OH MY HECK - IT'S IAN MCKELLEN!

For me the Sundance Film Festival is all about films and networking. This year it's less films and more networking - which means parties, of course. And my first offical party of the festival was GEN ART. GEN ART is a terrific champion of independent cinema and I have made some great friends through this wonderful organization.

Their party was held last night at the Delta Sky Lodge. In attendance were Peter Sarsgaard, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Maggie Gyllenhaal, stars of HIGH FALLS in Sundance, and even Ian Ziering (Beverly Hills 90210) popped in.

My plus one for the party, Todd Goldman, a director in Los Angeles, tried to egg me on, to go up to Ziering and say "Hey, didn't I go to high school with you? Yeah, you were in the drama club, weren't you?"

But just as I was swigging the last of my Stella Artois and summoning up my wit, he moved and I couldn't get to him through all of the people. Rats!

And then the party dissolved without much fanfare and everyone was let out on Main Street. Just a typical filmmaker mixer without much to report, or so I thought. What the heck am I going to have to write about, huh? But aAs we were mingling about in the cold and trying to figure out what our next move would be, we ran into Ziering yet again, only this time there was a star struck young woman standing near him, who shouted, "Oh, my gosh... I know you! You're Ian McKellen!"

I just about slipped on the icy pavement, I was laughing so hard. I hope I see him at another party soon, so this time I can summon up the wit and say, "Loved you on Lord of The Rings 90210."

Kisses from the dance!

Tracy :*

PS. Will upload my pictures soon - my computer sort of died and I've got to go to the AOL Lounge and upload them.

Party, Party, Party!

Who knew just getting invited to parties could be a full time job!?

It's takes so much prep time, emails, research, etc just to get on the lists for parties at Sundance, no wonder celebs have PR reps. It literally is a full time occupation! And when you have a film in production, need funding, and trying to get your name out there, parties and mixers for networking opportunities with the powers that be IS your job.

Forget films right now. This is just parties, all to promote my documentary film SCRUMDOWN and a new venture called ACE - Actors Creative Efforts which has been formed with the help of my friends Drew Waters, Josh Durham, Russell Reynolds, Naima Lett, Charles Baker, and Zack Hopkins, all to promote the efforts of some fantasticly talented actors you'll be seeing in upcoming TV shows and films such as PRISON BREAK on Fox, COMANCHE MOON the mini series written by Larry McMurtry and starring Adam Beach & Steve Zahn, INSPECTOR MOM on Lifetime and even THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTONS starring Brad Pitt! How exciting is that, huh?!

So far, this is my party, party, and more party schedule:

Friday Night

Gen Art Opening Reception at the Delta Sky Lodge

Saturday

Louisiana Film Commission Party
Washington State Party
Entertainment Weekly Party (still waiting on a confirm for that one)

Sunday

Moving Pictures Magazine VIP Party
Film.com Launch Party
Johnson Roessler Company Party
Fuji Film Party

Monday

New Line Cinema Party
Technicolor Party
Blender Sessions at Harry O's hosted by Nelly

Tuesday

USC Party
Extra TV Party

Wednesday

Delta Fly In Movies Party
New York's Sundance Party (my absolute favorite party at Sundance)

Thursday

Red Camera/Off Hollywood Party

Friday

2929 Entertainment/Artists Den Reception

It's pretty exciting. I'm really looking forward to this year's Sundance. Since I can't get everyone in on my plus ones... just stay tuned and I'll keep you posted!

Tracy

P.S. Just got an email from my friend Steve who will be at Sundance attending some of the panels that I will be attending. He's got a great documentary in production right now. Check it out! INSPIRED

FILMNIP!

I say every year that I am going to schedule out Sundance in advance, pace myself, and enjoy the whole festival. I'm not not going to see every film this year. I'm going to schedule a little 'me' time, perhaps ski a day or two. Then I get the film schedule and just like my cat on catnip, I go flippin' crazy! I have to see every film. I gotta participate in every panel discussion. I gotta see every musical act. I gotta stock up on Red Bull!

All of the films this year look really good and now I've got to decide which ones I want to purchase tickets to see. I purchase my tickets this week. Oh, yeah!

On Friday, Jan 19:

SNOW ANGELS, written and directed by David Gordon Green, (UNDERTOW, ALL THE REAL GIRLS,) the story of "a couple that has separated (Sam Rockwell and Kate Beckinsale) are each attempting to pick up the threads of a future when they are dealt a further blow that leads to a dark conclusion" looks very promising. Green is an amazing director with engaging and original tales, usually set in the South. Green, incidently, has been tapped to adapt the screenplay of the best selling book THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES. I think I gotta see this one!

But at the same time of that showing, THE SAVAGES, premieres, starring Philip Seymour Hoffman & Laura Linney, two of my favorite actors. And THE SAVAGES is written and directed by Tamara Jenkins, who brought us the quirky SLUMS OF BEVERLY HILLS, which I dearly love. THE SAVAGES deals with the same sort of family issues and themes which tend to show up in my writing, so you can see why I totally admire Jenkins' work and why this is on my must see list.

On Saturday, Jan 20:

AWAY FROM HER premieres. Sarah Polley, known more as an actress (DAWN OF THE DEAD, DON'T COME KNOCKING) than a filmmaker, has adapted Alice Munro's short story "The Bear Came over the Mountain," about "a couple coming to grips with the onset of memory loss." It stars the uncomparable Julie Christie & Olympia Dukakis. I gotta see this. Studios don't make these types of films. This is independent film and I revel in it.

And then there's the premiere of YEAR OF THE DOG, Mike White's directorial debut. White is best known as the screenwriter of THE GOOD GIRL and starred in and wrote THE SCHOOL OF ROCK. The YEAR OF THE DOG is the story of "Peggy (played by Molly Shannon), a happy-go-lucky secretary who is a great friend, employee, and sister, living alone with adorable beagle named Pencil. Peggy and Pencil have a blissful relationship full of love, appreciation, and companionship. One night Pencil wakes up to go potty and unexpectedly sets off a chain of events that change the course of Peggy's life." It also stars Laura Dern, John C. Reilly & Peter Sarsgaard. If it is anything like THE GOOD GIRL, this is a can't miss film, right?

Well, at the same time AWAY FROM HER premieres, BROKEN ENGLISH, also is showing. BROKEN ENGLISH, from writer/director Zoe Cassavetes (John Cassavetes' daughter) is the story of "Nora, who isn't broken; she just acts that way. She is actually sexy, funny, and creative, and her only fault is being cursed with that modern affliction of wanting more out of life than what other want for her. She must suffer quietly her best friend's 'perfect marriage,' a job she has outgrown, and a mother who constantly reminds her of it all. After yet another disastrous date, Nora meets Julian, a quirky Frenchman who won't take no for an answer, and they embark on a romance that could either be exactly what she needs... or send her over the edge for good." This film stars Parker Posey & Cassavetes' own real life mom, Gena Rowlands. Again, I have to see this one, too.

While YEAR OF THE DOG IS SHOWING, there's the film GRACE IS GONE, James C. Strouse's directorial debut. Strouse was the writer on LONESOME JIM, which I saw in 2005 and really liked. Although the film was a little slow in parts, that was part of it's ingenius charm. I actually liked that film. So it's no wonder I want to see GRACE IS GONE, the story of a father, played by John Cusack, who takes his two daughters on a road trip after hearing his wife was killed in the Iraq war, in order to ralley the strength to tell them of her death. A very timely and promilitary yet at the same time antiwar film. This is what Sundance is known for - controversial films of our times. This is why you go to Sundance! Ok, that and to party with Paris Hilton. Since I've been to Paris' party, which is highly overrated by the way, it's all about the films, baby! The films rule!

That is just two days of film scheduling. I've got 7 more days of films to figure out! If you are any kind of film buff, I know you feel my pain. Unfortunately, you can't TIVO Sundance!

By the way, all of the synopsis that are shared here are curtesy of sundance.org.