From Jan. 16 to the 26th, the hills of Park City, Utah, will be alive with, yes, the sound of music. That’s when the indie crowd blankets the powdery ski resort in black for the uber-hip Sundance Film Festival. “It is fertile ground for all the cool people in film and music,” says Jonathan McHugh — veteran film producer, soundtrack executive producer and Song Stew president — who has been making the annual Park City pilgrimage for the past 19 years. “If you want to stay on the pulse of what’s going to be big for the upcoming year, immerse yourself in the madness.” Loretta Munoz, assistant VP of ASCAP’s Membership Group and a veteran of the scene since the late ’80s, adds that Sundance is where one can find “our finest creators all in one place for 10 days.”
And then there is the economic perspective to consider: “Music placement in film is an important source of exposure, and Sundance is a great place to connect with filmmakers,” BMI VP of film/TV relations Doreen Ringer-Ross says.
For Sundance’s 30th anniversary, music will play a bigger role than ever. In addition to the high-altitude mix of screenings, press conferences, swag suites, A-list star sightings and hot tub parties (think after-hours condo soirees), the hottest tickets are the artist and songwriter showcases from ASCAP (eight days of performances by Sondre Lerche, KT Tunstall and fun. keyboardist Andrew Dost at the Music Cafe) and BMI (the one-night-only Snowball at the Sundance House, presented by HP and featuring a mix of big names and buzzing talent). And then there are roundtables and panels aplenty, like BMI’s “A Celebration of Music in Film.”
Meanwhile, cult Los Angeles rock station KCRW plays host to three nights of live music and sets by DJ Anne Litt and music director Jason Bentley, whose documentary, “Under the Electric Sky,” about roving rave the Electric Daisy Carnival, will premiere there. Or you can catch screenings of “The Source,” artist Doug Aitken’s trippy — and ongoing — meditation on creativity, featuring a mashup of artists and actors like Tilda Swinton and Jack White, to be projected inside a 2,000-square-foot pavilion. You can also take in director Chris Milk’s “Sound and Vision,” which chronicles Beck’s reworking of David Bowie’s ’70s classic using ultra-cutting-edge technologies. Viewers of the short film will find out what it feels like to rock along with Beck onstage and ponder whether digital may just kill the video star.
-James Patrick Herman
FIRST THING TO DO
“[Take] a loop around Deer Valley to take in the beauty.” -Loretta Munoz, assistant VP, ASCAP Membership Group
“Get coffee! Last year, there was a barista just feet away from our broadcast setup, so it was easy to fulfill our caffeine cravings.” -Jason Bentley, music director, KCRW Los Angeles
“Grocery shop at the big Albertson’s. It’s got everything-including snow clothes.” -Doreen Ringer-Ross, VP of film/TV relations, BMI
“Check your phone. Last year I was getting off the plane when I got a text from a friend that went, ‘Hurry, Dave Grohl & Foo Fighters playing with Cheap Trick, John Fogerty, Stevie Nicks and many more. Go quickly before the fire marshal shuts down the door.’ I rushed over and got in right in time to see one of the greatest nights of music ever.” -Jonathan McHugh, president, Song Stew; music supervisor; film producer
WHAT TO PACK
“Homeopathic sinus remedies.” -Munoz
“I always bring good snow boots, a warm coat and a long scarf. Other than that, just jeans and tops. Like most festers, I bring my urban angst and black clothing with me [laughs]. Just ask the locals.” -Ringer-Ross
“I take hiking boots, long underwear for skiing and the North Face down jacket that I was gifted as Sundance swag a few years ago.” -McHugh
WHERE TO EAT, DRINK, SKI AND NETWORK
“To kick it old school, I love Chimayo and the High West Distillery. Great food and whiskey in a bit of a posh Wild West setting.” -Munoz
“I love going to the Expanding Heart, where I buy candles, books, journals, Tibetan icons-everything you need in the snow! Then I go to Butcher’s Chop House for burgers, salads and drinks.” -Ringer-Ross
“We meet at the lodge at the Deer Valley ski resort to eat the turkey chili for lunch in between ski runs and films, and the oh-so-sweet outdoor hot tub at their swanky ski-in/ski-out club. Stein Erickson Lodge for dinner is a high-end, star-sighting feast.” -McHugh
SUNDANCE MEMORIES: GREATEST HITS
“Watching then-unknown [director] Darren Aronofsky slam dancing at Devo’s concert on BMI’s stage [in 1998]. Having dinner with Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers when Sting showed up, which was where the seed was planted for the Police reunion tour.” -Ringer-Ross