Stars lined up to shine at Sundance Film Festival

PARK CITY — If you're headed to Park City this week to escape the sometimes smoggy air and gloomy atmosphere down below, you might want to bring some sunglasses as well.

That's because the stars will be shining brightly on the skiing community as part of the 2010 Sundance Film Festival, which kicks off its current edition on Thursday.

As always, festival organizers are saying the event will be "about the films, not the stars."

But the latest edition of the premier showcase for independent cinema in the United States also has one of the more celebrity-laden lists of expected guests.

Arguably, the hottest ticket at Sundance this year is "The Runaways," a biographical/musical drama about the all-girl rock band, which included both Joan Jett and Lita Ford.

Jett, who produced the film, is expected to be at Sundance and may even play a set at one of the late-night parties.

But the "Runaways" stars themselves are the big story. "Twilight's" Kristen Stewart plays Jett in the movie and will be in Utah for a few days. Joining Stewart will be her "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" co-star Dakota Fanning, who plays Runaways member Cherie Currie.

Chace Crawford, America Ferrera, James Franco, Ryan Gosling and Orlando Bloom are expected as well. (They appear in the festival selections "Twelve," "The Dry Land," "Howl," "Blue Valentine" and "Sympathy for Delicious," respectively.)

Of course, their older, more mature counterparts — such as Ben Affleck, Chris Cooper, Kevin Costner, Robert Duvall, Tommy Lee Jones and Bill Murray — will be a large part of Sundance, too.

(Affleck, Cooper, Costner and Jones are "Company Men," while Duvall and Murray "Get Low.")

As always, that means autograph seekers and fans will flock to Park City and other festival host cities, hoping to get a glimpse of these actors and celebrities.

It also means tabloid journalists, such as those featured on the TMZ Web site and TV program, are expected to be in Park City — just in case there's some serious celebrity misbehavior.

Ironically, two documentaries featured in Sundance this year are "Smash His Camera," about the so-called "king" of the paparazzi, and "Teenage Paparazzo."

Festival director John Cooper downplayed the celebrity aspect of Sundance, though he did concede that "it would be ridiculous for us to say that we're not expecting the sideshow atmosphere that it can bring.