Dear Sundance Diary: Times Are Grim, But the Hype is Here

Park City was eerily peaceful early this morning with nobody around and last night’s dusting of snow on the ground. Soon enough – by this afternoon, or this evening, or certainly tonight – that will all change as filmmakers, press and industry folks roll in and the dreaded promoters (“leveragers,” Sundance founder Robert Redford called them in his inaugural address today) pimp out this snowy mountain town like a toddler in a tiara. Appropriately, Redford pointed to the current hardships for filmmakers, and the world at large. “Times are hard and grim,” he acknowledged, later offering optimism. “Independent film is healthy. That doesn’t mean it’s easy.”
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Sundance Swag Report: The Power of Ed Helms Compels You (To Keep Warm)

It's still eerily quiet here in Park City, so Movieline popped into Main Street's only pop-up insurance agency for our first Sundance Swag Report. Those crazy kids over at Fox Searchlight have constructed an entire insurance agency to promote their Sundance entry/coming-of-age comedy Cedar Rapids, about a small town insurance agent (Ed Helms) who has the weekend of his life at a convention in Iowa. Because nothing says "sexy Sundance swag" like wood paneling and hot apple cider! (Sexy, sexy swag pics within.)

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