everyone says they are the most important and i tend to agree. however, they are also mis-representative, especially if you have preconceptions already intact as most people do concerning events like the Sundance film festival.

i tried hard to prepare myself for the obvious well documented asshole behavior that goes on here, making sure to not contribute to it. thus far i think i have done o.k.

but can’t say the same for the many bleached blonde, stringy-haired, spray tanned douche bags with their knee high fur boots. nasty biz-natches. but hey we knew they would be here since they are the trophy whores of old industry execs. they are indeed ubiquitous. also ubiq are the proliferation of b-list pseudo-stars attending “events” to which their mere presence requires free merch, and by merch i mean really expensive shit that they probably have already but greedily accept nonetheless. all because they’re willing to pose for a few pictures to the delight of paparazzi and squealing troclodytes with their kodak digicams. it’s gross but hey i’d accept a free pair of Ray-bans and/or my favorite brand o jeans if they were willing to give them to me.
i admit my faults readily-jealousy is one of them.

along with the ubiq blondes and envy inspiring swag give-aways is the disdainful countenance of people who think they are much more important than they actually are. of course it is very self-important for me to point out their self-importantness. but it’s different coming from me.
i’ve encountered too many bitchy people who have dismissed us with their three second once-overs deeming us not worthy of their time. and people call me a bitch! there are too many here for me to even compete. on the other hand, i knew coming out here i would encounter those type of people so it shouldn’t piss me off. afterall i am also one of those people who believes themselves to be important. another one of my faults-pride.

none of this really qualifies as “first impressions” since I knew the score before i even boarded the plane. but to say that Sundance is a film festival and NOT a market (see headline from Park City paper on index page) is a bullshit statement. CAA lunches, private parties where free shit is given away to people who aren’t even involved in any of the films, groupies, and wanna-bes on the make make it so. lame.

then again the Sundance staff have been great if not a smidge over-worked and therefore disorganized. our first two days were filled with lots of aimless walking around because we couldn’t get into anything and i do mean anything-not a panel, nor film, though we did see some cool art and have had plenty of free coffee and water.

yay for sponsors.

but my real first impressions are that the festival is an oddly organized yet disorganized affair that is at once daunting and enlivening. and though our first two days were spent wandering about we more than made up for it Monday seeing five movies practically back to back. and it’s been one screening after another since.

because watching movies is really what a film festival is about-not swag and swagger.

(NAICA gave away their own swag courtesy of American Apparel and TeamScreenNYC)