Chapter 57: Opening Ceremony

The following day, January 16th, was a Friday, marking the opening of the third Sundance Film Festival. Simon had lunch with Peter Butler, a journalist from the Los Angeles Times who had come especially for the festival. By half-past noon, they headed to the Egyptian Theatre in Park City, the venue for the opening ceremony.

Years later, Sundance would see bustling crowds in Park City, with film fans needing to scramble for tickets to screenings. But during Simon's visit, despite it being ski season and the town being somewhat busier, there was little of the festival atmosphere he had expected.

Moreover, Simon noticed from the film screening schedule that only three cinemas were showing the festival's films. It was indeed the opening ceremony, so there was a bit of buzz outside the Egyptian Theatre, albeit without the glamour of a red carpet.

Upon entering the theatre, Simon was immediately intercepted by Robert Redford, who was personally greeting guests. After a brief introduction of Peter Butler, Simon sensed that Redford wanted to speak with him privately, so he suggested that Janet and Peter go ahead inside while he stayed behind with Redford.

"Simon, I watched your film yesterday afternoon with everyone," Redford began, his tone revealing a hint of surprise. "It was more remarkable than I had expected." He paused before adding, "So, I just wanted to ask if you've found a distributor yet? If not, maybe I can help."

"Thank you, Bob," Simon appreciated Redford's gesture. "Before coming to Park City, I had some discussions with Fox. They are quite interested in the film, but we haven't finalized anything yet."

"That's good. Fox is a great choice," Redford advised. "This is your first film, Simon. Don't focus too much on the immediate gains; building your reputation is what's most important." He looked around, then lowered his voice slightly, "Also, if there's nothing else pressing, try to stay in Park City for the duration of the festival, until the very end."

Redford's implication was clear enough.

Having been busy for months, Simon had planned to relax in Park City anyway. He nodded in agreement, "Bob, I will."

Redford clapped him on the shoulder, smiling. "Good, then you better head inside. The opening ceremony is about to start."

The Egyptian Theatre was an old-style large auditorium with over four hundred seats. As Simon entered the hall and scanned the area, he noted that although there were quite a few attendees, the venue was far from full.

He found Janet and took a seat beside her in the fifth row, near the aisle. At 1 p.m., the ceremony began punctually.

Robert Redford walked up to the stage with a smile, adjusted the microphone, and looked out over the audience. His voice carried a trace of nostalgia, "Two years ago, in this very theatre, we had fewer than a hundred people in attendance. During those ten days, I stood outside the only festival venue we had, inviting people in like a barker at a bar. The next year, Sundance managed to sell its first film, 'Easy Rider'. I personally made several calls to the CEO of Columbia Pictures, David Puttnam, inviting him to Park City and pulling him into the theatre myself. Now, in our third year, I am looking at more than three hundred attendees. I am grateful for this progress and hope it continues. One day, Sundance will be filled to the brim."

Amidst the applause, Redford scanned the audience, searching for someone. After a brief pause, he continued, "A few months ago, I encountered something very interesting. I was at Fox Studios for post-production work on one of my films and happened upon some old friends about to watch a film's rough cut. Out of curiosity, I stayed. What I saw was astonishing—perfect cinematography, perfect lighting, perfect composition, and perfect set design. The footage was so good it didn't even need much color correction to be used in the final film. I was so excited that I loudly told the film's producer to introduce me to the cinematographer, the lighting technician, and the set designer so I could hire them for my next project. And guess what happened next?"

The audience was quiet, intrigued.

Some professionals in the crowd looked skeptical, knowing how difficult it is to achieve what Redford described. Many thought Redford was exaggerating.

Simon was also surprised; he hadn't expected Redford to bring him up. Janet leaned closer, wrapping her arm around his, her face flushed with pride.

After letting the suspense build, Redford revealed, "It turns out, the cinematographer and set designer were the same person, who was also directing. When the lighting technician couldn't meet his strict standards and quit, he took over that role as well."

A murmur of disbelief swept through the audience. 

Who could that be? Was Redford serious?

Red

ford then pointed directly at Simon, "Hey, Simon, stand up and say hello to everyone."

Caught off guard but aware of the hundreds of eyes now on him, Simon stood and awkwardly bowed to the audience.

After Simon sat down, Redford continued, "That young man, Simon Westeros, is someone whose name I believe you will all come to know very well. And regarding his film, it will be screened here Sunday morning at 9. I guarantee you will not be disappointed. Also, take a good look at the credits—you'll find Simon did much more than you might expect."

Simon was already a familiar face in Hollywood, and the buzz about his talents spread even further among the audience, most of whom were eager to break into the mainstream filmmaking scene. As the murmuring grew, Redford waited a moment before adding, "Bringing up Simon's story, I just want to emphasize how tough it is for independent filmmakers. Many talented young people like him face constant obstacles due to Hollywood's conservatism, often losing their dreams with time. That's why I hope Sundance can be a platform for filmmakers to showcase their talents and a starting point for their dreams. I will do everything I can to support that."

As applause filled the hall once more, Redford concluded, "Finally, welcome to Sundance."

The opening film that followed was a relatively low-key affair for such events, featuring the Coen brothers' new film, "Raising Arizona"—a tale about a bumbling thief who attempts to steal a baby due to his wife's infertility. The film starred well-known actors Nicolas Cage and Holly Hunter, though neither was present; only one of the Coen brothers appeared.

After the opening ceremony and with the temperature nearing minus ten degrees Celsius, Janet, who was very sensitive to the cold, quickly persuaded Simon to skip the evening's festivities and return to their resort apartment. Simon agreed, particularly since no celebrities he was interested in were attending the after-party.

The next morning, just as dawn broke, Simon drove from Park City to Salt Lake City Airport to pick up a guest.

He hadn't expected Jennifer Redbourn, George Norman's niece, to actually come to Utah. She had gotten the phone number of the resort apartment from somewhere the previous night and called Simon, asking him to pick her up as it was her first time in Utah.

At Salt Lake City Airport, Simon arrived just as Jennifer and another girl appeared in the terminal. They hurried over when they saw Simon holding a sign with their names. Both girls were dressed for winter but had underestimated Utah's cold; they lacked even hats and looked like two shivering quails.

Without time for formal introductions, Simon gestured towards the car, "Let's get to the vehicle first."

The girls agreed, too cold to even speak properly.

Once inside the car with the heater on, Jennifer's friend spoke up, "It's so cold, I wish I hadn't come. Jenny, you trickster, you promised skiing, but something feels off here." Despite her complaint, she suddenly extended a hand from the back seat, smiling, "Hi, handsome. I'm Lisa Collins."

"Simon Westeros," Simon replied as he shook her hand, then noticing the girls' light coats, he suggested, "Let's stop to buy some proper clothes first."

"Great idea, such a thoughtful guy. No wonder Jenny wanted to see you in this freezing weather."

Jennifer, initially shy, blushed deeply at her friend's words, "Lisa, what are you talking about?"

Lisa giggled, "Didn't you reject Edward's advances recently? Was it because of him?"

"I did not!"

As Simon started the car and heard Lisa's teasing, he glanced in the rearview mirror to see Jennifer's face turn even redder. She tried to quiet her friend as her blonde ponytail swayed.

Observing the playful banter, Simon felt it necessary to clarify, "Lisa, Jenny and I are just friends, and I have a girlfriend."

Lisa stopped laughing abruptly, her mouth agape in surprise, "Oh?"

Jennifer looked at Simon.

He continued, looking back at Jennifer through the rearview mirror, "It's Janet. Remember her? She stayed with me in the hospital."

Jennifer nodded, remembering the event, and smiled, "Of course, she's my uncle's client."

"And one more thing," Simon added as he glanced back, "Janet and I rented an apartment in a resort in Park City with two bedrooms. If you don't mind, you two could stay there for the next few days. It's too cold for a hotel, and the apartment will be much more comfortable."

Jennifer hesitated, "Would that be a bother?"

"Not at all," Simon reassured, smiling, "Besides, your uncle is now my personal lawyer. If I don't take good care of you, who knows, I might end up losing a lawsuit someday."

Jennifer chuckled at the thought, "Alright then. But uncle wouldn't do that."

Lisa, hearing their decision, hugged Jennifer, "Looks like we'll get to ski after all. But, Jenny, you don't ski, right?"

Jennifer tried to push her playful friend away, "Aren't you supposed to teach me? That's why I brought you, isn't it?"

"I don't know how to teach," Lisa admitted, turning to Simon, "Simon, can you teach someone to ski?"

Simon thought for a moment, "I should be able to."

"Then Jenny's in your hands," Lisa concluded with a laugh.