sundance_1.jpgThe streets are lined with Escalade limos. We had to come up here to see what all the fuss was about. It definitely exceeded our expectations. Lexus has a lounge. So does Kenneth Cole. And Stella Artois has a great location, but none of the crowds that were attempting to get into the Heineken / Fred Segal lounge down Main Street. The line for Heineken went down the block. The Delta 360’s line spilled over the sidewalk, the barriers, the maze of ropes, and had stopped traffic. There is tons of traffic. Gypsy limos empty like clown cars. How do they all get into that car?

You need tags, passes, or the right tattoo to enter hip parties, unless people recognize you. They say there are movies to see also. Regardless of what Robert Redford says, it appears that the real reason so many people are here is not for the movies. Rather it is to grab gifts, to see and be seen. Oh, and promote JF4.0. Of course this is precisely why we are here in Sundance to promote Jewlicious Festival. Well, and to be seen — although we are not sure by who yet.

And for the parties. At midnight the place was still crawling. Ok. I confess this Rabbi was not invited to any parties, and I certainly am not the kind of Rabbi to crash parties at midnight in Sundance. Crash a bar-mitzvah, a wedding, a bris – for sure – even a funeral. It is just not my style to demand entrance using my Rabbinic privileges or my Jewlicious flyers.

We were stopped in front of the Fuze lounge, and there was this gigantic figure that stepped out of an long white limo, with a bunch of other tall folks, and they glided through the lines into the party. Turns out it was a professional basketball player and a gaggle of models.

But it is not as much fun to see my fur hat as it is to see the hat of the guy who has an entire fox on his head. In reply to our question, “did you make that hat?” He replied, “Yes from my dog.” All the photos are from Rachel, who was doing duty as our own paparazzi.

We handed out cards for Jewlicious Festival 4.0, which is just around the corner. The buzz was clearly there – and it is only a matter of time before the deities of Sundance themselves decide that we should hold Jewlicious concurrently with Sundance, and then we can turn them down, because we are not sell outs to commercialism. Not yet. We are pure and righteous.

Photos here on facebook and the montage below.


sundance_montage_1.jpg

About the author

Rabbi Yonah

6 Comments

  • I don’t know where to put this, but I haven’t seen this elsewhere. One of the big new indie movie hits this year is “Juno”–and the main love interest–father of the baby–Paulie Beeker–is Jewish–or at least that’s what it seems as when he closes the door to his bedroom there is a large poster of the Hebrew alphabet on the back of his bedroom door.

  • DEAR WWWHATEVER… On Monday I met with Jason Reitman, the director of Oscar nominated JUNO, and chatted with him for about 10 minutes on the Jewsih aspects of JUNO. I mentioned the poster in Michael’s room, and he told me that he and the designer are both Jewish, and they specifically wanted to make Michael’s character Jewish. Why not? Why shouldn’t the Jewish kid be the smart high school track team hero?

    BUT THE hebrew poster on the back of the bedroom door is not the only Jewish item. There are a dozen. There is his bar mitzvah certificate and pictures on the wall; there is even a dreidel.

    AND for those aspriing filmmakers out there, please note that Jason submitted two shorts to Sundance which were rejected. Three also got accepted. SO don’t lose hope. But also, take note that more people saw the youtube video of Jews eat Chinese at XMas than will ever see the shorts that get accepted to Sundance

    =Larry Mark, JewishFilm.com and Schmoozedance… on the ground in Park City

  • rabbi yonah… u would have a better chance at inviting him,…. rabbi wolpe at temple sinai in LA is probably tight with him. u can do a rabbi to rabbi mind meld and get the invite out

    and yes.. jason reitman is the son of director ivan reitman, … ivan reitman brought the infant jason to the set of animal house right after his bris