Sundance notebook

• An opening-day press conference for the Sundance Film Festival Thursday afternoon turned out to be more sparsely attended than expected.

While some blowing snow and icy roads did keep some press and media away from Park City, the real culprit was an e-mail mix-up. Invitations were supposed to be sent to the media, but for many it never arrived.

Sundance head honcho Robert Redford and filmmaker Nicole Holofcener did show up at the Kimball Arts Center to talk about the festival and Holofcener's comedy "Friends With Money," which was the featured attraction on opening night.

Later, as word of the press conference spread, it was news to many journalists. "You mean, there was a (question-and-answer session) this afternoon?" asked Peter Howell in disbelief. The Toronto Star film critic then likened the mix-up to the well-known Zen koan about trees falling in the forest: "If there's a press conference and no one knows about it, does it still happen?"

• One of the Sundance Film Festival screenings was moved from a theater adjacent to a high school Friday because of the film's explicit sex scenes.

The showing of "Batalla en el Cielo" (Battle in Heaven), which was scheduled for noon Friday in the Eccles Theater, which is attached to Park City High School, was moved after school officials expressed concern over the film's sexual content, said Bob Myerson, executive vice president for Tartan Films, the movie's distributor.

The school has had concerns about the content of Sundance films in the past and closely monitors what's being shown during school hours at the theater, Myerson said.

"Once school officials found out about the explicit content in the film, it wasn't even my decision," he said. The festival voluntarily moved the film Friday to the Park City Library theater, which is about half the size of the Eccles.

Myerson said he was disappointed that fewer people could see the film, but wasn't surprised by the move.

He said the film caused a stir at the Cannes and Toronto film festivals where it screened last year.

The film tells the story of a man who is a driver for a Mexican army general.

"Battle in Heaven" is scheduled to open in Los Angeles on Feb. 17 and in other markets throughout the spring.

• Decades of rock 'n' rollers converge in Park City on Friday night.

The Canyons Resort, just down the road from the main venues of the Sundance Film Festival, plays host to the "All Star Jam Band."

The concert features Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee; Alice in Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell; Billy Duffy and Billy Morrison from The Cult, and Jeff "Skunk" Baxter of Steely Dan and the Doobie Brothers.

The event was co-sponsored by the House of Blues.