Sundance
Hollywood and Politics In Park City

2004
is a Presidential Election year and the players are out across the country
jocking for position.  With
the major media eyes here in Park City for the Sundance Film Festival,
many of the candidates are making the rounds.

 Al Gore is one most visible, visiting shops along Main St, viewing films and meeting
everyone form Hollywood elite or regular filmgoers.  Gores presence added a buzz throughout the village
and the festival guest playing up to same energy as if they were meeting a
star of the next blockbuster film. 

The
Iowa Caucus even was involved as the attendees discussed the results at a
fundraiser for the Democratic National Committee.   Easy Street Brasserie hosted a semi political
event for the documentary LET THE CHURCH
SAY AMEN directed by David Petersen.  This film share the story about a church located
in Washington DC. Democratic front-runner
Howard Dean is evident in Park City as well. Dean supporter’s
party will hold a “Dean Dance” as a fundraiser this week in the mist of the
festival revelry. 

Will
all the politics at this prestigious Film Festival it’s no wonder that many
of the films have a political story to tell. 
Some of the films sharing views of our system of democracy are: CHISHOLM ’72 UNBOUGHT & UNBOSSED,
the story of Shirley Chisholm the congresswomen who broke grounds for women
and minorities in Washington, THE HUNTING OF THE PRESIDENT, a look a former
President Bill Clinton and his political climb, FARMINGVILLE, a documentary
about the small town of Farmingville, NY and the influx of undocumented works
and the Cities politics on how to rid of them, CONTROLL ROOM, a documentary
on how the media presented the coverage of the war in Iraq.

On
another Presidential bid, the “Bush
in 30 Seconds” contest was organized by the MoveOn.org group, an initiative
of Moby, Georges Soros, Michael Moore and more.

The
winner was announced: “Child’s Pay,” by Charlie Fisher, 38, of Denver features
young children working in difficult service and manufacturing jobs – washing
dishes, hauling trash, repairing tires, cleaning offices, assembly-line processing
and grocery checking – followed by the line: “Guess who’s going to pay off
President Bush’s $1 trillion deficit?” View
the commercial



The overall winner, Fisher, is an advertising executive
who was a registered Republican until the end of the first Bush administration,
in 1992. He is currently on assignment in Denmark and flew in to attend the
awards ceremony with his camera man, P. Dreyer. The ad he produced will run
nationwide January 17-21 sponsored by MoveOn.org Voter Fund, coinciding with
the President’s State of the Union address on January 20.



“I was thrilled just to participate in this contest,” Fisher said. “When we
finished editing ‘Child's Pay,’ I felt it was nice—maybe a little too nice.
Perhaps I learned that you don't have to paint a bulls-eye on someone’s forehead
to be effective. Most importantly, my Republican father said this when I told
him I was making an ad for this contest, not knowing what his reaction would
be: ‘I am proud of you for taking part and acting in the world around you.’”

The
commercial which was selected by public vote will air on FOX this spring. 

So while in the mist of the glitz and glamour of the Sundance
Film Festival the reality of politics is never far away from film attendees.  The Sundance Film Festival now
in its 23rd year supports the spirit of independent films from
across the world.  Started by Robert
Redford the Sundance Institute that is year round hosts the filmmaking process
for creativity and new vision in film.  The
Festival runs from January 15th to the 25th in Park City Utah.   www.sundance.org

Keiko
Beatie and Bruno Chatelin