Sundance 2009: Radio Silence

[Film Fest] The first casualty of economic catastrophe is the wireless networks. Or something.

OK, it’s not the most obvious sign that things are at least a little bit different at Sundance this year. In the café at the Marriott Hotel festival headquarters, complimentary Pepsi products have been replaced by complimentary Shasta products. And in general, there’s definitely a mellower vibe to this first Friday, with both the headquarters and the Yarrow Hotel – one of the primary press screening venues – much less chaotic than in years past. As Karina Longworth has noted on her blog, it probably shouldn’t be surprising to see a much-diminished press contingent. On the one hand, such relative sanity will make certain logistics much easier. On the hand, it dampens the energy that sometimes helps a guy make it through nine marathon days.

Meanwhile, it has already proven to be a pain in the ass trying to get a wireless connection that won’t drop. And the fact that *this* may be my biggest complaint on Day One indicates that, yet again, things that were once technological miracles have turned into “necessities” that cause overprivileged journalists to whine over their absence. (Scott Renshaw)