5 Tips on Getting Around

1: If you drove a car into town, park at your lodging or a park-and-ride location and don’t plan on using your car again until you leave.    
 
2: Allow yourself enough time, and you can rely on the free shuttle service that runs on multiple routes (see the route maps, pages 54 and 55. Calculate how long it should take to get to your destination, then add an hour. You’ll probably use the Theater Loop most often, as it runs between Main Street and the primary venues 
 
3: If your destination isn’t too far, walking may be the fastest way to get there. The 1.2-mile Poison Creek Trail, which runs from the Prospector neighborhood up to Main Street, is a  good  option. Just be sure you wear warm, flat boots with rubber soles. 
 
4: Local taxi companies know shortcuts and routes that avoid the heaviest congestion. 
*Park City Taxi (a.k.a. 649 Taxi) 800.649.8295 pickmeup@parkcitytaxi.com 
*Four Seasons Concierge Transportation 435.657.5306 
*The Driver Provider 800.700.2687 driverprovider.com

5: The rideshare companies you use at home may not be as reliable during Sundance. They will often recruit drivers from Salt Lake City and beyond, who won’t be familiar with local streets. 

2 Ways to Stock Your Fridge

SHOP 
Whole Foods, 6598 N. Landmark Dr.
All the usual suspects, plus a ramen bar, local beer, and seating made from repurposed ski lifts.  

The Market at Park City, 1500 Snow Creek Dr.
Upscale grocery store carrying local products including Red Bicycle Bread. Bonus: The state liquor store is in the same parking lot.  

Fresh Market, 1740 Park Ave.
The closest supermarket to downtown, open until 1 A.M.  

ORDER 
Store 2 Door, store2doorpc.com
Same-day grocery orders (for a late fee), house-made meals, plus alcohol, too.  

All Seasons Grocery, allseasonsgrocery.com
Full-service delivery, groceries to booze, with an affinity for local brands.

Park City Grocery Express, parkcitygroceryexpress.com
Eco-conscious company with a reputation for speedy delivery and attention to detail.  

The Grocery Girls, thegrocerygirls.com
Stocking condos for 17 years; also  offering wine recommendations and snack platters.  

8  Grab-and-Go Lunch Options 

If you’re in Prospector:  
Este Pizzeria, 1781 Sidewinder Dr. 
(pizza by the slice) 
Fairweather, 1270 Iron Horse Dr.
(organic and vegan sandwiches) 

If you’re on Main Street:
Atticus, 738 Main St.
(pastries and coffee) 
Riverhorse Provisions, 221 Main St. 
(upscale breakfast sandwiches and bowls) 
Main Street Deli, 525 Main St.
(Park City’s best sandwiches) 

If you’re in Kimball Junction:
Vessel Kitchen, 1784 Uinta Way
(shakshuka and flatbread tacos) 
Maxwells, 1456 Newpark Blvd.
(more pizza by the slice)

If you’re in Thaynes Canyon:  
Element, 1400 Snow Creek Dr.
(inventive organic and vegan fare) 

6  Local Tippling Tidbits

1: Bars and restaurants sell alcohol every day of the week to those over 21. If you’re in a restaurant you’ll need to order food with that drink.

2: Mixed drinks might seem less potent than back home; bartenders must use a device that limits the amount of booze to 1.5 oz. per drink.

3: Utah’s old 4% percent alcohol beer law has been overturned and 5% beer is now the norm. You can buy it at most grocery and convenience stores.

4: There are several state liquor stores in Park City—a small one in Old Town (460 Swede Alley), the motherlode (1550 Snow Creek Dr.), and another at Kimball Junction (1612 Ute Blvd.). All are closed on Sundays and holidays. Some hotels have their own package agencies. If you want a bottle of wine on a Sunday, try Old Town Cellars (890 Main St.).

5: Looking for local suds? Head to Wasatch Brewery (250 Main St.) for a bottle of Polygamy Porter, or Squatters (1900 Park Ave.), where Hells’ Keep Belgian Golden has snapped up a bunch of awards.

6: Utah’s DUI limit is 0.05 blood alcohol level, the strictest of any state.

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Got a headache? Feel exhausted? Not sleeping well? For most Sundancers, the culprits are maximal partying and minimal rest. But for visitors coming from sea level (hello, New York and L.A.), altitude might be equally responsible. There’s less oxygen in the air at higher elevations, which can result in oxygen deprivation. For help, we spoke with Dr. Michael Kagen, a local concierge physician whose number is on speed-dial with several Park City resorts.

Q: How serious a problem is altitude sickness in Park City?

Dr. K: Although people can start having symptoms at 6,500 feet, Park City’s base is low enough that we only see mild altitude sickness symptoms. The highest resort in Park City (Deer Valley) is at 8,300 feet, so people aren’t sleeping at an altitude that would cause severe altitude sickness.

Q: What are the general symptoms?

Dr. K: We tend to see only mild symptoms here: dizziness, fatigue, shortness of breath, lack of energy, sleep problems. Severe cases might involve nausea and vomiting. Symptoms generally commence between 12 and 24 hours of arrival, and people start to acclimate within a day or two. Symptoms are generally gone by day three.

Q: Who is most susceptible?

Dr. K: Age, sex and general health don’t seem to make a difference, but people with lung or heart disease should avoid high altitudes. Visitors who live at lower elevations are susceptible, and people who’ve have altitude sickness previously are at a higher risk.

Q: What can visitors do to avoid it?

Dr. K: The biggest thing is giving your body time to adjust. Don’t exert yourself for the first 24 hours. Don’t drink too much alcohol — a glass of wine is fine, but don’t go too hard. And stay hydrated.

Q: When should you seek medical help?

Dr. K: Anytime you are concerned and don’t like the way you feel, speak to your regular doctor. You may think that whatever you’re suffering from has
to do with the altitude, but there may be something else going on.

Q: What is your general treatment?

Dr. K: Acetazolamide (Diamox) and dexamethasone are both used to help the body adjust more quickly. I don’t prescribe either of them a whole lot—mostly before a guest arrives, and at first when they get here. Overall the treatment is patient-specific, and can involve resting, drinking water, supplemental oxygen, or descending to a lower level. It’s very rare that a visitor has to shorten a stay, unless they have a lung or heart condition.

Q: What about visitors having sleep problems?

Dr. K: This is a really common question. People wake up with their heart pounding. First, stay away from respiratory depressants such as alcohol, Barbituates, or tranquilizers — they can be dangerous if you’re low on oxygen. Lower air pressure at higher altitude means you are getting less oxygen, and respiratory depressants will worsen the problem. We often do a sleep assessment to see what is happening.

Q: Overall, what’s your best advice for Sundance-goers who want to stay healthy?

Dr. K: Stay hydrated and avoid strenuous physical activity. And stay hydrated!

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Betsy Wallace 
CFO and Managing Director, Sundance Institute 
During SFF 2018 we showed the documentary “RBG.” I was so excited to hear Ruth Bader Ginsberg was going to be on a panel and I tried every avenue to get a ticket. But to no avail! I whined to anyone that would listen. A day later, after our early morning Festival Operations meeting, my colleague Tina Graham leaned over and whispered that RBG was in the room. I thought Tina was tormenting me. All of a sudden, this wonderful older woman wearing oversized sunglasses floated past and asked for a cup of coffee and a breakfast burrito. We didn’t know whether to curtsy, salute, or shake her hand. What a glorious morning that was for me…to actually meet RBG! 
 
Charlie Sextro 
Senior Programmer, Sundance Film Festival 
The most electric screening I’ve attended was the “secret” world premiere screening of “Get Out” in 2017. Because I screen most of the program in rough-cut form at home by myself, I’ve never been more jealous of an audience — they were going to see such an incredible movie for the first time in that exciting environment. The crowd went crazy.  
 
Alyssa Ludwig 
Artist Relations Liaison, Sundance Institute 
In 2017 we screened “The Force” and the film’s sound designer, James LeBrecht, was in attendance at the Prospector Theater. Jim uses a power chair and the only way he could access the stage was through a side door, which was blocked by 2 feet of snow. I had to relay the news to Jim and the film team that he wouldn’t be able to join them onstage for the Q&A. I left the screening and later received a call from the theater manager explaining that he had recruited the help of the Prospector Hotel staff: They shoveled the sidewalk and the entire pile of snow blocking the door so Jim could go around the building and enter onstage.   

Rachel “Cola” Engel 
Theater Manager, Sundance Film Festival  
The weekend prior to Sundance 2012, the Green Bay Packers had gotten knocked out of the NFL playoffs. “Beasts of The Southern Wild” was the film with all the buzz that year and the evening it was screening I went to see how the lines were shaping up. While doing so, I overheard a group of guys talking about [running back] Ryan Grant. I figured they were maybe discussing the recent loss or someone else also named Ryan Grant. But that changed when a gentleman gently stopped me with his hand on my shoulder.  
“Is that a Brewers shirt you’re wearing?” 
“Yeah.” 
“Are you from Wisconsin?” 
“Yeah.” 
“Are you a Packers fan?” 
“Yeah.” 
“Hi, I’m Ryan Grant, running back for the Green Bay Packers.” 
I think my jaw literally hit the ground as I shook hands with him. He and his buddies had to waitlist for the show — fortunately, we got them seated. Whew! 

John Cooper 
Director, Sundance Film Festival  
One of my favorite moments was very early in my career and a time I learned one of my most important lessons: Never underestimate your audience. It was a midnight screening in the Egyptian and we had programmed a wild film called “Vegas in Space,” a campy drag extravaganza. We sat in a bar on Main Street killing time, palms sweating until 12:00 when we were sure no one was going to be waiting at the theater. When we arrived, the lobby
was packed and electric…and yes there were many men in dresses from all over the western states! It was a great night. 
Also notable: Anna Wintour, Tammy Faye, Joan Rivers, Shirley MacLaine, Viola Davis, and Ruth Bader Ginsberg, to name just a few of the incredibly talented icons I have met…in and out of dresses. 
 
Rosie Wong 
Director, Industry Relations, Sundance Institute 
We’re always told not to take pictures of the talent. I broke that rule once. “Damsel” was premiering at the Eccles in 2018 and Daisy, the miniature horse from the film, walked the press line. Sadly, I missed it, but then she came back into the building’s rear entrance for the Q&A. I’ve never seen a more excited group of staff and volunteers (myself included) as we got to pet her, brush her, and take all the photos we wanted! I started crying, I was so happy.  

Sari Navarro 
Coordinator, Sundance Industry Office 
Two years ago, I went to a film’s after party at the invitation of a friend who had worked on the film. The DJ was killing it, playing jam after jam, and I was really enjoying the party, dancing the whole night. At some point the host asked us to give it up to the DJ. It was Idris Elba. 
 
Sara Mendoza 
Volunteer/Greeter, Sundance Film Festival  
Another volunteer and I decided that the best way to greet people for Penny Lane’s film “Hail Satan?” was, of course, to yell, “Hail Satan!” The reactions from the crowd were great: people yelling it back, making devil horns with their hands, giving us high-fives. But the most memorable was a woman who walked past and said “I’ll never hail Satan.” As the film was exiting the same woman walked past us and said, “I still won’t
hail him, but I guess he’s not so bad.”
All hail to the power of film! 
 
Heidi Zwicker 
Senior Programmer, Sundance Film Festival 
Last year, I was lucky enough to introduce the world premiere of Minhal Baig’s beautiful film, “Hala.” Just after the screening, she Facetimed her mom to tell her — for the first time — that she had made a film, and held up the phone so the entire audience could wave hello!  Standing beside her on stage for that emotional, celebratory moment is an incredibly special Sundance memory. 
 
Ross Richey 
Coordinator, Accounts Receivable and Revenue, Sundance Institute  
One year while assisting Customer Support, I took a call from somebody upset that the film “Infinitely Polar Bear” was waitlist-only. Looking at alternative options, I hyped a film that seemed to fit their taste and had two seats open for the premiere, which they reluctantly accepted. That film was “Whiplash,” which ended up winning the festival’s Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award, being a Best Picture nominee, and holding spot #36 on IMDB’s Top 250 films of all-time list.
I’m still proud of that recommendation! 
 
Andy Hecht 
Production Services Manager, Sundance Institute  
There is one theme that underlies all the classic memories I have of
the Sundance Film Festival. Whether that memory is of movies, venues, prevailing over trials and tribulations, or social gatherings after hours, it is
the people — the staff and volunteers — that make all the memories I am happy to have.  

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If President Anote Tong looks familiar, it is because he has spent the last five years tirelessly trying to draw the world’s attention to his country’s desperate plight.

He has traveled to the Vatican to plead with the Pope Francis. He has addressed the United Nations and appeared alongside former U.S. President Barack Obama at the Paris Climate Accord sessions. He has flown over the North Pole to witness the melting glaciers, and he has waded through countless media interviews trying to convey the message that, due to rising sea levels caused by climate change, his country is about to sink into the sea.

If that happens, he warns, other lands will follow. According to Tong, The Republic of Kiribati is the canary in the coal mine.

In 2012, Matthieu Rytz joined Tong’s Quixotic quest to raise awareness of Kiribati’s precarious future. Rytz, an accomplished photographer based in Montreal, specializes in covering the effects of climate change on remote communities. Together, he and Tong deliver a powerful message.

The film’s opening scenes offer a soaring aerial perspective of a verdant island surrounded by a pristine, aquamarine sea as President Tong explains, “We thought that, because we were so isolated, we were immune from the tribulations of this world. But here we are, subjected to the global phenomenon of climate change.”

From the air, Rytz’s camera descends to sea level where fishermen pull in their nets, children play in the water and families gather in simple thatched roof dwellings.

If not for the rising sea, it would be paradise, but Tong’s warnings and Rytz’s deft camera work foretell the coming storms and floods.

In addition to Tong’s international travels — including a scientific expedition to the Arctic Circle — Rytz follows a local family as they struggle to maintain a livelihood on their shrinking island. First the father, then the mother, are forced to find work elsewhere, a fate shared by many of their countrymen.

As Tong’s term as president comes to an end, he vows to continue his efforts to save his nation. Although his hopes to reverse climate change have dimmed, he explores the possibility of building a floating island, or as a last-ditch option, buying land on a nearby island in Fiji.

Tong’s eloquence, paired with Rytz’s stunning photography, combine to form a compelling Sundance-worthy documentary. The film is screening as part of the festival’s New Climate section and will hopefully further amplify Tong’s message that climate change is not a political issue but a global humanitarian crisis.

“Anote’s Ark,” an entry in the Sundance Film Festival World Documentary Competition, is set to screen at the following locations and times:

Friday, Jan. 19, 8:30 p.m., Egyptian Theatre

Saturday, Jan. 20, 6:45 p.m., Redstone 1

Tuesday, Jan. 23, 6 p.m., Broadway 6, Salt Lake City

Wednesday, Jan. 24, 3 p.m., Sundance Resort, Sundance

Thursday, Jan. 25, 3 p.m., Temple Theatre

Friday, Jan. 26, 9 a.m., Temple Theatre

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“Wain understands that to tell this story right you need to bypass accuracy and head straight for authenticity.”

~ excerpt from the Sundance Film Festival 2018 Digital Program Guide

It would be expected, of course, that a film dealing with culture-wide irreverence the likes of National Lampoon, Animal House, and Caddyshack would be, at moments, wild, zany, offensive, unrepentant and, at the same time, quite human.

Well, not to worry, you extreme buffoons and marginally functional comedic film buffs out there (myself included): Filmmaker and Sundance veteran David Wain has brought us a quite absorbing piece of work concerning the life and times of Doug Kenney, the brilliant and troubled satirist whose creative notions helped turn “old school” on its head.

Adapted from Josh Karp’s book of the same name, “A Futile and Stupid Gesture,” not unlike its subject, shows little if any fear as it attempts to get inside the heads of Kenney and his co-conspirators as they entertain the re-shuffling of the collective deck – while shipping, without prejudice, Hope and Benny and the boys off to studio system heaven.

Will Forte seems the perfect choice as Doug Kenney, the psychological loner who comes out of an Ohio Catholic prep school to enter Harvard College with a Midas touch for the consciousness-expanding one-liner. Everyone (except Doug himself) loves and adores this blue-eyed blond with the subtle knack to create out of whole cloth.

It must have been exhilarating to tell the story of a genesis of such bandwidth. And, every step of the way, it works. With his extraordinary ensemble cast in tow (Since “Ex Machina,” I can’t get enough of Domhnhall Gleeson), David Wain is on the complex mission of making art by portraying genius and serendipity in a food fight.

Prior to the likes of John Belushi, Chevy Chase, Bill Murray, and Gilda Radner succumbing to the Kenney magnetic field, however, there are those who coalesced around Doug’s light in the castle that housed the century-old Harvard Lampoon.

Therein lays the field upon which the initial seeds were sown. And it would be from there that tiny shoots would break through to the sunlight and, yet once more, re-shuffle the culture.

Following graduation, it would be the “National Lampoon” emerging in a cloud of stardust to completely shape-shift the magazine landscape. Then would arrive “Animal House” and “Caddyshack” and the paradigm, which hadn’t stopped jiggling since the previous quake, would shift once again.

For Doug, the euphoria that surrounded the former would not carry over to the latter. But that’s a story to be told on the big screen once you’re settled in your seat at the Festival. You even get to check out the view from Hanapepe Point on the Garden Isle of Kauai.

David Wain brilliantly hopscotches the outer-actual on his way to the inner-real in a manner few filmmakers dare to tread. To be invited along as the creative license of the figurative gets to the bottom of the emotional plane is transformative.

The cosmology that chased Doug Kenney from Ohio to Kauai and, in between, shaped what many consider the most influential comedy force of the last 50 years is one that, indeed, needed to premiere at the Sundance Film Festival.

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