by Katharine Elizabeth Monahan Huntley
The self-proclaimed “Queen of Sundance” RHOSLC: Lisa Barlow
When you’ve made arrangements in years past to attend the Park City film festivals (Sundance, Slamdance, X-Dance, et cetera) over the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday weekend, it might not occur to you to check the current year’s dates until well after you’ve made your reservations and it’s much too late to change.
Upon horrified realization of your Park City faux pas, the only thing to do is your finest Hayley Mill’s Pollyanna impression and go.
The following is a 2005 interview with the vibrant Destiny Grose (and brief interjection by Dennis Wong), in a quest to find out how Utah’s historic silver mining town and world-renowned ski resort prepares for ten days of film fanaticism. Destiny is the theater critic for the Park City Record and President of the Park City Film Series Board, Her self-deprecating claim to fame is “Destiny’s 10 Days in the Dark” — film festival reviews on local radio station KPCW.
LINES: How did your moniker come about?
Destiny: The one year I saw fifty-five films in the ten days . . . I will never do that again. At Sundance, viewing 5+ films a day isn’t that uncommon, but day after day it’s a killer. There is talk of an energy drink sponsor following me around. The pitch would be that only by consuming the “_____” energy drink could it be accomplished. With my luck I’d die of a heart attack from all that caffeine!
LINES: How does Park City prep for the attack of the LA/NY people in black (PIBS)?
Destiny: Tons of water is ordered. And sushi. One year, a laundromat in town ran a special on all black loads. Wash at a reduced price — just a way to joke around and get the employees psyched.
Dennis: The high school students pay $50 for annual parking passes. During Sundance, a few entrepreneurs sell their passes for $250.
LINES: How do the locals feel about the film festivals?
Destiny: People that embrace the film festival are in for an exciting time — it’s one of the major cinematic moments in the world. I advise locals to go see ten, or at least two, movies. There are star sightings in the grocery store. If you see someone wearing a dangling pass, ask if they have a movie in the festival. You’ll feel part of it, even if you don’t have the opportunity to screen one. Get into the spirit of Sundance. Hang out on Main Street. There are masses of people — it’s alive, exhilarating. I would prefer nine months of Sundance people to the two months of summer tourists. Unfortunately, this year I’m seeing fewer movies.
LINES: Why is that?
Destiny: It’s getting harder and harder to buy tickets. Just look on eBay. Tickets for this year’s The Upside of Anger are offered at $500. On the plus side, there’s more time to hang out on Main Street — go to the Sundance house, or an alt festival like X-Dance. See what’s going on. One year an RV held a soft-core porn fest — pasties on the headlights — just one example of the many rogue film festivals you can find in Park City.
LINES: What happens after the festivals leave town?
Destiny: A couple of days afterwards, the Sundance Institute screens a few of the festival films which is great for residents to catch up on what they might have missed. They also show films in the summertime (about six from previous festivals) on an outdoor screen in the City Park. Another thing they do is work in conjunction with the Park City Film Series (which is a separate entity) to bring a documentary from the festivals on the first Thursday of the month.
It’s also great for festival-goers who arrive in town too early . . . At the Park City Library, we caught Mike Leigh’s perfectly bleak period piece Vera Drake. The titular character, her comfortable countenance secured by a home permanent wave, helps out girls who find themselves “in a bit of trouble.” A film set in Britain’s 1950s, it is every bit as relevant in current scare tactics America. Followed by cheeseburgers, chips, and Guinness draughts at O’Shucks — who needs Sundance fancy?