Sundance in Salt Lake City kicks off with premiere on 300 South

Friday morning and afternoon, Salt Lake City looked pretty much like it does on any other hazy, gray winter day. That included the areas of downtown that have been designated as the 2007 Sundance Film Festival's Salt Lake City "corridor."

By nighttime, though, 300 South turned into a little bit of Hollywood — or at least Park City — as the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center hosted Friday's Salt Lake Opening Gala for the festival, which featured the premiere of the movie "Away From Her."

There was a full house in the Rose Wagner for the screening. One of the attendees was actress Sarah Polley, who wrote and directed the film, a drama about a woman (Julie Christie) coming to terms with Alzheimer's-related memory loss.

Polley said the event did feel a bit like a glitzy Hollywood premiere. "This is awesome," she said a bit sheepishly, while posing for pictures on the red carpet.

Jill Miller, managing director for the Sundance Institute, is hoping the event and others like it would prove to be more than just "awesome." She and other Sundance officials are hoping the festival's Salt Lake program will be "very successful" this year.

"It's critical that we continue to build upon our past successes in Salt Lake City," Miller said, while praising the efforts of "supportive (Utah) leaders," such as Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., who was also there for Sundance's Salt Lake opening.

With Park City bursting at the seams during the festival, Sundance Institute officials have been placing a stronger emphasis on the capital city as an alternative. The festival's Salt Lake corridor includes a five-block stretch along 300 South featuring two Sundance screening venues — the Broadway Centre Cinemas and the Rose Wagner Center.

According to Miller, the festival is trying to appeal to local film fans and some visiting audiences — such as those attending the Outdoor Retailers Convention — by offering convenient screenings and an "eclectic" atmosphere.

That includes this year's chosen site for the official festival cafe — the Beehive Tea Room and Wedding Library, 12 W. Broadway.

Owner Lisa Brady said her business has "a good location that's visible from the street. And we're in between (two screening) venues.

"Since we're kind of a cross between a coffee shop and a restaurant, it just seemed the natural choice," she said, adding that last year, "we didn't see a lot of business (from the festival). I guess this year, being the Sundance cafe, that will change that."