Stars glitter in Utah

PARK CITY — That guy in the dark turtleneck and sports jacket sure looked like Robert Redford. But was it, really?

"I'm Bob Redford," the actor/activist said simply as he walked onto the stage of Park City's Eccles Center for the Performing Arts Thursday night. Then, when that comment drew some laughs, he quipped, "Well, you never know."

Despite opening with a joke, Redford was serious as he offered the opening remarks of the 2006 Sundance Film Festival, and he spent most of the time paying tribute to his Sundance Institute, now in its 25th year.

The arts organization supports the film festival, which is regarded as the premier showcase for independent cinema in the United States, if not the world. But as Redford noted, it also makes contributions to the theater and musical world.

"It's the heart of Sundance," he said.

According to Redford, the festival itself has been a standard-bearer for freedoms, "including freedom of speech, expression and dissent," and he thanked the many filmmakers who have brought their works to the festival.

He also thanked Sundance's audiences for their support, especially during the early, leaner years when he said he had to act as "carnival barker" just to get people to see the festival's films. "My hat is off to you," Redford said.

But the festival's head honcho left it up to festival co-director Geoffrey Gilmore to introduce the night's other featured attraction — the comedy "Friends With Money," which stars Jennifer Aniston, Joan Cusack, Catherine Keener and Frances McDormand, who were in attendance.

Gilmore praised the film and its writer/director, Nicole Holofcener. "I don't know if I've ever been more proud of one of our opening-night films," he said.

The soft-spoken Holofcener looked a little taken aback by Gilmore's glowing remarks, and joked, "It's so funny because Geoffrey hasn't actually seen the film." She then introduced her female stars Aniston, Cusack, Keener and McDormand.

Redford and Holofcener also answered questions during a pre-festival press conference, which concentrated largely on the movie.

As always, the featured film received an ovation after the screening, which was followed by another showing of the movie. From there, the festivities headed up to the Deer Valley resort for a gala party, though some VIPs were actually shuttled to a more hush-hush one at Park Meadow.

The screening and gala Thursday night were the kickoff for 10 days of parties, symposiums and, primarily, screenings of movies — 120 feature-length films and 80 short works in all. The majority of those screenings will be held in a variety of Park City and Salt Lake City locations.