SUNDANCE OVERVIEW From Mike Fleming: Is Dealmaking Avalanche In The Forecast? Handicapping The High Priority Acquisitions

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Sundance has officially launched tonight in Park City with the first festival screening of films, many with different rights available. Irish thriller The Guard has begun to control the Egyptian Theater, with buyers, including Harvey Weinstein in the house. Other films showing tonight is Harry Belafonte documentary Sing your song, Documentary Project Nim (including HBO just picked up), the U.S. drama competition authorities Pariah and midnight screening Silent House, a horror thriller emerging filmmakers behind 2003 Open Water-scary.

Today in the Egyptian founder of Sundance, Robert Redford, Sundance Institute executive director Keri
Putnam and festival director, John Cooper held their annual press conference on opening day. Redford wanted to talk about the Sundance Institute, which celebrates its 30 anniversary. "Generally, we focus on the festival," Redford said in his speech opening the conference, but "I want to talk about why we are here ... What is our point." He gave a brief summary of what started the Institute and how the festival stayed there five years later. Redford said his current mission to support emerging artists with laboratories and workshops as well as the platform of the festival and several new programs that have independent films and filmmakers to a wider audience, both in the U.S. and abroad.

But the conference Q & A session at least cringe questions worthy of a radio journalist, who asked not to light Regis Philbin this week and review the recent retirement of Larry King, whose Redford, who is in his 70s, was also on the way to pastures. As Redford bravely answered the question, Cooper jokingly pretended to be crawling stage. "I'm not going to retire," Redford said dreamily: "I'm going to die ..." Redford quickly changed the subject to the praise of his staff, including Cooper, who came through the laboratory program of the Institute 20 years ago.

Cooper, in his second year at the helm of the festival, said he felt "almost casual" this year. He spoke of the challenges is not a place for screening (Racquet Club) in Park City this year, the alarm would be packed theaters. "Or is it one of the greatest years ... We have already sold out," he added. "It can be a bit 'crowded the streets." Cooper underestimated "ambush marketers" on the festival that has arisen over the past decade to promote their brands and reach a swag of celebrities. "I want to call them bastards," he said, "I wish I could find a way to promote independent cinema and art in general."

Putnam has also recently shown at the Sundance agreement with one of India's leading film companies, to promote independent Asian film in America. Officials Redford's Sundance Institute has joined forces with Mahindra & Mahindra New Delhi, Mumbai Mantra creation of Sundance Institute Writer's Lab, which is an annual event in India. As part of the new agreement, the four directors from around the world will receive a scholarship and is called the Sundance Film Festival's targeted industry meetings. And a few months ago, has also created the Sundance Film on one of the Obama Arts Committee to bring the public the wrong film festival abroad.