Sundance Survival Guide: Eats, Drinks, and Other To-Dos
Everything you need to know about the many splendored off screen offerings at this year’s Festival, including music, art, science, skiing, and sustenance.
"As part of the green efforts of the Festival this year, Brita Hydration Stations will be available at Park City venues and events. Remember to BYOB (bring your own bottle)."
Aside from the 200-plus films being screened this year, the Festival and Park City offer many other things for you to do and ski. During the rare moments you’re not busy getting to, from, and into a screening, consider making time for one of these don’t-miss offerings.OFF SCREEN EVENTS AND DIVERSIONS
Words and Music
Moved this year to a larger, more central venue, the Sundance ASCAP Music Café offers a rare opportunity to see and hear legendary musicians, poets, as well as some of the artists behind the music in this year’s Festival films.
• Featured performers include John Rzeznik (of the Goo Goo Dolls), Wynonna, Lenka, Dan Wilson, Phil Vassar, Katie Herzig, Chad & Jeremy, and the Youth Speaks Green Team.
• Performances begin each day at 2 p.m., January 16 to 23 – see your Film Guide for details.
• The Sundance ASCAP Music Café is located on Lower Main Street between 7th and 9th Streets.
• Open to Festival credential holders ages 21 and up.
Don’t miss a special live performance of The People Speak: Voices of a People’s History of the United States, featuring readings by Benjamin Bratt, Josh Brolin, Woody Harrelson, Q’Orianka Kilcher, and Marisa Tomei. Listen to The People Speak on January 22, 1:00 p.m.
BMI is also hosting a series of tuneful events, including a cocktail-infused showcase and a round table discussion about the art of creating a successful musical score. BMI events will be held at the Sundance House, located within the Kimball Art Center at 638 Park Avenue.
• Roundtable: Music and Film, the Creative Process will be held on January 21, at 11:00 a.m., and open to Festival credential holders and the general public, space permitting.
• BMI Snowball, a cocktails and music fete featuring tunes from DJ Thomas Golubic and composer/musician Rolfe Kent, who will be performing an audience-fueled experiment by the name of the “Magnificent Howling Audience Score-Shop.” The Snowball starts rolling at 6:00 p.m. on January 21, and is open to Festival credential holders.
Art and Science
New Frontier on Main is a creative space that showcases multimedia installations, performances, and new technologies that reinvent the storytelling experience. All that, plus a DJ lounge and café.
• Open January 16 to 23, noon to 8:00 p.m., and noon to 3:00 p.m. on January 24 – check the New Frontier Guide for details about the exhibits and special performances.
• New Frontier on Main is located downstairs at 333 Main Street.
• Free to Festival credential holders and the general public, space permitting.
Panels, Roundtables, and More
Not only does the Festival provide you with the unique opportunity to see the world’s best independent films before the public at large gets its eyes on them, but it’s also your big chance to get up close and personal with some of the bogglingly talented people who make these movies possible.
Cinema Café
Another new addition to this year’s Festival, Cinema Café is your chance to listen in as filmmakers compare notes on the many whats, hows, and whos behind this year’s Festival films. There should also be time for open discussion, so come prepped with all your burning questions.
• Panelists include Nicholas Kristof, Samantha Power, and Nick Hornby.
• Events begin at 10:00 a.m., January 16 to 24 – see the panel guide for more details.
• The Cinema Café is located at Filmmaker Lodge, 550 Main Street in the Elks Building, 2nd floor.
• Panels are open to Festival credential holders and the general public, space permitting.
Panel: The Panic Button: Push or Ponder?
With the economy spiraling and the film industry in a panic, you have to ask: Where do we go from here? Is this the end or simply a transition?
• Panelists include Mark Gill, Ted Hope, James Schamus, Michael Barker, Jonathan Sehring, and Peter Broderick.
• January 19, 11:30 a.m.
• The Prospector Theatre, 2200 Sidewinder Road.
• This panel requires a ticket.
Panel: All Grown Up, Now Where To Go?
The independent film movement has grown and evolved over the past 25 years, but does it have the momentum it needs to keep growing and thriving as it continues to mature?
• Panelists include Steven Soderbergh, Barbara Kopple, Nicole Holofcener, Gregg Araki, and Tom DiCillo, and moderated by Elvis Mitchell.
• January 20, 2:30 p.m.
• The Prospector Theatre, 2200 Sidewinder Road.
• This panel requires a ticket.
Other Miscellaneous Panels
A wide range of filmmakers, authors, attorneys, human rights activists, and scientists will join together to discuss a far-flung range of topics, including Blueprint for Change (the impact of the incoming Obama administration on human rights), 2020 Vision (the future of film and technology), Truth and Consequences (at what cost do filmmakers tell their stories?), and more.
• From January 16 to 24.
• Filmmaker Lodge, 550 Main Street in the Elks Building, 2nd floor.
• See the Off Screen Guide for more details.
Snow Time!
Sitting in darkened theatres for days on end can lead to muscle atrophy and restless feelings. To revive your senses, try spending the afternoon hurtling down the mountainside, taking a restorative snowshoe stroll, or making a snow angel. Once you’re feeling human again, you can return to your regularly scheduled film-viewing.
Park City Mountain Resort, Deer Valley, and The Canyons offer some of the best skiing in the United States. Better still, the slopes are relatively empty during the Festival since everyone else is sitting in theatres.
FOOD AND OTHER SUSTENANCE
If you’re going to keep up with the jam-packed pace of the Festival, you’ll need to keep yourself well nourished. Also, to combat the altitude you must stay hydrated. As part of the green efforts of the Festival this year, Brita Hydration Stations will be available at Park City venues and events. Remember to BYOB (bring your own bottle). You can pickup free FilterforGood Nalgene bottles at official venues to reuse throughout the Festival.
Here’s a quick rundown of the eats and drinks available to you within Park City limits.
Tasty Eats
There’s a wide world of restaurant choices – Thai, Indian, Italian, Japanese, steak...it’s all in Park City.
Feeling sluggish after eating out for every breakfast, lunch, and dinner? Do-it-yourself chefs can find all the raw materials for a home-cooked meal at one of the two Albertsons within Park City limits: 1760 Park Avenue or 3151 W. Kilby Road.
Wake-Me-Up Drinks
After rushing from screenings to slopes to panels, your get-up-and-go may up and leave you. Perhaps it’s time for a bracing caffeinated beverage?
• The New Frontier on Main Street (333 Main Street, downstairs) serves an excellent latte – sip up as you enjoy the story-revolutionizing media installations.
• Many theatres serve snacks and coffee in their lobbies or in tents directly outside, an ideal way to warm up as you wait in line. Keep in mind, though, that many theatres ask that you not bring food or drink into the screenings themselves.
• And of course there’s always Starbucks.
DRINK Drinks
At the end of a long Sundance-packed day, you might find yourself in the market for a relaxing libation. Fear not: belts, shots, and frothy things can be found at more than 100 bars in Park City, plus many area restaurants are also alcohol-enabled. But let it be known: drinking rules may vary slightly from those in your hometown.
• You can buy 3.2% beer in grocery and convenience stores, but hard liquor requires a sojourn to one of the three State Liquor Stores in Park City: 333 Main Street, 1550 Snowcreek Drive at Snow Creek Plaza, or Kimball Plaza at Kimball Junction. Beware: The State Liquor Store on Sidewinder Drive sells only to owners of clubs and not to the general public.
• If you’re supping at a restaurant in Park City, you may be able to partner your edibles with a mixed drink, wine, beer, or shot of your choice, provided they’re on the menu.
• At a bar or club, before you can enjoy your libation you will be asked to join a “private club.” A $5 membership fee allows you and up to seven friends to drink all night.
• Last call is 1:00 a.m., so drink up!
Click here to check out Off Screen events in the Online Film Guide.
Read about exploring New Frontier.
Read about Youth Speaks at the Sundance ASCAP Music Café.
