Partyhopper

The Sundance Awards were held about a week ago, and I still haven't unpacked from my trip to Park City! But blogging about the best Sundance parties is much more fun than unpacking. While I certainly agree with Robert Redford's belief that Sundance is ultimately a celebration of independent film, I spoke to many young Hollywood stars who are grateful for an opportunity to unwind on a dancefloor after a long day of doing press and/or hitting the swag suites. With this in mind, I now present the winners of my very own Sundance Nightlife Awards.

First up is the Award for the Smarty Party, which goes to...7 for All Mankind and Gen Art's presentation of "7 Fresh Faces in Film." Granted, this was the night that the lights went out at the Delta Lounge--and all over town, in fact--but the soon-to-be high-wattage newcomers still shined (thanks to all those paparazzi flashbulbs).  What impressed me most about this event was the talent on hand and the fact that Oscar-nominated Juno director Jason Reitman served as the emcee, but I also have to give props to the caterer who served up yummy s'mores. "This is an incredible film festival," said Jason, who was proud to introduce actors who have been given "the USDA Sundance seal of approval. It means not only were they talented and skillful enough to get here but it means they are people with integrity--the kind of integrity it takes to make a Sundance film." And then Jason turned the spotlight on the guests of honor: Melonie Diaz, who had four movies at the fest, including Be Kind Rewind; Shoshannah Stern (Adventures of Power), Jason Ritter (The Deal and Good Dick), Paz de la Huerta (The Guitar), Rachael Taylor (Bottle Shock ), and Kate Mara (Transsiberian). Finally, Jason gave a special shout-out to Olivia Thirlby, who "made my film Juno glow," he said, then noted that she similarly "killed it" in her new movie The Wackness. After the applause and flashbulbs subsided, I congratulated Olivia and asked her about her Sundance style: "I go for rugged classic," she said--Olivia's not a fan of pink parkas. "I like wearing my flannel shirts and duck boots from L.L. Bean. It's all about staying warm because it's friggin' zero degrees outside."

Jason Reitman and the 7 Fresh Faces of in Film

Later, I caught up with Sundance It-Girl Melonie Diaz at the party for Be Kind Rewind, which deserves some kind of special catering award for the massive spread of sushi that I enjoyed as I took a break from my regular Sundance diet of popcorn and peanut M&Ms. Danny Glover and Jack Black were patiently posing for photos with fans while director Michel Gondry was looking adorably shy. Naturally, I wanted to know what Melonie's Sundance must-haves were: "My black Steve Madden riding boots and a black cardigan--somebody could spill wine on me and you would never know!" And Sundance is the kind of place where a lot of wine gets spilled. Melonie's take on the fest? "This is my third time at Sundance and it's always fun chaos, if that makes sense." It makes perfect sense to me.

Dave Annable and Brothers & Sisters co-star Emily VanCamp

The Award for...the Party that Put the "Dance" in Sundance goes to Motorola: I knew that I was in store for a good time when my fabulous friend from CNN, Lola Ogunnaike, and I were in line for the Motorola Late-Night Lounge--right behind uber-blogger Perez Hilton. Ironically, this blowout was held in a yoga-studio where guests usally do the downward dog instead of dance to Rihanna remixes. Host David Pinsky served up the kind of snacks that no one wants to admit they eat (Ho-Hos, Ding-Dongs and Zingers--oh my!) I bonded with adorable Brothers & Sisters star Dave Annable who intorduced me to his castmate Matthew Rhys and a real-life relative--his proud dad. "There’s good people, great music and a chill vibe--everybody’s having a blast," said Dave, who was also a fan of the cuisine. "I stole a Twinkie for later," he added, and his dad unzipped his pocket to reveal the Hostess swag. Matthew, meanwhile, consulted me about a fashion crisis: "I turned up wearing a black North Face parka and somebody told me: 'That's so three years ago!' Apparently it’s no longer the Sundance look. But to me, North Face is like my Chanel—it is classic and it never goes out of style." Later, my In Style coworker Ali Forman introduced me to her pal Maria Bello, who was rocking a sparkly Tory Burch top: "I'm so boring because I never do blowouts, but my boyfriend came with me to Sundance and I said, OK, I’ll go to one party with you." They also plan to hit the slopes: "I hate moguls--I’m more like an intermediate skier," Maria added. "I’m definitely not a ski bunny—I’m always in my black clothes. Except for tonight: I feel like Michael Jackson in this glittery gold shirt."

Maria Bello and Rachael Taylor

The Award for...Most Fashionable Fete goes to Fred Segal: The makeshift Fred Segal swag suite had the vibe of a party--apparently free clothes, like cocktails, give guests an infectious buzz. I chatted with two statuesque young costars from the film Bottle Shock who wouldn't look out of place on the runway at Fashion Week. Rachael Taylor from Transformers was trying on an Andrew Marc coat and posing for pictures when I greeted her: "This is my first Sundance," she said. "It's freezing ouside and I'm from Australia--I grew up in beach culture--so my must-haves are hats, earmuffs, scarves, thermals and I love my Coach boots—they have served me well on this trip." Hopefully there's some room left in her suitcase for the cool clothes that were being thrown at her: "The scene here is fun and kind of hilarious--I'm always thoroughly amazed that people will give me things," she added. "It’s nice that the Fred Segal guys to come out and support young filmmakers. There’s very little money in independent film. I guess that makes it okay to take a free jacket!" Nearby, I bumped into Chris Pine, the new Captain Kirk from J.J. Abram's upcoming Star Trek remake, who was browsing the Hurley hoodies: "I’m a Sundance virgin!" he told me. "So far it's been a hell of a lot of fun and completely overwhelming even though this town is like yay big. I did a little partying last night at Tao before the cops shut it down--there was lots of heavy bass and after a long day of doing press, all I really wanted to do was go to bed." As for the new Star Trek film, Chris said: "It's going well. Everybody has asked me if I was gonna copy Shatner, but it’s not something that I could or would want to mimic. I wrote Shatner a letter saying what he did was so iconic that all I could do was try to make him proud by doing my own Kirk." Somehow I resisted asking Chris if he booked his flight to Park City through Priceline.com.

Mary-Kate Olsen
Photo: Jesse Grant/WireImage.com

The Award for...Best Power Lunch
Aside from the rare opportunity to eat an actual meal (seared tenderloin with spiced red wine and brown butter jus!) at the Bon Appetit house, I was excited to get some face-time with The Wackness costars Sir Ben Kingsley and Mary-Kate Olsen. This afternoon embodied everything that I love about Sundance--where else do you get to chat with the Oscar-winning actor who played Ghandi and the fashion-forward Olsen twin? And did I mention that they make out in this movie??? M-K was rocking a stylishly disheveled look: Distressed skinny black jeans and a vintage leather motorcycle jacket that she accessorized with shiny black flats and several scarves. Her hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail and her eyes were shielded behind tinted round glasses. Ben was looking mighty stylish too in fitted black leather jacket, and yes, I asked him who made it. This just goes to show that you can be knighted by the Queen of England and still have a passion for fashion: "It's a very good designer," Ben told me, and he even took off his jacket so that he could verify the label--what a nice knight: "It's Calvin Klein. These are Juicy chords and the shirt is Hermes"--which he jokingly pronounced "Hermees." Having seen Ben's swag-themed episode of The Sopranos, I had to ask if he's enjoyed any freebies on this trip: "I have been given gift bags," he admitted. "They have been thrust into my hand—and I have thrust them into my wife’s hand." After lunch, Mary-Kate Olsen granted me a rare interivew--well, she agreed to answer one question. SO I asked her why she was excited about her role in this movie, aside from the opportunity to play tonsil hockey with Ben Kinsgley. "It’s clever and witty," she said of the script. "My character's got a sense of humor--I'm just in a few scenes, but it was fun to play her."

James and Sir Ben Kingsley
Photo: Jesse Grant/WireImage.com

The Award for...Most Elegant Dinner Party
Jeffrey Best is one of my favorite Hollywood party planners and when he threw a dinner to celebrate the films Diminished Capacity and Birds of America, he somehow transformed a tent into a super-chic scene that made me think I was at some L.A. hotspot rather than next to a ski lift (it helped that Hollywood power players like Jason Weinberg and Tracy Brennan were working the room). “Sundance has been great so far—I watched football all day and now I’m here at this party,” Birds of America star Matthew Perry told me. Matthew is just as hilarious as you would expect; on his way out, he jokingly shouted to no one in particular: “I’m in show-business! I’m a SAG member!” I also caught up with one half of a Sundance power couple, Matthew Broderick, who was seated next to his style icon wife, Sarah Jessica Parker. I mentioned to Matthew that he was one of my first-ever Sundance interviews (I remember asking him tough questions like how he deals with the dreaded hat-head and he gamely played along): “We didn’t bring James with us because we knew we would both be working," he said of his son. "Earlier we went to a small cocktail party for [SJP’s movie] Smart People, and now we’re at this classy dinner [for his movie, Diminished Capacity]. We’re staying at a lodge and all I did this afternoon was watch people skiing—some of them were good, some of them were not so good.” His Diminished Capacity costar, Virginia Madsen, can't wait to get in line for a lift ticket, and she'll be looking stylish on the slopes. "I just got this gorgeous Laundry coat—and it's not swag. I actually bought this coat!" she wanted me to know. "I plan on skiing for a few days after my work is done. I’m a novice but I like to do the black diamonds. What I lack in skill, I make up for in passion." And as someone who has seen countless great Sundance movies over the years, I can say that Virginia's last quote perfectly captures the side of Sundance that I haven't blogged about--all those amazing filmmakers!

The Award for Hottest Condo Party goes to...Marc Ecko, who treated his guests to an Alice in Wonderland-themed adventure, complete with a red carpet manned by a guy in a white rabbit suit. It was surreal scene for sure, because even though Alice was a no-show, Adrian Grenier (sans Entourage) turned up to hang with Marc’s hipster friends. And there was a celebrity chef cooking in the open kitchen: The host, who is a serious foodie as well as a fashion designer, had the party catered by the winner of Top Chef’s Season 2, Ilan Hall!

-- James Patrick Herman

My most recent trip to Sundance began at the glamour-challenged (and freezing!) Park City Racquet Club, where my Adidas-clad feet went numb as I eagerly awaited the arrival of Sunshine Cleaning costars Emily Blunt and Mary Lynn Rajskub. Fortunately, they were both worth the wait—as well as the risk of frostbite. Even though the actresses were being rushed inside the theater by Sundance reps, Emily and Mary Lynn both kindly paused to answer my question about their respective Sundance style advice. After all, Emily clearly felt my pain: "I can't feel my feet," she realized as she set foot on the red carpet (actually, it was gray). "Dress warm and don't forget to wear your socks," Emily advised me. Mary Lynn offered an even better tip: "A snowsuit by Chanel" was her suggestion for keeping warm while looking cool.

Chilly costars of Sunshine Cleaning, Emily Blunt and Mary Lynn Rajskub
Photo: Thos Robinson/Getty

Last year, I ended my visit to Sundance with its annual awards show at the Racquet Club, where I was thrilled to meet the film festival's jury member Sarah Polley, one of my favorite actresses (do yourself a favor and check out Go, My Life Without Me and The Sweet Hereafter if you're not familiar with her amazing work). Sarah has just been Oscar-nominated for the screenplay to her film Away from Her, which she also directed. She is quite the multi-tasker, that Sarah! She also succeed in casting Julie Christie, who has little interest in acting these days but made a rare exception because of their friendship. How cool is that?

James and Oscar nominee Sarah Polley
Photo: Mark A. Neston

Julie is "a fashion icon" as fans of the movie Darling and Tyra Banks would say. It was beyond thrilling for me to see Julie and other legends up close when they squeezed past my chair to take the stage at the Bulgari-sponsored National Board of Review Awards last week. But that's another story—and one that I have been saving for after the announcement of Oscar noms.

-- James Patrick Herman

At last year’s Sundance Film Festival, I spent my days watching four or five movies back-to-back and meeting talented newcomers like Jess Weixler, star of the feminist horror flick Teeth, which recently had its New York City premiere.

James and breakout star Jess Weixler at last year's Sundance Awards.
Photo: Mark A. Neston

But during my latest visit to Parka City (or should I say Paris City?), it was all about the nightlife for PartyHopper—and, of course, Ms. Hilton, who seemed to be everywhere except for, well, film screenings. On Sunday afternoon as I was exiting the MySpace Café—my new favorite hangout on Main Street—and making my way to Marc Ecko’s Alice in Wonderland-theme condo party with Adrian Grenier (more on that later), I couldn’t help but notice Kim Kardashian getting chased by dozens of fans and paparazzi up a flight of stairs. Kim looked more excited than freaked out as she approached me, and she paused long enough to share her Sundance must-have with me: "A cute coat—anything that’s puffy and furry!" Kim said.

Moments later, Paris Hilton made a rare daytime appearance running up the same staircase as an even bigger mob of crazed fans and photographers followed in hot pursuit. Paris was rocking a white puffy coat (she and Kim clearly see eye-to-eye on the subject of Sundance style, at least), a pink hat and matching oversized shades—and she was laughing her head off as she dashed past me and through the doors of the MySpace Café, where she had a chance to catch her breath during a photo-op with my fellow blogger Perez Hilton.

   
Photos: Seth Browernick/ Red Eye Productions

Granted, I didn’t get a picture with Paris for my blog because she was in such a rush, but I did hear a story about her late-night visit to the Park City outpost of L.A. club Hyde, which is just as priceless: My friends recalled how the crowd went wild as soon as Paris climbed up and danced atop a banquette as the DJ spun —what else?—Britney’s "Gimme More."

-- James Patrick Herman

Since Park City restaurants seem to close ridiculously early, I was forced to go on the Sundance Diet Plan last week—endless popcorn and peanut M&Ms, no real food—and I gained five pounds! And right before Fashion Week!

Last night, I bumped into a friend of mine who works for Vogue, and she said, "Do you want my trainer's number?" Ouch! I'm in big trouble, because I can't get away with rocking bulky sweaters at the shows this weekend. Sure, I could work that look while sitting in the dark at Sundance screenings, but it's a big fashion don't at the fall collections in New York City. Since I'm in denial about how quickly Fashion Week is approaching, I'd prefer to focus on the highlights of my time in Utah. So I've compiled this list of my personal faves, which I hope will be coming soon to an art house near you:

Dedication A quirky love story featuring the kind of endearingly offbeat characters that I have come to expect from Sundance indies. Just when I thought I couldn't take another movie about a neurotic New Yorker (I mean, aren't they all?), Billy Crudup won me over as Mandy Moore's OCD-impaired—albeit impossibly cute—love interest.

Mandy Moore and Billy Crudup in Dedication

This is the directorial debut of Sundance It Boy Justin Theroux, who stayed behind the camera for this one but made appearances in two other flicks that I adored: Justin played a young Hollywood cad opposite an emotionally unfulfilled, self-medicating but style-savvy Parker Posey in Broken English.

Parker Posey in Broken English; Justin Theroux and Gretchen Mol in The Ten

He also turned up as Jesus (who knew the savior was such a player?) opposite Gretchen Mol in The Ten. For fans of bands like the Magnetic Fields and Cat Power, I should also note that the music in Dedication really rocks. Justin must have a killer collection of obscure songs on his iPod.

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The Sundance Awards kicked off with—what else?—a short film. The star of it was a soul-patch-sporting puppet playing the part of an independent film director who made boasts like, "My first film cost $4,000—and I shot it all on my cellphone!" But what all of the films vying for awards lacked in big budgets, their directors more than made up for with heartfelt acceptance speeches. In other words, I didn't hear the kinds of shout-outs commonly voiced at Hollywood awards shows: to publicists, to lawyers, to God—that kind of thing.

Instead, James C. Strause, the writer-director of the Iraq-themed Grace Is Gone, which stars John Cusack, thanked Cat Power for donating a cool song to his movie's soundtrack. And Jess Weixler, who won a special jury prize for acting in the teen-horror-flick-with-a-twist Teeth, praised the JetBlue stewardess who gave her the good news en route to Park City: "I screamed right in her face," Jess recalled.

Christopher Zalla and Gloria Reuben
Photos by Mark A. Neston

Speaking of screaming, I'm still a little deaf from sitting directly in front of Padre Nuestro writer-director Christopher Zalla; his executive producer, Gloria Reuben; and their entourage when their film was announced as the U.S. grand-jury prize winner. They all shouted out loud with delight. Despite the temporary hearing loss, it was a very sweet moment to behold.

The festivalgoers unwind

Once the speeches ended, it was party time: The plastic folding chairs were quickly removed, and in their place came comfy white couches, sushi stations and bars offering "fire-tinis" that actually smoked and bubbled (it was the first time I was ever afraid of a cocktail). "This party always reminds me of a high-school prom," I said to my friend Dawn Hudson, a Sundance jury member who is also involved with the L.A. Film Festival (one of my other favorite film fests). "My prom wasn't nearly this nice," Dawn replied.

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Everyone at In Style’s portrait studio gave a royal welcome to the Queen today. Latifah, that is. The star of Nelson George’s Life Support, the festival’s closing-night film—stylishly dressed from head to toe in all white and accessorized with a pair of drumsticks, not to mention a sizable entourage—swung by to pose for our super-cool Sundance photographer Nino Munoz and to chat with my co-worker Robin Sayers, who has been interviewing A-listers all week long. In Style photo editor Nicole Hyatt rounded up the gang for this commemorative group photo (that’s Nicole kneeling on the far right with her arm around Robin).

Photo by Nino Munoz

"I didn’t know you played drums," I said to Latifah. “I’m just learning. It’s easy if you’ve got rhythm,” she told me. And as a longtime fan of her rap records (I have the dusty vinyl at home to prove it), I know that she’s got rhythm to spare. Aside from showing off her newfound drumming skills, Latifah also gave us a brief impromptu performance, displaying her powerful pipes as she sang aloud to Christina Aguilera’s “Ain’t No Other Man,” courtesy of our in-studio DJ (a.k.a. Nicole’s iPod).

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Gwyneth Paltrow is the most glamorous sight I’ve seen since arriving at Sundance. Since I forgot to pack my camera, picture this: lustrous blond locks, radiant complexion, a simply chic black sweater dress with matching leggings and suede boots. In a word, gorgeous. But something was slightly wrong with this picture, as it turned out.

In Style’s Sundance studio was a magnet for stars like Paltrow

“You don’t want to touch my hands,” Gwyneth told me. “There’s stuff all over them.” The “stuff” was residue from tortilla chips—the Oscar-winning actress had just indulged in a little post-photo shoot snack at In Style’s portrait studio. But crumbs or no crumbs, I can think of, oh, about a million people who would love to touch her hands. I’ve always thought of Gwyneth as being so perfect that she almost seemed inaccessible, so I adore her even more after her tortilla-chip confession. This is a woman who’s not afraid to get her hands dirty.

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From In Style's Ali Forman in Park City: On my last night at Sundance, I decided to skip the screening of Hounddog (the Robin Wright Penn and Dakota Fanning film that's been creating such a stir because of its controversial rape scene). I opted instead for dinner at the Asian-inspired restaurant Washo with Jeff Golenberg and Allan Grifka from the Collective Management Firm and Alana Kleiman, a casting director for 20th Century Fox.

The scenery

The four of us enjoyed a delicious meal of tuna tartare, pad Thai, filet mignon with lo mein noodles and sake as we talked about the Oscar nominations that were to be announced the following morning. Golenberg was the only one of us who had a real reason to get up early for them, since he was eager to find out if his client Forest Whitaker had been nominated for The Last King of Scotland. I told him to stay asleep because it would be the biggest surprise if Forest—who had just won a Golden Globe for his incredible performance in that film—didn’t get nominated for an Oscar. (And of course, as we now know, he was.)

At any rate, after dinner our first stop was the ICM party. It had started at 9:00 p.m. and we didn’t arrive until after 11:30, but still hanging out in the VIP area was Michael Angarano, one of the stars of the much-talked-about film Snow Angel. As we walked up to the  VIP entrance,  a man near the back motioned that we were clear to come in. Unbeknownst to us, it was Michael's father! (For some reason, the security guard thought Dad was in charge and let him pick who was "in" and who was "out." Fortunately, Dad liked us!)

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From In Style's Ali Forman in Park City: The Gersh Agency party was a chic event at the Riverhorse Cafe (a Park City staple). Cocktails flowed, appetizers were plentiful and the vibe was ultra-relaxed. Catherine Keener, in town to promote the disturbing An American Crime, was there with her whole family! I ended up getting into a fun conversation with her brother—who was delightful—about dogs (we share a mutual infatuation with ours).

Victor Rasuk and Ali

Elsewhere, the ever-so-cool Sam Rockwell (here for the film Joshua) strolled through the crowd getting his own drinks and taking care of everyone around him as  funny girl Anna Faris, always a Sundance favorite, made someone laugh over in a corner. Looking around, I realized that a lot of the young new faces that people here are buzzing about were in the room: the stunning Olivia Thirlby from Snow Angels, Jess Weixler, star of the controversial film Teeth and Victor Rasuk (already an indie favorite), who was at Sundance with his film Adrift in Manhattan.

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From In Style's Ali Forman in Park City: Utah is not exactly known as a party state, but during the Sundance Film Festival ... well, to say that changes would be an understatement. In fact, the party—or at least the schmoozing—starts on the plane ride there!

Vanished were my visions of catching up on some much-needed post-Golden Globes sleep as I flew toward the quaint ski town of Park City last Thursday night. There had to have been at least 30 industry types I know on my flight (including Leslie Siebert from Gersh and the Weinstein Company's Michael Cole), and we all gabbed about which films we wanted to see, what we had tickets for and what would be the hot party each night. (The films with early buzz included Rocket Science; Interview, with Sienna Miller; Broken English; Snow Angel; Waitress, with Keri Russell; and The Nines, with Ryan Reynolds.)

Ali and Nathan Fillion at the Entertainment Weekly party

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you're probably aware that every year at this time, Park City is invaded by filmmakers, actors, agents, producers, studio execs and the press—as well as by a fair number of wanna-bes in those same categories. All of them descend on the town to hawk their films (or their clients), buy one another's wares, garner attention and make deals. The festival has also become a mecca for various firms—from sunglass makers to cell-phone companies—wanting to get their products into the hands of stars and so-called tastemakers.

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