This past weekend, I headed out to Park City, Utah with a few friends for some skiing. The slopes were blissfully empty, as most people seemed more interested in the Sundance Film Festival. On Sunday night we did, however, drag ourselves to a couple of parties.
The fete after the screening of
Sin Nombre was held at the No Name Saloon, a honky-tonk-style establishment complete with kitschy knickknacks hanging from the ceiling, country music and Big Buck Hunter arcade games. The film, a moving thriller about illegal immigration by director Cary Joji Fukunaga, had gotten a standing ovation from the audience, and the mood at the party was ebullient. "The screening was way beyond expectations," said the soft-spoken director, clad in a glasses and a flannel shirt, of his feature debut. "I feel constantly on the verge of crying because all my friends are here supporting me. It's a lovefest." Focus Features will distribute the film, which will be out in limited release on March 20.
After the bar at the No Name closed, the remaining revelers headed a few blocks over to the
Black Dynamite afterparty at the Hollywood Life House. Funk music played, echoing the vibe of the film, a Blaxploitation parody set in the 1970s which screened to "a lot of laughter and applause," according to co-producer Jillian Apfelbaum. Despite the fact that in Utah bars aren't allowed to serve liquor after 1 a.m., the bartenders continued serving cocktails -- as well as mini blueberry pies -- until the wee hours. We couldn't help but overhear a lot of wheeling and dealing in the room, and sure enough, the producers and cast had plenty to celebrate the next day: after an overnight bidding session, at 6 AM the film was sold to Sony for an estimated $2 million.
