Meanwhile, despite its growth and success, Slamdance remains laser-focused on helping beginning filmmakers, even if they do manage to attract bigger-name stars like those attending Slamdance's opener.

"I Sell The Dead" lead actor and producer Larry Fessenden, who has taken his own work to Slamdance before, insisted there was no nepotism in having director and writer Glenn McQuaid's film selected as the launch for the screenings that continue through Jan. 23 at the Treasure Mountain Inn at the top of Park City's Main Street.

"It was very brave of them to choose this film," he said. Noting that by having well-known faces Slamdance may open itself to criticism of a sellout. His film went through the process just like all the rest of the submissions.

"The focus has stayed true," said Baxter. "We have matured. We have a year-round office, year-round support of the filmmaker and the writer. We definitely have become more organized and established. Our heart and soul remains the same."

Monaghan, who calls Manchester, England, home, was pleased to be in Utah for the first time and pleased to be part of the fiercely independent festival.

"I always thought I would come here eventually to Sundance or Slamdance, but I didn't want to turn up just for the free (stuff). It is cool to be part of."

He narrated the indie film, "Ringers: Lord of the Fans," which played at Slamdance a few years ago and had audience members camping out in subzero temperatures to get tickets. It even played for a week in Salt Lake City to meet the demand for tickets, although the actor was working at the time and not able to attend.

The cast reportedly had managed to join a lot of Park City's private clubs and joked they planned to make the most of the memberships.

The veteran of red-carpet experiences helped New York castmate Brenda Cooney handle a gaggle of photographers and their flashes.

Other "names" involved with the festival include Matthew Lillard, the Broken Lizard writers, Mark Harmon, Leelee Sobieski, Denise Richards, Jamie Kennedy, Ralph Macchio and Jeremy Sisto.

Submissions have increased from 48 films the first year to well over 3,000 for 2009 and thousands of screenplays as well. Ever seeking to innovate and champion the cause of its talent, viewers can also pay for and stream films from the festival online.

Slamdance.indieroad.net lets viewers watch films or a block of shorts for $9. The revenue is for the emerging indies who are always cash-strapped and operate on shoestring budgets or even none at all.

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E-mail: lc@desnews.com