"sundance" news and stories

Sundance may be the most important independent film festival in the world.

But between the screenings, negotiating deals and celebrity watching, there's not always a lot of time for leisurely meals. There may be plenty of expensive restaurants in Park City and catered parties where guests eat and drink in style, but for busy executives and harried volunteers, food is almost an afterthought.

There are also several fast-food options for attendees on the go that allows them to digest both their food and the festival's latest documentaries. Domino's delivers in Park City and Pizza Hut is close by for those who favor ubiquitous chains.

Flickr, Infrogmation.

The legendary New Orleans produce vendor at the center of a documentary short set to be screened this week at Sundance needs a new truck.

For nearly 40 years, Arthur Robinson -- better known to residents of the French Quarter, the Ninth Ward and Marigny as "Mr. Okra" -- has tooled around town in a hand-painted pick-up, emblazoned with slogans such as "All is fresh" and "Be nice or leave."

"His truck is not running anymore," confirms Mr. Okra's executive producer, André A. Jones. "We're trying to raise money to buy him a new one."

The Sundance Film Festival is now officially over, and if you were following along, then you probably caught Cinematical's liveblogging of the Awards ceremony for the Independent Feature Film competition on Saturday night. Slashfood loves dinner-and-a-movie dates, so since we suspect there will be many an opportunity to see these films in the next few months, might we suggest just a few from the list of winners...

Film: Quinceanera - Magdalena is kicked out by her father when she becomes pregnant shortly before her quinceanera, the Latina celebration when a girl turns 15 years old.  
Dinner: The quinceanera is a celebration, so we recommend Latin-inspired foods that go beyond the usual tacos and burritos. Start with fresh homemade gucamole (because around here, guacamole is always a reason to celebrate), and make sure to end with pastel de tres leches for dessert.

Film: God Grew Tired of Us - documetary that follows three Sudanese boys adjusting to life in the United States after civil war in their homeland.
Dinner: I'm pretty sure we don't have any resident experts on the food of Sudan here at slashfood, I can say that you can try your hand at koftah, a sudanese beef meatball. 

Film: 13 Tzameti - Sebastien misunderstands instructions and in carrying them out, finds himself in a dark, twisted game.
Dinner: The film is noir, and the maker is French, so we suggest a deep dark, long simmered beef stew, a French Gardiane La Carmague. If you want to stay light, try a Nicoise salad.

Film: Iraq in Fragments - a documentary of the Iraq war from the points of view of people living in three disparate regions of Iraq
Dinner: Middle eastern and Mediterranean foods are the obvious choice here. If the focus is the movie then grab a bowl of hummus to munch with pita instead of popcorn, save the baklava for the ending.

Film: In Between Days - Korean immigrant girl faces challenges of living in a new country.
Dinne: Jackpot! Boy do we have a Korean barbecue feast for you! Start with steamed white rice, add a few bahn chan to the table, including kimchee, and grill up a giant plate of marinated galbee. And no table is complete without a still burbling pot of Korean stew - whether it's soybean paste or kimchee jjigae.

Odwalla is launching a new line of juices at the Sundance Film Festival, called the "PomaGrand" varieties ("Uniquely combining the wonders of the red spectrum from nature's harvest, PomaGrand combines the goodness of pomegranate juice with wild berry extract"). Quaker Oats is sponsoring the "Steel Cut Oatmeal Power Breakfast" [pdf link], "where Hollywood's dealmakers will be invited to the Premiere [magazine] lounge to find both the next big deal from the Festival as well as a healthy breakfast."

They both seem a little, well, ridiculous. Quaker Steel Cut Oatmeal has (as far as I know) nothing to do with movie dealmakers. Pomegranate, while good for you, is so over. Hollywood is now doing the Acai thing. The hip health nuts have moved on. Yes, the attendees of this festival are truly hip (after all, some of our favorite people are going!). But are they really a mainstream grocery store food audience? Do you really think Robert Redford shops at Safeway?