky. Bono is the subject of Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato's doc, "Becoming Chaz" (Sundance Documentary Premieres section), which will screen beyond Park City on OWN in May. The film is a journey into Sonny and Cher's child who, according to a Sundance description, "was a male trapped in a female shell for as long as he can remember" and his process of gender reassignment. Queer Brunch is organized by Outfest. [Photo courtesy of Queer Brunch]

Actor Steve Little (HBO's "Eastbound and Down") poses with director Todd Rohal at the pre-party for the premiere of Rohal's Sundance midnight entry, "The Catechism Cataclysm," at Nacho Mama's on Saturday night. The film, Rohal's second after the Slamdance hit "The Guatemalan Handshake," stars Little as a moronic priest who takes a fishing trip with an old high school friend and encounters unexpected events. It was partly financed by Rough House Pictures, the production company of David Gordon Green, Jody Hill, and Danny McBride. (The last two were spotted at the party, but avoiding the cameras.) Several distributors were spotted at the Egyptian Theater premiere, including IFC, Magnolia and Lionsgate. [Photo Credit: Eric Kohn/indieWIRE]

Mathhew Chapman's thriller "The Ledge" premiered to a packed house at the Eccles Theater in Park City last night, followed by an official after party held at Bing Bar on Main Street. The film's principal cast all made an appearance, including Terrence Howard (left), Liv Tyler (center) and Patrick Wilson (not pictured), as did Chapman (right), who was elated to have a film premiere in Sundance for the first time. [Photo courtesy of Bing Bar]

Sean Durkin’s “Martha Marcy May Marlene” was definitely one of the standouts from Sundance's first full day of screenings. The dark, tense drama depicts a young woman (Elizabeth Olsen (fifth from left) in what could be a starmaking turn ) dealing with the psychological aftermath of being part of an abusive cult. Screening in competition at Sundance, the film's cast and crew posed for photos before heading into the Eccles for what would turn out to be a screening they're all surely happy with. Photo by Peter Knegt/indieWIRE.

Flashback to Sundance 2010: Roadside Attractions had luck/skill on its side, picking up picking up "Winter's Bone not long before the film won the Grand Jury Prize for Best Dramatic Feature. Taking part in the post-awards celebration at the Racquet Club in Park City are Roadside co-prez Howard Cohen, "Winter's Bone" director Debra Granik, the film's executive producer Jonathan Scheuer, Roadside co-prez Eric d'Arbeloff, Submarine's Josh Braun and Roadside exec Dustin Smith. [Photo by Eugene Hernandez/indieWIRE]

Roadside Attractions had luck/skill on its side, picking up picking up "Winter's Bone not long before the film won the Grand Jury Prize for Best Dramatic Feature. Taking part in the post-awards celebration at the Racquet Club in Park City are Roadside co-prez Howard Cohen, "Winter's Bone" director Debra Granik, the film's executive producer Jonathan Scheuer, Roadside co-prez Eric d'Arbeloff, Submarine's Josh Braun and Roadside exec Dustin Smith. [Photo by Eugene Hernandez/indieWIRE]

Directors Mark and Jay Duplass were at Sundance for their latest effort "Cyrus," which screened at Sundance's Premieres section. They also executive produced Bryan Poyser's "Lovers of Hate," which screened in the U.S. Narrative Competition. Here, Poyser angles for a little hot dog action while doing the red carpet... Check out our profile of Poyser and his film at indiewire.com. [Photo by Mark Rowland]

The stars of "Enter the Void," Nathaniel Brown and Paz de la Huerta, look a bit tuckered out after a meal last week off Main Street in Park City during the Sundance Film Festival, but director Gaspar Noe is all smiles. The feature, which IFC Films picked up ahead of Sundance, is inspired by the “Tibetan Book of the Dead.” “Void” centers on Oscar and his sister Linda, recent arrivals in Tokyo. Oscar is a small time drug dealer, and Linda works as a nightclub stripper. One night, Oscar is caught up in a police bust and shot. As he lies dying, his spirit, faithful to the promise he made his sister - that he would never abandon her - refuses to abandon the world of the living.

Cinetic chief John Sloss with "Holy Rollers" actor Justin Bartha at the Cinetic party earlier this week in Park City. Directed by Kevin Asch and starring Bartha and Jesse Eisenberg, the film is set in a Brooklyn Orthodox Jewish community about a youth who is lured into becoming an Ecstasy dealer by his pal who has ties to an Israel drug cartel.

Actors America Ferrera and Jason Ritter at Sundance Sunday following the world premiere of their film, "The Dry Land" by Ryan Piers Williams. Ferrera said she was originally skeptical about the possibility of doing a story focused on a returning soldier's Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, but she was impressed by Williams' determination to do it. "When someone is so relentless and determined, you can't help but believe in it..."

Sundance doc competition entry "A Small Act"'s director Jennifer Arnold (second from right) celebrated the film's warmly received premiere at the New Frontiers party last night with producer Patti Lee (left), and subjects Chris Mburu and Jane Wanjiru Muigai

The New Frontier on Main opened Thursday afternoon. The section displays the latest in new media/film and performance in a cool space across from the Egyptian Theatre on Main Street in Park City. Installations include "Bordertown" by Tracey Snelling, "Cloud Mirror" by Eric Gradman, "The Earthwalk" by Jens Franke and Thomas Glaser, "The End" by Ragnar Kjartansson, "The Works of Michael Joaquin Grey" by Michael Joaquin Grey, "hitRECord.org" by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, "Lifecycles" by Matthew Moore, "Lobe of Lung" by Pipilotti Rist, "The Works of Gina Czarnecki" by Gina Czarnecki, "Post Global Warming Survival Kit" by Petko Dourmana. Also among the group (top left) is New Frontier organizer, Shari Frilot.

Flashback to Sundance '09: Lee Daniels and actress Gabourey Sidibe were all smiles last year after the film won the Best Dramatic prize at the awards ceremony, closing out the Sundance Film Festival. The film was originally called "Push," but it was re-named "Precious Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire" ahead of its release via Lionsgate which picked up the film at the fest. The film has gone on to garner big box office cash and some awards buzz, but it will be remain to be seen whether it ends up with multiple Oscar nods.

Sundance '09: With the 2010 Sundance Film Festival around the corner, iPOP will look back at the 2009 festival, which as usual, played an important part in introducing the films out this year. Here, Joseph Gordon-Levitt rocked the Obama T-shirt at the Sundance awards ceremony and after-party. He starred in "(500) Days of Summer" and will return in January to the event with Dramatic Competition feature, "Hesher," directed by Spencer Susser. Gordon-Levitt will also have an installation entitled, "hitRECord.org" in the festival's New Frontier section.

Producer and sales agent Kevin Iwashina hosted a congrats dinner at his West Hollywood residence for new Sundance head John Cooper (far right). Check out a snapshot of the evening on a blog post by Michael Jones. [Photo courtesy of WireImage]

Actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt took to the stage at the Sundance awards, giving "Push" the Audience Prize for best U.S. dramatic film, giving Lee Daniels a massive bear hug when he got to the stage. He's pictured here mingling with the crowd with Obama T-shirt (apparently he got in on the street in NYC) at the official after-party.

Comedienne Jane Lynch served as the M.C. Saturday night in Park City for the awards, opening with a hilarious monologue on same sex marriage utilizing the titles from the festival's '09 line up - funny stuff, but you probably had to be there.

Havana Marking (right) won the World Cinema Audience Award, Documentary and the Excellence in Directing, World Documentary for her film, "Afghan Star" and celebrated with BritDoc's Jess Search (middle) and the film's editor, Ash Jenkins at the after-party. The doc takes a look at the Afghan version of "Pop Idol" ("American Idol") in the war-torn country where most Pop Culture was once banned under Taliban rule.

Director Kim Longinotto and two of the subjects in her doc, "Rough Aunties" were completely giddy after winning Sundance's World Cinema Jury Prize, Documentary. The South Africa-set film spotlights a group of women based in Durban who counsel sexually abused children and work to bring their assailants to justice.

Gabourey Sidibe gets a charming lead off stage from director Lee Daniels after Sidibe accepted an acting award on behalf of her co-star, Mo'Nique who plays her crazy bitch mother in the film, "Push: Based on the Novel by Sapphire." The film had a good night at the awards night in Park City. Actress Virginia Madsen (far right) presented the prize.

An award for best director at Sundance and one of Variety's 10 directors to watch, "Sin Nombre" director Cary Joji Fukunaga had a pretty damn good Sundance this year... We ran into Fukunaga at the awards after party for this snap.

Though it didn't get a shout out at the Sundance awards last night, director Eric Daniel Metzgar's doc "The Reporter" was definitely one of our favorites (plus he's kinda hot).

"Push" director Lee Daniels and Sundance Film Festival director Geoff Gilmore shared a little quality time as the Racquet Club in Park City prior to the festival's awards ceremony Saturday evening. Daniels' "Push" went on to win both the Audience and Jury prize for best dramatic film.

Sundance Channel hosted a lovely little dinner for World doc competition film "The Glass House" earlier in the week. Sundance Film Festival director Geoff Gilmore (right) joined the director, Hamid Rahmanian (second from right) Laura Michalchyshyn from Sundance Channel, producer Melissa Hibbard, the film's composer, David Bergeaud Lynne Kirby, SVP Original Production Sundance Channel (2nd from left).

The gang from "Nollywood Babylon" joined the crowd at the Sundance Channel party on Main Street. Their film spotlights the exploding film industry in Nigeria. Lancelot Oduwa Imasuen (right) is one of the most influential men in the country's movie biz. Joining him are Ben Addelman (middle) and Samir Mallal, the doc's co-directors.

Director Rupert Murray and producer George Duffield hanging out at the HBO dinner in Park City. Their world cinema competition film, "The End of the Line" sounds a frightening alarm that if the world continues to consume fish at the current rate, the planet will run our of seafood by 2048.

"Hannah Takes the Stairs" director Joe Swanberg and actress Jess Weixler give each other a bear hug in Park City. Swanberg's latest film, "Alexander the Last," which stars Weixler, will debut in March at the SXSW Film Festival and simultaneously on VOD via IFC. Swanberg joined a press conference announcing the film's roll out earlier in the week in Park City.

"Burma VJ" director Anders Ostergaard and producer Lise Lense-Moller outside the Holiday theaters following a screening of their film. A big hit in '08 at IDFA and the Copenhagen Film Festivals, the film is a compilation of footage smuggled out of Burma by democratic activists who bring images of repression to the world from the closed state.

Cinetic Media head John Sloss (right) with IFC Entertainment president Jonathan Sehring at the Cinetic party in Sundance. The party was probably the funnest one we went to this year (so far). Great music and lots of people danced (after some free cocktails). We attacked Sehring with the camera a lot that day after their press conference last weekend announcing a simultaneous premiere on cable of five films along with their debut screenings at the SXSW Film Festival in March.

Don't they just make the cutest couple? Too bad one of them isn't straight. But oh well, they still looked glam at the Cinetic party Monday night. Cinetic's Stuart Wrede and HBO's Sarah Bernstein hit the dance floor and had a good ole time.

Minnie Driver put on quite a show at the party for "Motherhood," by Katherine Diekmann this week at Sundance. The girl can sing! At one point she stopped the show for a moment to tell people fiddling with their Blackberrys and those "doing deals" to go to the back of the room though, which got a good laugh. Driver stars in the film along with Uma Thurman and even Jodie Foster who makes a small cameo. Both Thurman and Foster joined the party, so it was a real starry night.

Former Picturehouse head Bob Berney and former Film Society of Lincoln Center publicist Jeanne Berney were among the throngs of industry hanging out at the Cinetic party earlier in the week at Zoom on Main Street. Bob Berney is rumored to be starting a new company and we can't wait to hear all about it!

Jeff Dowd ("The Dude") busted a move at the Cinetic party earlier this week at Sundance. Jeff is known as the person who inspired the Coens' "Dude" in "The Big Lebowski." This year, he notched up his fame by getting punched by an irate Variety reporter at a diner when Dude wouldn't leave him alone about "Dirt," a movie he's representing. (Dowd is also a producers rep). We wrote about it of course, then it got picked up by Defamer, and all the blogs went wild over it, and by afternoon, The Los Angeles Times even picked up the story. Moral of the story? Get into a fight with the right people and you too will make the big time! [Earlier in this post iW mistakenly said that a review of "Dirt" had been posted which it hadn't, we regret the error.]

"Dirt! The Movie" co-directors Eugene Rosow, Bill Benenson along with Dirt: The Ecstatic Skin of the Earth author William Bryant Logan at the Indie Go Go/Snag Films cocktail party earlier in the week off Main St in Park City. "Dirt" is screening in the Sundance doc competition and spotlights - well, dirt.

"It's rare to find material like this," Uma Thurman (right) said of director Katherine Dieckmann (left) and her script for "Motherhood," premiering tonight at the Sundance Film Festival. "One thing I've been pretty good at is feeling good writing. I have a good eye for that and my favorite thing is to find writing about our experience now as people. Contemporary material that is looking at our lives today. That's my favorite, if you can call it, genre. And finding contemporary, humorous but dramatic writing that is fresh and open-eyed in the moment is very difficult."

"Five Minutes of Heaven" stars Liam Neeson and James Nesbitt (lower right), director Oliver Hirschbiegel and an unidentified guest on Main Street in Park City Tuesday afternoon. "I've never had a film open at a festival," Hirschbiegel told indieWIRE. "And this place is great. I love Sundance... The screening yesterday went so well. The audience was brilliant and in the Q&A there were very smart questions. And everyone applauded us! Which is wonderful."

After the big screening then the dinner with some press and all the posing etc., the "Sin Nombre" stars took a bit of a time out before dessert to have a chat. Left to right: Paulina Gaitan, Diana Garcia, Edgar Flores and Tenoche Huerta Mejia.

Cari Joji Fukunaga's U.S. dramatic competition film "Sin Nombre" received a standing ovation following its premiere screening at the giant Eccles theater in Park City. Immediately following, Focus Features, which will distribute the film, hosted a dinner for the film's cast and Fukunaga (third from left) and producer Amy Kaufman (second from left). Joining them are Focus' Andrew Karpen (left), actress Paulina Gaitan, James Schamus (middle), and actors Diana Garcia, Edgar Flores and Tenoche Huerta Mejia.

"Che" director Steven Soderbergh and "Medicine for Melancholy" director Barry Jenkins have a chat following the slew of announcements made this morning in Park City. IFC is releasing both filmmakers' current films.

SXSW Film Festival producer Janet Pierson and director Joe Swanberg off Main Street in Park City following an announcement Monday morning (early) that his latest film, "Alexander the Last" will appear on VOD via IFC Festival Direct as it debuts at SXSW in March. Four other titles will also screen on Festival Direct this year in the announcement reported on indieWIRE.

Canadian filmmakers from Sundance and Slamdance gathered at Coda on Main Street last night for Telefilm Canada's celebration of Canadian film in Park City. Pictured outside the event (from left) are "Victoria Day"'s David Bezmozgis, "Only"'s Ingrid Veninger, "Before Tomorrow"'s Marie-Helene Cousineau, "Second Sight"'s Alison McAlphine, "City Girls"' Jon Rafman, "Cattle Call"'s Mike Maryniuk, "Prom Night In Mississippi"'s Paul Saltzman, and "Cattle Call"s Matthew Rankin.

"Cold Souls" producer/cinematographer Andrij Parekh, star Paul Giamatti and director Sophie Barthes on Main Street in Park City today. The film premiered Saturday night, and indieWIRE critic Eric Kohn said that "Barthes, directing her first feature, proves she’s up for whatever comes next."

Sony Pictures Classics and Bon Apetit hosted a dinner over the weekend for Carlos Cuaron's "Rudo Y Cursi" starring Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna, which had its U.S. debut at Sundance. The film is Carlos' directorial debut, not a fact lost on his friends and fellow filmmakers, including his brother Alfonso Cuaron (left) and Guillermo del Toro (right) as well as SPC co-prez Michael Barker (far right). During a toast moments after this snap, del Toro said Carlos was a festival virgin and that we were all there to pop his cherry...

At a dinner on Main Street last night, Mike Tyson arrived to celebrate the Park City premiere of James Toback's documentary "Tyson." "I'm pretty excited," Tyson said at the dinner. "I never had no idea it would come to this magnitude."

Sundance founder Robert Redford surprised a pack crowd of Sundancers Saturday afternoon at a reception for Snag Films and Indie Go Go at the Queer Lounge on Main Street. The crowd rushed forward to get some snaps including us of course, but then it was time to retreat - plus it's a great time to grab a drink at the bar while everyone else is gawking. Joining in on the fun (left to right) are: Rick Allen, CEO of Snag Films, director Ondi Timoner whose film, "We Live in Public" is part of the Sundance documentary competition, Slava Rubin, Indie Go Go head and of course, Mr. Redford.

After failing to show up for last night's premiere in Salt Lake City, Anna Wintour graced Park City with her presence for this afternoon's Park City screening of R.J Cutler's "The September Issue." Wintour stuck around for a lively Q&A session with Cutler and Sundance's director of programming John Cooper.

After failing to show up for last night's premiere in Salt Lake City, Anna Wintour graced Park City with her presence for this afternoon's Park City screening of R.J Cutler's "The September Issue." Wintour stuck around for a lively Q&A session with Cutler and Sundance's director of programming John Cooper. "R.J. came to us originally with the idea for another documentary, creating something around The Costume Institute Ball that we do every year," Wintour said. "But the idea of doing a documentary about the September issue is something I've always wanted to do. And as a big fan of R.J.'s work, gradually the discussion evolved into that."

Mariah Carey and Lee Daniels at Friday's world premiere screening of "Push." Reviewing the movie for indieWIRE, Eric Kohn called it, "a movie of many textures, each one illuminating the emotionally gripping narrative at its core." The film got a standing ovation after a screening that included a number of buyers. Hoping to sell the film here in Park City, Cinetic test screened the film earlier this week in Harlem and unveiled it for buyers last night. [Eugene Hernandez]

Gael Garcia Bernal at a Bon Appetite-sponsored dinner in Park City in celebration of "Rudo y Cursi," in which he stars opposite friend Deigo Luna. The film, directed by Carlos Cuaron (Alfonso's brother), finds Bernal and Luna starring as rivaling brothers who work on a banana ranch and play soccer for the local team. Alfonso Cuaron said at the dinner that the film was made "in the spirit of brotherhood," including "like brothers" such as Bernal, sitting a few seats down from him at the table. "Rudo" premiered Friday night at Park City's Eccles Theatre. [Peter Knegt]

Lee ends his most recent run as a documentarian to return to his Brooklyn roots with "Red Hook Summer," where Lee once again plays the character of Mookie he originated in his now-classic "Do the Right Thing."

It was a bit tough for the photographers in the front row to get around the big Britta bottle (a festival sponsor) on the table where both Robert Redford and Sundance director Geoff Gilmore were sitting. During the hour-long press conference, photographers struggled to get a photo of the pair without at least one of them having a big Britta bottle in their face, but after the talk was over, both stood on stage for some quick snaps. Asked during the press conference if he had any thoughts on the pending inauguration of Barack Obama on Tuesday would have any impact on the festival's attendance, Redford said he was fine if things slowed down a bit and was ready for a change in Washington. He even had some parting comments for the current Administration and their whirlwind of exit interviews of late, "For a lame duck, there sure is a lot of quacking going on..."

Sundance's foray into new expressions between film and art opened Thursday afternoon on Main Street in Park City with the festival's New Frontier. Fifteen artists, scientists and artist collectives have installations in a large space across from the festival's marquee space at the Egyptian Theater. "I hope people will come to [New Frontier] not feeling intimidated and will relate to it without feeling they need to read a book," said New Frontier organizer Shari Frilot (left). She's pictured with Sundance's director of programming, John Cooper.

Sony Pictures Classics' Dylan Leiner and director Jonathan Levine (right) made the rounds during the awards after-party last Saturday night. Earlier that evening, iW learned that SPC had picked up rights to Levine's Sundance competition film, "The Wackness," starring Josh Peck, Sir Ben Kingsley, Famke Janssen and Mary Kate Olsen. Anthony Kaufman reported on SPC's busy dealmaking in a recent article.

"Trouble The Water" folks had a good night last Saturday in Park City, picking up the best doc prize at the Sundance Film Festival. Directors Tia Lessin and Carl Deal were joined by Scott Roberts (middle), one of the subjects of the Hurricane Katrina doc. Roberts and his wife, Kimberly had a debut of their own at Sundance, when she gave birth hours after the world premiere of the film.

Actor Diego Luna took to the stage at the Sundance awards ceremony last weekend after serving as a juror for the dramatic competition (headed by Quentin Tarantino). Among the winners who received their prizes Saturday night was Lol Crawley (left) who won the "Excellence in Cinematography Award: Dramatic" for his work in Lance Hammer's praised "Ballast." Here, the two get chummy at the after-party...

Scottish director Marianna Palka along with actors Tom Arnold and Jason Ritter at the Racquet Club during the Sundance Film Festival following a screening of their dramatic competition film, "Good Dick." Palka said that the idea "just came to me" and that she wrote the romance feature so she could act in it, then added, "as I was writing it, I figured I could direct it and produce it too..." During the post-screening Q&A, Tom Arnold, ever the comedian, chimed in, "So Marianna, does Jason have an 8 1/2 inch dick?"

Jamie, Ryan Fleck and others

"Ballast" had a good night Saturday with two wins. The film picked up the cinematography prize as well as the directing prize (dramatic) for Lance Hammer who took to the stage at the awards ceremony in Park City.

"American Son" director Neil Abramson and producer Danielle Renfrew joined the fun at the awards night after-party Saturday night. Everyone danced, ate and drank and even commented on the go-go dancers...

Dramatic jury head Quentin Tarantino provided a round of laughs as he took to the stage Saturday night in Park City to present the winner of the jury award for best feature (awarded to "Frozen River" by Courtney Hunt). He reminisced that when he came to Park City with "Reservoir Dogs" he never won an award, "and it felt shitty..." The charismatic director even stuck around for the after-party chatting up fest-goers and posing for pics.

Director Courtney Hunt received a nice smooch from her leading lady Melissa Leo after their film "Frozen River" won the dramatic competition prize at Sundance Saturday night. The festival really stepped up the party this year... Usually the food and drinks are pretty minimal and most people take off to private gatherings at condos, but this year's Western-themed awards party included a ton o' food and a decent bar. Plus some hot bartenders...

Actor Matthew Perry was among the bevy of star wattage that descended on Sundance this year, though he was in town in support of his role in Craig Lucas' (right) Spectrum film "Birds of America." Lucas wrote "The Secret Lives of Dentists" in 2003 as well as "Longtime Companion" in 1990, which won an audience award. Also joining the pair here is actress Danielle Lindberg.

There's the Sundance of celebrity, the Sundance of business deals, the Sundance of those awful branding house nightmares that have raised the cheese factor in the nighttime party scene to the umpteenth degree, as well as the Sundance of festival programmers, who descend on Park City in search of new work that they will program for their festival. Among them, Andrew Peterson, director of programming at the Provincetown International Film Festival (top right) and Connie White who heads the fest (bottom right), which will be having its 10th anniversary edition this June. Joining them were Howard Karren (advisory board member) from Premier and the Sundance Channel's SVP for PR, Sarah Eaton.

Director Austin Chick ("XX/XY") returns to the Sundance Film Festival with his Spectrum feature, "August," about an aggressive dot-com entrepreneur struggling to keep his head above water as the bottom falls out of the market during the tech bubble bust. The film stars Josh Hartnett and Adam Scott (right).

The folks from world cinema dramatic competition film "Mancora" huddled together for a shot between television interviews earlier in the week off Main Street. The road movie/love story/spiritual odyssey takes place in Peru. Pictured left to right: director Ricardo de Montreuil, and actors Jason Day, Elsa Pataky, Enrique Murciano, Liz Gellardo and Diego Ojeda (producer).

Kodak held its annual Sundance bash at the Riverhorse on Main Street (affectionately called 'the horse') though this year it succumbed to the branding house virus and became the Bon Apetit house, though we must say the food was good and not nearly as cheesy as most of the other branding nightmares on Main. Anyway, among the guests were filmmaker (and frequent festival iPOPper) Benjamin Piety (left) whose short, "Sunlit Shadows" is screening at the festival. Also joining him are D.P. Scott Uhlfelder and executive producer/editor, Morgan Gross (right).

Stella Artois hosted its annual media dinner at the posh Stein Eriksen Lodge outside Park City Tuesday night, with many media attending as well as filmmakers including Sundance Spectrum director Randall Miller ("Bottle Shock") with Stella Artois exec David Daniels. The four course meal was paired with various types of Stella. And was deelish!

Filmmaker Amir Bar-lev (left), at Sundance one year after his "My Kid Could Paint That" was a big hit at the festival, is on the fests doc jury this year. At the Cinetic party, he smiles alongside cinematographer PJ Raval, here in Park City. Raval is co-director of "Best Kept Secret," a new film expected to hit the fest circuit this year.

At the Cinetic Party, company founder John Sloss (left) poses for a snapshot with filmmaker Morgan Spurlock. Sloss sold Spurlock's "Super Size Me" at Sundance a few years back and later proved instrumental in brokering a relationship between Spurlock and Adam & Steven Dell, who came up with the idea for his latest film, "Where In the World is Osama Bin Laden?", which Spurlock wrote with Jeremy Chilnick. Sloss sold the project to The Weinstein Company a year ago at the European Film Market in Berlin.

Filmmakers Annie Sundberg ("The Devil Came on Horseback") and Jehane Noujaim ("Control Room") pose for iPOP at the jammed Cinetic party on Monday night at Zoom in Park City.

Director Margaret Brown, at Sundance with her latest documentary, "The Order of Myths" has a drink with her documentary subjects Stefannie Lucas and Joseph Roberson at the Cinetic Party on Monday night. "Myths" follows two segregated Mardi Gras celebrations in Mobile, Alabama and offers a sensitive portrait of race relations in the South.

News of the tragic death of actor Heath Ledger arrived with sadness at the Sundance Film Festival today. Moments before a panel began at Park City's Queer Lounge with filmmakers Isaac Julien and Bruce LaBruce, news began to travel through the room as cell phones began furiously buzzing. Finally someone announced the news aloud, and people gathered around an open laptop to confirm their disbelief. Throughout the afternoon and evening, Sundance festival attendees expressed ongoing disbelief and sadness about Ledger's passing. "This is an unimaginable tragedy. Heath was a true artist, a deeply sensitive man, an explorer, gifted and wise beyond his years. There is no finer person on this earth," praised Todd Haynes, director of Ledger in "I'm Not There," in a statement tonight. The film's producer Christine Vachon added, in a statement, "My heart breaks for Heath's family. Heath was a wonderful artist and a lovely man." Finally, indieWIRE also received a statement from James Schamus, CEO of Focus Features, which produced and distributed "Brokeback Mountain," for which Ledger was nominated for an Academy Award. "Heath Ledger was a courageous actor, and a great soul," Schamus said, "He gave us the gift of sharing his fearless and beautiful love - of his craft, and of all who worked with him - for which all of us will be eternally grateful." [Peter Knegt] Heath Ledger in a scene from "I'm Not There"

Former "O.C." star Mischa Barton is among the bevy of starrage parading around Park City. Barton, pictured here with co-star Reece Daniel Thompson ("Rocket Science") and director Brett Simon (left) Tuesday afternoon off Main Street. Their Sundance Premieres film, "Assassination of a High School President," is described as a high school drama that "twists and turns until the last frame."

The Duplass brothers ("The Puffy Chair") returned to the snowy Wasatch mountains with their Sundance film "Baghead" and took part in a round of television publicity on Main Street where we caught them for a photo between interviews. Left to right: co-director Jay Duplass, Greta Gerwig, co-director Mark Duplass, Elise Muller, Ross Partridge and Steve Zissis. The Spectrum film is described as a "tongue and cheek, genre-twisting comedy" by the festival.

Magnolia Pictures and HDNet Films threw a lovely dinner at Chimayo on Sunday night for "Quid Pro Quo," their feature film screening in the Spectrum section at Sundance. Directed by Carlos Brooks and starring Nick Stahl, "Quid Pro Quo" is about a paraplegic public-radio reporter who explores the strange subculture of people who seek amputation as a way of completing themselves. Read the indieWIRE interview with Carlos Brooks here.

"The Wackness" director Jonathan Levine partying on with girlfriend Annie Spitz on Main Street over the weekend for his film, which debuted at Sundance. Moments after this, Levine gave a quick high-five to Weinstein co-head Harvey Weinstein (that would've been a good shot--oh well...) as Mary-Kate Olsen danced on with her very tall friends. All in all, a good event and not quite the cluster-F of many of the other parties taking place at branding houses.

These days, it wouldn't be Sundance without a visit from Paris Hilton. The celebutante extraordinaire made her annual splash in Park City Sunday night, in town as part of a multiple city tour with Regent Releasing to support of her upcoming dish, "The Hottie and the Nottie" (directed by Tom Putnam). A dekked out Hilton (right) along with her co-star, Christine Lakin made an impromptu speech at one of Main Streets many branded venues (this one was hosted by Bon Appetit) before a dinner prepared by an Iron Chef. "It's great to be back at Sundance," said Hilton with her signature smile and come hither eyes...

Fifteen years after film critic B. Ruby Rich proclaimed the emergence of a New Queer Cinema at the Sundance Film Festival, some of the filmmakers who were part of the ad hoc movement reunited in Park City on Saturday night. Frameline, IFC Films, and Strand Releasing toasted Gregg Araki's "The Living End," Isaac Julien's "Derek" and Tom Kalin's "Savage Grace" at a special Park City dinner. Focus Features' James Schamus proclaimed it an "historic evening," during remarks, while Rich (pictured with "Derek" star Tilda Swinton) noted, "this room is filled with history" and singling out Christine Vachon, Frameline's Michael Lumpkin and others.

At a dinner Saturday night hosted by Frameline, IFC Films, and Strand Releasing, filmmakers Gregg Araki ("The Living End"), Bruce La Bruce ("Otto or Up With Dead People", Tom Kalin ("Savage Grace") and Isaac Julien ("Derek") pose for iPOP.

"Super Size Me" Director Morgan Spurlock, who returns to Sundance with his latest doc, "Where In The World Is Osama bin Laden?," shows us his boo boo which happened while he was snowboarding on Thursday. Morgan was still up for party duty however, as he made an appearance at the Viva La Karaoke shindig (to celebrate "Time Crimes") on Friday night.

Director Nacho Vigalondo belts out a tune at Viva La Karaoke, a rowdy party that went on Friday night at a condo in Deer Valley to celebrate his time travel thriller "Time Crimes", which is screening in the Park City Midnight section. The party was quite a hit, with even the Park City fire department attending after the smoke machine set off a fire alarm. Read indieWIRE's interview with Nacho Vigalondo here.

With his brother Nathan, David Zellner (right) has churned out some of the strangest and enjoyably surreal short films in recent years, as well as the Sundance sleeper hit "Goliath." He returns to the festival with the NEXT entry "Kid-Thing."

Slamdance co-founders and filmmakers Paul Rachman and Dan Mirvish dropped by the indieWIRE condo on Thursday evening for a informal get together with the indieWIRE team and other film friends to enjoy some yummy chili and beer to kick off Park City '08.

Touting change and praising Sundance's history of spearheading new talent, founder Robert Redford and festival director Geoff Gilmore unofficially launched Sundance '08 festivities Thursday afternoon at the Egyptian Theater on Main Street in Park City with a press conference. They also introduced director Martin McDonagh (center) whose action/comedy "In Bruges" from Focus Features is the opening screening Thursday night.

The second New Frontier on Main kicked off this afternoon on, well, Main St. in Park City. Sundance is promoting the "interaction of art and film" with this section which is open to the public (while space lasts of course). Artists participating in this year's New Frontier include (but not all pictured): Robert Boyd ("Xanadu"), Doug Aitken ("Sleepwalkers"), Cause Collective ("Along the Way"), Jim Campbell ("Home Movies 300"), Graffiti Research Lab ("L.A.S.E.R. Tag"), Hasan Elahi ("Tracking Transience: The Orwell Project"), Stephanie Rothenberg and Jeff Crouse ("Invisible Threads: A Virtual Sweatshop in Second Life"), Daniel Rozin ("Peg Mirror" and "Snow Mirror"), Jennifer Steinkamp ("Mike Kelley"), Eddo Stern ("Darkgame" and "Best Flame War Ever"), Marina Zurkow ("Poster Children" and "Heroes of the Revolution"), Cory Arcangel in collaboration with Paper Rad ("Next Year's Band News Bears"), Paul D. Miller aka DJ Spooky, that Subliminal Kid ("A Work in Progress--Terra Nova: The Antarctic Suite").

More from Sundance '07: "My Kid Could Paint That" director Amir Bar-Lev (middle) joins Toronto International Film Festival co-director Noah Cowan and A&E Indie's Ryan Harrington (right) in a more roomy area of the Sundance Channel party last week off Main. The party is a big one and one of the most popular. And it continued to bring out the masses this year.

More From Sundance '07: Magnolia Pictures president Eamonn Bowles chatted with "Control Room" direcor Jehane Noujaim at a film festival party. Magnolia picked up Noujaim's box office doc hit at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival.

More from Sundance '07: Cinetic's Erin Heidenreich and Ben Cotner from Paramount Vantage flash their grins at the very busy Cinetic party last Monday.

More from Sundance '07: Killer Films producer Christine Vachon took some time out of screenings to do a book signing at a local store on Main Street for her latest "A Killer Life." One of the local residents came along to see if he/she could get a free copy, while publicist Jeff Hill looked on.

More from Sundance '07: Parker Posey shares a snuggle with producer Andrew Fierberg after a dinner hosted by Magnolia Pictures early on in the festival. Posey stars in Zoe Casavettes' dramatic competition film "Broken English," which Fierberg produced with HD Net Films.

More from Sundance '07: Producer Liz Garbus, director Rory Kennedy, and HBO documentary exec Nancy Abraham following the screening of their film "Ghosts of Abu Ghraib," which screened in the documentary competition. Kennedy introduced her mother Ethel Kennedy who was also in the audience at the film's first screening.

More from Sundance '07: It was only a bit over two weeks ago, but it seems like ages... Sundance director Geoff Gilmore Robert Redford and director Brett Morgan, whose film "Chicago 10" opened the festival, on stage at the Egyptian Theater on Main Street after their opening chat with press.

More from Sundance '07: "The Devil Came On Horseback" co-directors Annie Sundberg and Ricki Stern (right) give a great pose in front of their poster at a reception for their film in Park City. The doc, which screened in the Spectrum section, follows the amazing story of a former Marine's first-hand view of the genocide happening in Darfur in western Sudan.

More from Sundance '07: Cinematographer Lee Daniel ("Fast Food Nation"), Red Envelope's Liesl Copland and True/False Film Festival co-director David Wilson hung out at the party hosted by Red Envelope, Netflix's original content division, at the Riverhorse on Main Street--a popular event venue during the fest.

More from Sundance '07: Cinetic's Chris Horton and director Daniel Karslake at the Cinetic party last Monday night in Park City at Zoom. Karslake's film, "For the Bible Tells Me So" screened in the festival's doc competition spotlighting several religious families with diverse stories of confronting their children coming out of the closet. The Cinetic party is one of the "big ticket parties" of the festival.

Sundance Film Festival director Geoff Gilmore chatted with dramatic grand jury prize-winner Christopher Zalla ("Padre Nuestro") and "Hear And Now" director, Irene Taylor Brodsky (winner of the audience best documentary prize. Attendees crowded into the Racquet Club for the after-party following the ceremony.

Working the after-party following the awards ceremony concluding Sundance, directing team Sean Fine and Andrea Nix Fine take a walkabout inside the crowded Racquet Club. The Fines won the documentary directing award for their film, "War/Dance."

"Padre Nuestro" director Christopher Zalla gave a lengthy acceptance speech Saturday night at the awards ceremony of the 2007 Sundance Film Festival at the Racquet Club. Afterward, Sundance director Geoff Gilmore joked, "had this been the Oscars the music would be booming right now..." to laughs. But hey, Zalla won the dramatic grand jury prize, so there you go...

"Manda Bala" (Send a Bullet) director Jason Kohn let out a couple of F-words during his thank you speech. But, he won the jury's best documentary award at Sundance--so what the Fuck... His film takes a look at the complicated web of corruption that has a stranglehold on Brazil, at both high levels of government as well as on the street.

Actress Jessica Weixler was still en route back to Park City when her name was called on stage as one of the winners of a special jury prize for acting (also given to Tamara Podemski for "Four Sheets to the Wind"). Weixler had left to work on a movie in San Diego, then was told to return to Park City, but she was still given her chance to take the stage. "I'm very happy that audiences here related to a woman with teeth in her vagina," said Weixler to a roar of laughter. She was referring to her role as Dawn, a girl with--well, teeth in her vagina. The film, directed by Mitchell Lichtenstein, screened in the Sundance dramatic competition.

Someone nearby where we were sitting said, "Wow, he's hot..." as director Don Hertzfeldt walked up to the stage Saturday night in Park City to receive his jury short filmmaking award for "Everything Will Be OK." Hertzfeldt is a Sundance vet.

Director Zoe Cassavetes and Sundance director Geoff Gilmore at a restaurant off Main Street hosted by Magnolia Pictures for her latest film "Broken English," which screened in the festival's dramatic competition.

Hanging at the Cinetic party earlier this week in Park City, IFC Entertainment president Jonathan Sehring, IFC Films' Arianna Bocco and producer Kathryn Tucker. The Cinetic party was a hotbed of activity with a huge group in the Indiewood who's who world there--and some deals going down upstairs as the music boomed.

A&E Indie's Molly Thompson and Ryan Harrington (right) greet filmmaker Amir Bar-Lev ("My Kid Could Paint That," doc competition) at the Sundance Channel party. Celebration was in the air all around, with A&E celebrating the Oscar nomination of "Jesus Camp" and Bar-Lev toasting to the recent acquisition of his film by Magnolia Pictures.

Hammer was among the guests looking good at the Cinetic party in Sundance, one of the most sought after invitations during the fest. Hammer appears in Justin Lin's Sundance feature "Finishing the Game." Hammer was a great sport, taking pictures with fans at the party. He even charmed us and told us he always reads indieWIRE (if not, it was nice to say anyway...)

"Longford" screenwriter Peter Morgan (center), executive producer Andy Harries and HBO's Katherine Pongracz joined in on the fun earlier in the week at the San Francisco Film Society's party near Main Street. Their film, directed by Tom Hooper, is screening in the Premieres section at Sundance. The following morning, Morgan heard some great news, receiving an Oscar nomination for best screenplay for his work on "The Queen."

Actor Chad Allen joined 800 of his closest friends at the annual Queer Brunch, hosted by Outfest and Here. Allen was in Park City for Robert Cary's "Save Me," which is screening in Sundance's Spectrum section. Allen, who managed to find a seat in the jam-packed Grubsteak House in Park City for the very popular event, is seated with the film's producer, Christopher Racster--so cute.

Former Democratic leader in the U.S. House of Representatives Dick Gephardt and his daughter, Chrissy Gephardt in Park City earlier in the fest in support of Daniel Karslake's doc competition film, "For the Bible Tells Me So." The film explores the way religious conservatives use the Bible to mislead the public on homosexuality in order to justify violence and discrimination.

First Look hosted the premiere of Gregg Araki's latest, "Smiley Face" at the Premiere Lounge in Park City (at the Riverhorse). Araki's latest has been generally described as a departure for the director by people who have seen it. The film stars a hilarious Anna Faris s a pothead, while Sundance says of the movie, "Araki deftly pokes fun at pot culture while affectionately embracing it." Here at the world premiere, Araki deftly pokes Strand Releasing co-prez Marcus Hu. We showed the two the pic from our digital camera and they thought it was funny--they called it their "Ren and Stimpy" pic, so what the hell...

Actor Patrick Fugit and girlfriend Vida give a cheery 'hello' as Fugit made his rounds of interviews earlier for Stephen Berra's dramatic competition film, "The Good Life."

Actress Vera Farmiga sports a cool Kiss T-shirt for her round of interviews in support of George Ratliff's "Joshua," which she stars in and is featured in dramatic competition. The film is described by Sundance as a "horror story disguised as a sophisticated family drama."

Director David Gordon Green (left), in Park City with dramatic competition film "Snow Angels" ran into director George Ratliff in between a series of interviews over the weekend off Main Street. Ratliff's "Joshua," also in dramatic competition, has gotten good word-of-mouth among festgoers (as has "Snow Angels").

San Francisco Film Society executive director Graham Leggat (left) hanging with filmmaker Rob Epstein ("The Celluloid Closet") at SFFS's party in Park City Monday. SFFS organizes the San Francisco International Film Festival, which will have its 50th edition this year (April 26-May 10) and recently announced the launch of "The International Online," in what they describe as a "new concept in the online presentation of film festival feature films" (along with Jaman Inc.) SFFS also partners with indieWIRE on SF360.org, a website spotlighting the film happenings of the Bay Area.

Rory Kennedy's "Ghosts of Abu Ghraib" (Sundance dramatic competition) had a rapturous screening earlier in the fest. The feature, an HBO film, takes a look at the systematic breakdown which allowed torture in Iraq's notorious prison. Media reports of Abu Ghraib only touched the surface of what happened there at the hand of their American captors. From left to right are producer Liz Garbus, Producer Jack Youngleson, DP Tom Hurwitz, and editor Sari Gilman.

"Crazy Love" editor David Zieff with Jeb Brody (a producer of "Little Miss Sunshine," which received multiple Oscar nominations including best picture Tuesday morning) The two are working together on a doc about the lottery.

"Rocket Science" producer and director Effie Brown and Jeff Blitz take a moment off working the room earlier in the fest for a little iPOPpin' at a dinner for their film in Park City. "Rocket Science" is screening in Sundance's dramatic competition.

Snuggling up at a very busy "An American Crime" party at the Hollywood Life House off Main Street, Killer Films' Charles Pugliese, Vanessa Guest, producer Ted Hope ("The Devil and Daniel Johnson") and Killer's Katie Roumel.

Producer's rep Jonathan Dana wished director Dan Klores some luck ahead of his screening earlier in the fest. The film, in the Sundance doc competition, sold to Magnolia Pictures in the "mid 6-figure range."

"Rocket Science" stars Reece Daniel Thompson and Anna Kendrick give each other a little love at a dinner for their film hosted by their distributor, Picturehouse off Main Street. The HBO Films feature, written and directed by Jeffreey Blitz, is screening in the dramatic competition at the Sundance Film Festival.

Picturehouse head Bob Berney chatting with actor Kevin Bacon and HBO's Colin Callendar at a dinner thrown for "Rocket Science" over the weekend. Bacon was upstairs at the restaurant at a dinner for his newest venture, SixDegrees.org, a new website that builds on the popularity of the "small world phenomenon" to create a charitable social network with fellow celebs highlighting their favorite charities.

Burt Pugach and Linda Riss stop for photos after the world premiere screening of Dan Klores' wildly received doc competition film "Crazy Love." Pugach and Riss are the subjects of this shocking portrait of insane love and out of control obsession. The audience let out audible gasps at various points in the film, which is tragic, suspenseful and strangely heart-warming. Even hotter were Pugach and Riss's matching white fur coats...

Actor Sam Rockwell and director David Gordon Green (right) lightened up the usual red carpet/backdrop photo with a little antics at the world premmiere of their Sundance dramatic competition film, "Snow Angels" over the weekend. Also starring Kate Beckinsale, their film centers on a recently separated couple who attempt to "pick up the threads of a future when they are dealt a further blow that leads to a dark conclusion."

Actor/director/Sundance founder and all around Renaissance man Robert Redford joined festival director Geoff Gilmore on the stage where it all began at the Egyptian Theatre on Main Street in Park City Thursday afternoon ringing in this year's event. Redford, who said he was only going to be in town that one day because he's doing a new movie, recalled their first year, when, as he described it, they had to try and lure people into the theater, and they weren't sure if the festival would succeed. Gilmore, meanwhile--wearing a "Focus on Film" pin--encouraged festgoers to put all the ancillary hype surrounding the festival on the back burner and keep the center of it all on the films in his chat with the audience.

The calm before the storm: Director Brett Morgan took part in indieWIRE's inaugural Videocast on a still mellow Main Street Wednesday afternoon plugging his doc "Chicago 10," which opened Sundance Thursday evening. For the next week, Main Street will be a solitary person's worst nightmare.

More from Sundance '06: Sundance Film Festival director Geoff Gilmore (right) shared a little chat with director Miguel Arteta ("The Good Girl") after the awards ceremony last week. Arteta, whose first film "Star Maps" played at Sundance almost a decade ago, served on the festival's dramatic competition jury. Wash Westmoreland and Richard Glatzer won the prize from the jury for their feature, "Quinceanera." (Arteta's T-shirt says, "I don't want any ice cream" by the way).

More from Sundance '06: "American Blackout" director Ian Inaba received a special jury prize in the doc category during the awards ceremony. The film takes a look at African American voter disenfranchisement throughout history and its modern manifestations. Behind him is Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney (D-GA), the main subject of the film. McKinney said during a Q & A of her film that she is forced to live in her home with all the windows and doors shut from view to the outside for fear her adversaries will record and harrass her.

More from Sundance '06: Tipper Gore joined her husband, former Vice President Al Gore at the Discovery party at Zoom during the Sundance Film Festival. The two were in Park City in support of Davis Guggenheim's Spectrum doc "An Inconvenient Truth," which follows Gore's long involvement in the fight against global warming. Joing Mrs. Gore were Participant Productions President Ricky Strauss (right), and Film Transit's Jan Rofekamp and Diana Holtzberg. Rofekamp and Holtzberg met the Gores last year at the Nashville Film Festival and spent a day at their home in Tennessee after the former Veep saw Taggart Siegel's doc "The Real Dirt on Farmer John," which they represented. The film won the audience award at the 2005 Slamdance Film Festival.

More from Sundance '06: Picturehouse held its party at Zoom on Main Street last week in the afternoon. Pictured here is Picturehouse president Bob Berney (second from right), Danish director Thomas Vinterberg (left), who served on the Sundance Film Festival's world dramatic competition jury, "Green Buthcers" writer/director Anders Thomas Jensen and "Green Butchers" producer, Kim Magnusson (right).

More from Sundance '06: "13 Tzameti" director Gela Babluani found out he won the world cinema dramatic competition, and hopped on a plane from Paris to get to Park City for the awards. Unfortunately, a big snow storm slowed his travel to the ceremony, and showed up at the Racquet Club just after the event ended. There were some press there, however, to greet him with cameras and questions...

"Stephanie Daley" writer/director Hilary Brougher on stage at the Racquet Club last weekend to accept her award for best screenplay. The film, starring Tilda Swinton and Amber Tamblyn, is about a psychologist (Swinton) hired by a prosecutor to investigate the circumstances of a baby's death following its birth.

More from Sundance '06: It's always nice to win an award, and co-directors Matt Radecki (left) and Michael Cain (right) were all smiles after their film, "TV Junkie" (doc comepition) received a special jury prize last weekend at the Racquet Club in Park City. The film is the story of Rick Kirkham (center with camera) who, according to the festival catalog description, met his closest confidant at age 14... a camera. After encouragement from Dick Clark to pursue a television career, he rose through the ranks of local news and then to Inside Edition and also captured a more sinister and dark side of his life.

More from Sundance '06: The Canadian consulate in Denver, which covers Utah as well, hosted a party for Sundance's Canadian line up headlined by world dramatic competition film, "Eve & the Fire Horse." The film is the story of two sisters who attempt to reverse a seies of misfortunes that have occured in their family. Director Julia Kwan (left) joined joined actress Vivian Wu (right), who is cast in the film with little cutie, Phoebe Jo Jo Kut. The dude in the background was probably just trying to make his way to the bar in the crowded room.

More from Sundance '06: Director Wim Wenders was a busy man at Sundance this year. His latest film, "Don't Come Knocking" screened in the festival's Premieres section, and his film "Paris, Texas" played as a retro screening. Wenders had a drink here after arriving for the party for his film at the Cadillac Lounge, one of many official and unofficial lounges along Main Street.

More from Sundance '06: Producer's rep Jeff Dowd ("The Dude") and friend warm their heads on a chilly night in Park City last week. The spiffy new hats were swag from the Sundance Channel party held earlier that day.

More from Sundance '06: Doc competition film "Iraq in Fragments" had a big night at the awards, winning best director, best editor and best cinematographer. Pictured fabulously in front of a Sundance Film Festival background is the film's director, James Longley, and editor, Billy McMillin.

More from Sundance '06Director Kirby Dick (right) was in Park City for his film, "This Films is Not Yet Rated," which screened in the Sundance Premieres section. Dick, pictured here with his producer Eddie Schmidt, was one of the guests of honor at the Stein Erikson Lodge for the Stella Artois dinner, which was beyond delicious (food and beer - everybody should run out and get Hogarden by the way). OK, enough with branding, Dick's film was quite a hit at the festival.

More from Sundance '06: Sundance Institute founder Robert Redford joined 500 of his friends at the annual Sundance Channel party at 350 Main Street and took part in a pose with Sundance Channel execs. The network is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year.

More from Sundance '06: The Paris Hilton backlash shined its face at Celcsius, a club in lower Main Street. The venue had the velvet ropes and bouncers with a big line up that was invitation only -- with hot hot chicks heading in first. Steve Rubell is smiling down on us.

More from Sundance '06: Frameline head Michael Lumpkin and director of programming Jennifer Morris look oh so Sundance in their winter-wear at the Racquet Club just before a screening of dramatic competition feature, "Stephanie Daley" last week. Frameline organizes the annual San Francisco International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival in June.

More from Sundance '06: Producer Jon Marcus ("Party Monster") and Ellen Capon, head of marketing at Docurama in Park City last week. The two were attending the Discovery party at Zoom.

More from Sundance '06: Adam Roffman, program director of the Independent Film Festival of Boston (IFFB) joined the press and directors at Sundance's reception on Main Street last week at the Riverhorse. One filmmaker saw Roffman speaking to us, and walked by saying, "You're suppose to be talking to filmmakers..!" Well, rest assured, we did -- both of us. One person who was much more pleasant to chat with was "I is for India" director Sandhya Suri (right), whose film screened in the World Cinema documenary competition. Roffman said "I is for India" is slated to screen at his festival, taking place April 19 - 24.

More from Sundance '06: Sundance Spectrum filmmaker Tanuj Chopra (left), director of "Punching at the Sun" was a pleasure to meet and delightfully honest about not being used to dealing with the press and the nuances of the festival circuit. His film is about a "fiery South Asian teen who struggles to find a path between rage and redemption on the streets of Elmhurst, Queens" in the aftermath of 9/11 and his older brother's murder. Pictured with Chopra in Park City are "Punching at the Sun" cast members, Misu Khan, Nina Edmonds and Hassan El-Gendi.

More from Sundance '06: "Wristcutters: A Love Story" director Goran Dukic (left) and star Patrick Fugit at the Eccles theater in Park City following the final screening of their film, which screened in the dramatic competition. The quarky film was quite a popular one with Sundancers. Some had specualted that the film, about a boy who commits suicide (Fugit) and lives in the after-life with fellow people who "off'd" themselves and later finds love, that the film would win the audience award.

More from Sundance '06: The ITVS celebrated its 15th anniversary with a bash at the Riverhorse on Main St. last week. Pictured is the organization's head, Sally Jo Fifer. Guests sampled some tasty treats and were treated to a wam mug of hot chocolate in a commemorative cup on their way out the door.

More from Sundance '06: The Sundance short filmmakers were in the House (actually the Riverhorse Cafe) on Main Street last week for the Press and Filmmakers reception (publicists weren't allowed). Among the crowd of directors were Nicolas Provost who made short "Exoticore" (left) and "Redemptitude" co-directors, David Zellner and Nathan Zellner. David (not sure about Nathan) will be traveling to Berlin next week to take part in the Berlinale Talent Campus.

"Hustle & Flow" star Terrence Howard returned this year to Sundance as a narrative competition juror, and got a little gussied up, at least by Sundance standards, at the awards ceremony. His latest project, "Crash," won best ensemble Sunday night at the SAG Awards in Los Angeles.

Sundance Film Festival director Geoff Gilmore, of course, took part in the awards ceremony Saturday night. He gave a big thank to Park City for hosting the huge festival, and said the town is the festival's home, "and it's going to stay that way."

More from Sundance '06: "The Night Listener" director Patrick Stettner ("The Business of Strangers") at the party last week hosted by the San Francisco Film Society at the VW Lounge on Main Street. Stettner's film, about a celebratede writer and late-night host who embarks on an unchartered journey, screened as a Premiere at the festival.

The Sundance Film Festival held its awards ceremony at the Racquet Club, and there was quite a bit of socializing as everyone made their way in. Sharing a chat, Sundance Institute head Ken Brecher, (left) Doron Weber from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and Sundance programmer, Trevor Groth.

Jesse Garcia was texting on his cell phone following the awards Saturday night in Park City. The actor starred in Sundance dramatic competition and audience winner "Quinceanera" by Wash Westmoreland and Richard Glatzer. Garcia joined the co-directors on stage with others from the crew and snapped a few pics from the stage.

Hanging at the Cinetic party, "Quinceanera" directors Wash Westmoreland and Richard Glatzer. The duo were inspired by their Echo Park neighborhood in Los Angeles for their latest film, which was written in three weeks, and shot in three weeks. Director Todd Haynes ("Far from Heaven") executive produced the film, which depicts the lives of a diverse group of people living side by side in the class and ethnically diverse section of L.A.

"Super Size Me"director Morgan Spurlock (left) attended Sundance two years ago with his super-hit McDonald's doc that went on to get an Oscar nomination. He popped in at the Cinetic party and gave iW a big hug (awww). Joining Spurlock for this snap are two of the folks from doc competition film, "Wordplay," including the film's producer, Christine O'Malley and director Patrick Creadon. The film was picked up by IFC Films this week.

Sloss Law/Cinetic Media's John Sloss threw his annual party for filmmakers his company represents at Sundance at Zoom. Joining the fun to be had was actress Amber Tamblyn ("The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants"), who is in Park City in support of Hilary Brougher's dramatic competition film, "Stephanie Daley."

IFC Center head John Vanco (left) took part on the shorts jury this year at the Sundance Film Festival. He is taking a little time out at the Cinetic party here with Los Angeles Film Festival programmer, Rachel Rosen and IFC Films VP of marketing, Ryan Werner.

Vice President Al Gore was of course the center of attention at the Discovery party at Zoom on Main Street. The rightful president is in town promoting Davis Guggenheim's "An Inconvenient Truth," screening in the Spectrum section at Sundance about global warming. Pictured with Gore is True/False Film Festival co-founder David Wilson and indieWIRE's James Israel. This was one of many pictures the Veep took with people at the party. What a nice guy...

"Somebodies" (Sundance dramatic competition) director Hadjii inside the Eccles following a Saturday morning screening of his film. The film is a comedy about a slacker college student trying to figure out his life.

HDNet's Mark Tusk and director Todd Haynes ("Far from Heaven") hanging out at a very civil Cinetic party Monday night at Zoom in Park City. Haynes is in town for Kelly Reichardt's "Old Joy," which he executive produced and is screening in the Frontier section at Sundance. The zoo that occurred outside the Cinetic party last year was much more mellow this year, but the party was fun. Dancing and drinks... good stuff.

The folks from Park City at Midnight film "Subject Two" stopped by the San Francisco Film Society's afternoon soiree at the VW Lounge on upper Main Street. Director Philip Chidel's (right) film is described by the Sundance catalog as a psychological thriller and "an exciting modern update to the classic Frankenstein tale. The film stars Christian Oliver and Dean Stapleton.

Stephanie Coyote, executive director of the San Francisco Film Commission and San Francisco Film Society executive director Graham Leggat at a fab afternoon party hosted by the Society. The group announced it will launch a new inititative called SF360, a multi-part project designed to promote the San Francisco film and media scene.

Director Jennie Livingston ("Paris is Burning") took some time out for an afternoon cocktail at the Frameline soiree on Main Street earlier this week. Livingston is in town for her short "Through the Ice," but is heading home right after the fest ends to begin work on her next feature project.

Toronto International Film Festival co-director Noah Cowan (left) and Sundance Film Festival director of programming John Cooper were among the huge crowd gathered at the Queer Brunch hosted by Outfest Sunday.

Hanging out at the 10th annual Queer Brunch last weekend and sporting their "Gay is the New Black," their new project. Maurice Jamal and Andre Robert Lee Sunday at the Grubsteak in Park City.

Perhaps trading some war stories and comparing notes? Berlin International Film Festival programmer Rajendra Roy (who is also director of programming at the Hamptons International Film Festival, which takes place in October) and SXSW Film Festival producer Matt Dentler (left) are at Sundance ahead of their two events, which are coming up fast. The Berlinale takes place in the German capital February 9 - 19, while the SXSW Film Festival takes place in Austin, TX March 10 - 18 (the music side of the event continues through March 19). Aren't these fest programmers cute?

Main Street in Park City was swarming with people over the weekend cruising around, being seen and trying to get into swarming parties. The soiree for Sudance Spectrum film "Open Window" at Cafe Terigo, however, was a nice oasis of civility, good food and drinks and great crowd away from the mayhem right out the window (pun intended). Director Mia Goldman (right) posed with the film's star, Robin Tunney and publicist Bonnie Voland.

SXSW Film Festival's Jarod Neece (center) was the lucky winner of a free trip for two to Vancouver at the Canada party over the weekend. The Canadian Counsel General and a bonafide Royal Canadian Mountie flew in to award the trip at the party.

Director Nicole Holofcener (left) joined castmembers of her Sundance Film Festival opening night film, "Friends with Money" for a press conference Friday. The group showed up 45 minutes late for the event, but people seemed to take it in stride. Following photos, the questions from the audience were sparse at first, but then people began to let their hair down and the conversation flowed. Pictured with Holofcener left to right: Jennifer Aniston, Catherine Keener and Joan Cusack.

A nice party over the weekend was thrown for Sundance Spectrum film "Open Window" by Mia Goldman. Enjoying a bit of a power chat at the event were Film Independent chief Dawn Hudson and Netflix chief content officer, Ted Sarandos.

Singer Rufus Wainwright waded through the crowd (with friend) over the weekend at the very packed Canada party for the country's Sundance line up. Wainwright played a couple of shows with British performer Imogen Heap at the Sundance ASCAP music lounge.

Main Street may grab all the limelight during Sundance, but the really cool place to be seen at is Albertson's in Park City. The pic may be a bit blurred, but we were running in for a Midnight snack and took this quicky of John Waters stocking up on some groceries. The store had quite a few out of towners buying food late Thursday night (not booze though, that needs to be purchased at the Utah state liquor stores -- we're sure also a popular watering hole). Among those making the late night scene were...Warner Independent Pictures chief Mark Gill, HERE TV!'s Jonathan Aubrey, Wellspring's Rob Williams and Hamptons International Film Festival executive director Denise Kassell. iPOP should hang out at the grocery store more often (with our good camera, of course).

Sundance Film Festival director Geoff Gilmore, dramatic jury member Terrence Howard ("Hustle & Flow"), Sundance founder Robert Redford and Nicole Holofcener, director of opening night film, "Friends with Money" taking a pose following a news conference Thursday afternoon in snowy Park City. Gilmore praised Holofcener's film, starring Jennifer Aniston, Joan Cusack, Catherine Keener and Frances McDormand, saying she had come full circle since participating in the Sundance Labs.

Sundance '05: At Sundance last year, the cast of the "Entourage" were spotted on Main St. filming the Park City episode of their popular HBO TV series. Pictured is Adrian Grenier (center), with cast and crew.

Sundance 2004: More "best of" iPOP shots...Director Jehane Noujaim's "Control Room" was a big hit at the '04 fest. Pictured at the Sundance Channel party during the fest is Noujaim (left) with one of the film's subjects, Hassan Ibrahim from Al Jazeerah.

Sundance 2003: The people behind "Party Monster" were fixtures in Park City in 2003. Pictured here are Chloe Sevigny and James St. James, author of "Disco Bloodbath," the book upon which the movie, which starred Macaulay Culkin in the lead role, was based.

Sundance 2002: At the exclusive Stein Ericksen Lodge outside of Park City on the final Friday of the festival, infamous Hollywood producer Robert Evans posed for shots during an IFC Rant photo shoot organized by indieWIRE. Later that night Evans made his way to the Eccles Theater to celebrate the world premiere of "The Kid Stays in the Picture," Nanette Burstein & Brett Morgen's doc about his fascinating life in the film industry.