Sundance Preview

	Photo: Mark Maziarz, Park City Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau

PARK CITY, Utah -- One widely reported aspect of last year's Sundance Film Festival was the visit by Paris Hilton and the tirade it prompted from Robert Redford, Sundance's founder, about press coverage of her appearance.

But it all just added to the zany atmosphere on the hilly, snow-dusted streets of Park City.

Redford began this film festival in an attempt to shift the industry's focus away from Hollywood's commercialism.

In 1981, he and volunteers began screening quality films and bestowing awards on outstanding works.

To further support the mission, Redford established the nonprofit Sundance Institute to help foster the careers of budding writers and filmmakers.

It's hard to dispute Redford's conclusion that Hilton, when she briefly stole the spotlight by merely attending a nighttime party, was a distraction from the festival's good intentions.

Last year, I missed Paris Hilton -- thankfully -- and as I prepare for my third festival, the sole thing I'm dreading is the superficiality that can at times dampen the fun: the high-fashion consciousness, the air-kissing and inane meetings between "important" people and their fawning wannabes.

Celebrity sightings are an inevitable and usually unremarkable part of Sundance -- in fact, actors and directors often answer audience questions after screenings. (From what I've observed, hearing stars speak directly to an audience can forever alter one's impression of them, for better or worse.) ...