As they say, appearances can be deceiving.

For example, it certainly appeared the 2009 Sundance Film Festival was in full swing in Salt Lake City Friday night. Especially with the festival's 300 South "corridor" bustling and audiences packing the Rose Wagner Center to see a movie premiere.

But for the second straight night, the usually star-studded Sundance held a premiere event without any big-name celebrities. This time it was the festival's Salt Lake City Gala, the centerpiece of which was the fashion documentary "The September Issue."

The film boasts appearances by several top models, including Canadian supermodel Coco Rocha and actress Sienna Miller, as well as designers Oscar de la Renta, Vera Wang and others. None of them were in attendance at the premiere, though, which left director R.J. Cutler to fend for himself in a dark sweater, jeans and boots ensemble.

"I'm afraid this is all you get. Not much to look at, is it?" he said, joking with journalists and camera crews seeking pre-screening comments on the red carpet.

"I'm really not much of a fashionista," explained Cutler, who also produced the Oscar-nominated documentary "The War Room" and directed "The Perfect Candidate." But he added that the subject matter "The September Issue" also profiles sometimes controversial Vogue magazine editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, who was a no-show Friday night as well. The film's publicists that she would be at the festival for other screenings of the film, however, and Cutler said his subject was "thrilled about the movie — at least we hope she is."

The character Meryl Streep played in the movie "The Devil Wears Prada" was based on Wintour.

In recent years, the festival has tried to bolster its Salt Lake presence, holding a separate gala the night after its big Park City premiere. (Sundance, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary, actually opened Thursday with the debut of the clay-animated feature "Mary and Max.")

Despite the lack of star wattage, the downtown area was hopping Friday.

The official Sundance Festival Cafe, in the froopy but quaint Beehive Tea Room on 300 South, was busy throughout most of the afternoon and early evening, as were surrounding restaurants and diners. Judging by the red outfits worn by many patrons, many of those were in the downtown area for the University of Utah football team's "victory parade" held Friday afternoon.

In addition to the Rose Wagner Center and the cafe, Sundance's Salt Lake City "corridor" also includes the Broadway Centre Cinemas. A third screening venue, the Tower Theatre, is located in the popular 9th & 9th shopping area.

Also, a competing festival called X-Dance, which showcases action-sports documentaries, returned to Salt Lake City this year. (It runs through Wednesday at the Off-Broadway Theatre on Main Street.)

The 2009 edition of the Sundance Film Festival continues through Jan. 25, with screenings of movies in its independent film showcase and competitions, as well as series panel discussions, a music cafe and its annual awards ceremony.

Two of this weekend's hottest tickets are romantic comedies — "Paper Heart," starring Michael Cera, and

"500 Days of Summer," starring Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Those films premiere tonight at Park City's Eccles Center and the Park City Racquet Club, respectively.

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E-mail: jeff@desnews.com