MAIN STREET - PARK CITY, UTAH
THE SKY LODGE-GEN ART LOUNGE
A Day At Sundance Film Festival
January 24th, 2010
2:00 – 4:00 P.M.
Our first official stop at Sundance Film Festival yesterday--- was an event that came courtesy of two very hip entities---
One, a classic: K-Swiss famed for the iconic leather tennies form the 60's- and now turned stylish performance wear/footwear brand sportin' cutting edge technical features-and sponsor of happenings like the grueling Ironman Triathlon series
…and Gen Art. - non profit organization dedicated to finding and funding emerging talent in film, fashion, art and music.
Coined the K-Swiss Ping Pong Classic--- cast and film makers from four Sundance Film Fest's dramatic entries-- paddled away at the ‘so old it’s hip again’ activity that’s experiencing a revival not seen since President Nixon- accompanied by a bunch of American players--- made the historic “Ping Pong Diplomacy” excursion to mainland China.
WHAT ELSE: The four flicks “competing” against one another in the Sundance dramatic films category included Skateland’s Anthony Burns (ping pong champ), and Douchebag’s Andrew Dickler, another player in the final round.
BONUS POINTS: K-Swiss will donate money in Anthony’s name to Artists for Peace and Justice, an organization supporting the earthquake relief effort in Haiti.
THE FUN: Emerging auteur / actor, Gabriel Sunday, got the K Swiss go--- on a short film on Ping Pong that premiered at the event. Sunday-is now perfecting his craft-studying with The Steppenwolf West Theater in LA---- and recently played roles in Judd Apatow’s Year One opposite Jack Black, directed by Harold Ramis and Taking Woodstock, directed by Ang Lee.
THE 411: Sunday’s commissioned film short, Chinese Penhold, (on K-Space: http://www.kspace.tv/gallery/?gallery=9#id=album-5&num=885)- has an appealing lead character-Jake Scribner, a rugged, burnout bro from Ocean City Maryland, who harbors a competitive streak and suffers a nagging girlfriend…yet manages to find salvation, and his soul playing in -what is no doubt- the most important ping pong game of his life.
INSIDE: A two hour cocktail party in the warm environs of the Sky Lounge. As we got there on the early side…we were major impressed with how the whole event came to life in like 20 minutes total.
THE ATHLETES: The aforementioned winner Anthony Burns (director representing Skateland) plus Andrew Dickler (actor representing Douchebag), Alex Karpovsky (actor representing Lovers of Hate), and Diane Bell (director representing Obselidia).
And as Sundance was packed that Sunday…this event was mobbed too.
Words, J. Ecochard
Images Courtesy of K Swiss/Getty Images except one inside image- J. Ecochard