Thanksgiving

Due to my arrival here just a few weeks ago, it was decided back in October that I would not be returning home for Thanksgiving. This is actually not my first Thanksgiving away from home; a few years ago I had spent the holiday in Bells, Texas with some great friends. That said, distance from family is always hardest around the holidays.

With that I mind, I had a small Thanksgiving-esque dinner with my parents the weekend before I left. This was quite fantastic, as it meant leftovers and pumpkin pie for days afterwards. Then, on Tuesday of this past week, we had a pot-luck at work, where each department was responsible for a different portion of the menu. For instance, my department was responsible for potatoes, so we had glazed sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, garlic potatoes, sweet potato casserole, sweet potato hummus, etc (my contribution was roasted potatoes with sage, bacon, and red onion). There was a huge assortment of traditional and creative dishes, and everything was delicious. Plus, we had the next (half) day to investigate the kitchens of each building for leftovers. We also left work early on Tuesday due to the blizzard alert.

Wednesday ended up being a short workday, as the snowstorm had caused a number of people to work from home. We came in around 10am and then ended up leaving early as well, with a lot of people telecommuting. A few of my Park City friends and I (all the Salt Lake people had telecommuted) went for tea, and had a relaxing start to the holiday break.

For the actual Thanksgiving day, I went out for brunch with friends. It was a really lazy morning for me, as I place we ate at was a 5 minute walk from my house, on Main Street. We then went to someone’s house, where we played cards and watched movies for the next five hours.

Our department was also given Friday off, and I debated braving Black Friday at the outlet mall, but when I saw the swarms of people and the backed up buses, I decided I was not so brave. Instead, I opted to get some work done in a coffee shop (I can’t remember if I mentioned this, but I don’t have internet yet in my apartment, so I do all emails and article research in cafes- needless to say I haven’t been able to write many articles lately). Then I joined friends to see Morning Glory, which was exactly the kind of light-hearted humor I was in the mood for on this holiday weekend.

Overall, it was a very nice holiday. As hard as it was not being with family, it’s nice to know that even when you can’t go home, there is good company to be found. That said, I’m looking forward to my home visit around Christmas. The travel bit will actually be a little crazy, involving a red-eye flight, subway, train and car, all to be home for 1.5 days, flying back on Boxing Day, but if I’m really honest, I’ve done crazier.

As much as I’ve enjoyed this long weekend, I’m also looking forward to going back to work tomorrow. Some time this week, it will be announce which films will be in the festival (the filmmakers know as of last week, and the press office knows, but the rest of us are currently in the dark). Once that announcement is made, the buzz and excitement starts to build. We shall see, I’ll keep you posted.

Getting Settled

The last few days have been extremely busy, but great all the same. Perhaps the biggest update I can give is on my job. Since this is the internet, and I don’t want to put any private company information online, I’m going to describe my position within the terms it was described in the original job posting. I’m responsible for coordinating the information booths, both at the SLC airport, as well as scattered throughout Park City. I also oversee a new position called the Festival Insider, who are roaming customer service experts at the festival, helping people learn how to fest. Between part-time and full-time volunteers, there are about 50-60 volunteers for me to supervise during the festival. It’s a very mobile position, and I’ll be constantly on the move with my cell, radio, and laptop. It also requires me to be a sponge for all things Sundance, and to be info savvy on all aspects of the festival. I’m very excited, and very happy to be now digging into all of the processes.

We have an open office environment, which has been great in terms of interacting with and getting to know other. Every day around 4pm, people in my department gather for a fun quick round of trivia questions, and at the end of every week, we gather for a company-wide hang called Beer & Cheetos (as a weekly wine and cheese gets a little pricey for a non-profit). This week’s theme was 80s, complete with wacky outfits and dated music videos.

Currently, work-wise, I’m updating a lot of information for the new year, correcting dates, names, and themes. Every year, Sundance has a different tagline, with theme to match. Two years ago is was “Storytime: 25 years of Where the Next Begins” and last year was “Cinematic Rebellion”. This year, the theme is “Be There” with a snowflake made up of icons to symbolize it.

 As our festival director, John Cooper, put it:

It is ironic that we have not used the icon of a snowflake in any of our previous Festivals. In my mind, it immediately conjures an image of season and place, not to mention that each snowflake is unique....just like our films. And just like the Festival's ten-day run each snowflake is fleeting. If you're not there, you'll miss it. To me "be there" is an invitation and a challenge… to not only attend, but to actively participate in the moment of the Festival, to show up with all of your energy and spirit. The there of Sundance is created when an audience experiences a film and a filmmaker. We cannot do it without you. Let's all be there in January.

Every year, festival sponsor Kenneth Cole provides uniforms for all staff and volunteers at the festival. All I know about this year’s is that it is a vest of some sort, and I’m crossing my fingers that it’s blue. I’m also curious to see to see what the different trailers will be for this year. For those who have seen a movie at a film festival before, you’ll know that there is always a festival trailer shown before each film. There are usually a number of different trailers (unless you’re Tribeca, who only use one), so there’s a number of different ones to discover throughout the festival. For those, who have never seen one of these before, here are a few from last year’s festival (remember, theme was Cinematic Rebellion and being daring):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmzK6LU3RDY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xg5zPhy1C58&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8w6lNhXj3I

On the home front, I think I’ve finally adjusted to the altitude here, as I’m no longer getting tired as easily as I was before. That said, as someone who is used to living with a 45lb. Cocker Spaniel (yes, they're normally 30lb., but he's big boned... and fat) in a house with an invisible fence, being dragged up and down steep mountain roads by a 70lb. Labrador is a slightly different experience. There’s a fine line between holding your ground and skidding on ice, and I’m trying to find the balance between the two.

It’s a snowy day today, and I’ve spent it sipping coffee in a café, getting some writing done while watching the flurries. However, now it’s time for me to go meet some friends, and check out the new Harry Potter film. Until next time.

Are we there yet?

“There’s no reason to become alarmed, and we hope you enjoy the rest of your flight. By the way, is there anyone on board who knows how to fly a plane?”
-Elaine Dickenson, Airplane!

After my last blog entry, my flight itinerary got a little adjusted. Our plane was to land in Minneapolis, but due to a snowstorm in the midwest, our plane was diverted to Fargo, ND. Since we didn’t know when our plane would be able to take off, we were released to roam throughout the tiny Fargo airport. I spent a few minutes exploring the local goods section of the gift shop (intrigued by the bison jerky and Native American themed teas), before retiring to the one café to sit and wait with various angry passengers from my flight (the ones who were supposed to be headed to Hawaii were especially sad). Luckily, within an hour, the ground freeze at MSP was lifted, and we were back on our way to MSP.

After the brief stop in Minneapolis, we were on our way to my fourth and final state of the day, Utah. Most of this flight was spent sleeping, hence why you’re not receiving this update until two days later. It was already dark in Salt Lake City when were land, and I was exhausted by the time I got to Park City. After running a few quick errands to pick up some essentials, I finally made it to my apartment around 8pm (or 10pm Eastern time). My roommate was out for the night, so Rex, her incredibly sweet black lab, greeted me. After quickly assembling a bed, I was out for the night.

Most of yesterday was spent unpacking and organizing my room. I begin work on Wednesday, so I’ll spend today and tomorrow working on an article (most of you know I write for a film site, so that should make sense), and figuring out how long the bus ride is to the institute, so I can figure out how early I have to get up for my commute (it’s really not far, and if I was adventurous, I could walk it in under an hour- I just don’t want to be late). It’s snowing now, and cabin fever is creeping up, so I think I’ll walk down to one of the coffee shops on Main Street (I live in the very cool Historic District), and do my work there.

I’ll probably write my next post near the weekend, after I get my feet wet at my new job. Bye for now!

And so it begins…

My plane at the Hartford Airport

For those who I have yet to tell, I’m about to spend the next six months living in Park City, Utah. For the first four months, I’ll be working for the Sundance Film Festival, and for the last two (as I finish out my lease), I’ll be doing some part-time work, and exploring the southern part of the state. I’ve really enjoyed my experiences at Sundance for the past few festivals, and am looking forward to experiencing it in a new, expanded way.

While the title of this blog pays tribute to Sergio Leone spaghetti western films, reminding one of European filming locations in Italy and Spain, few know that a portion of Once Upon the Time in the West was actually filmed in Monument Valley, Utah. In fact, many films have been filmed in Utah (either in part or whole), including: The Searchers, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (bet you didn’t see that one coming), 127 Hours, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Troll 2, Back to the Future Part III, Con Air, Planet of the Apes (1968 and 2001 versions), Independence Day, Thelma & Louise, and Footloose. The list actually could go on much longer, but you get the idea- it’s a beautiful place that has been inspiring filmmakers for a long time.

Currently we’re cruising about 30,000 feet above Michigan, enroute to Minneapolis for a short layover, and then continuing on to Salt Lake City. Since the kid crying three rows in front of me is making it difficult to sleep, I think I’ll just make the most of the airline wifi until we land (according to flightaware.com, that will be in 50min). Next time you hear from me, I’ll be 2200 miles further west than where I started (640 miles has been covered thus far), and will be getting settled into my Rocky Mountain lifestyle.

"O brave new world that has such people in it. Let's start at once."