By now you probably know, Jaunted did not send an embed to Sundance Film Festival this year. We decided to hit up the inauguration instead. Choices right? Anyway, that doesn't mean Sundance isn't in our travel thoughts this time of year. Thus, when Shira Lazar, one of our newest contributing editors, told us she was going to be at Sundance doing something with the Kutch, our interest was piqued. Turns out, she ended up winning the 24 hours at Sundance event. Here, she tells us how.

This was my fourth year at Sundance, so I guess you can say I'm a veteran. It was also the most unique year I've had in Park City, Utah. I was one of eight "social media mavens" chosen to compete in Ashton Kutcher's live online reality competition 24 Hours at Sundance. At 9am mountain time on January 17th, four teams went live online. We were given Nokia video phones, 20 dollars, an HP laptop and had our social networking communities in tow to help us through wacky tasks we would be doing until 9am the following day.

Those 24 hours taught me some great Sundance hustlin' skills that can also help you if you want to do the festival on a budget and/or you just want to see and be seen. Here's How To Get the Most Out of 24 Hours at Sundance.]]> shiralazar 2009-01-21T12:07:51-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/1/13/15345/5218

Sundance 2009 doesn't officially start until Thursday, but at least one always-hungry-for-publicity "Real World: Brooklyn" cast member is already in festival mode.

Baya Voce, who like another cast member realized she liked DJing while filming a reality show for a cable channel that used to play music videos, will be hosting the fun tonight at The Star Bar in Park City. As it turns out, the Salt Lake City native has been to Sundance before but never to its exclusive parties, she tells The Salt Lake Tribune:

I was always the person standing outside in the snow, not getting in.

God, we know the feeling! During Sundance, The Star Bar competes with Harry O's for who can bring the most celebrity wattage while simultaneously causing blackouts on Main Street thanks to excessive sound and light equipment. (Seriously.) This Thursday, Star Bar hosts the Slamdance Opening Party while Paul Oakenfold and Mark Lewis will drop in on January 20. Harry O's meanwhile brings T.I. to town on Saturday. But who booked Chet Cannon?

Related Stories:
· The Star Bar [MySpace]
· Harry O's [MySpace]
· Cast Member Getting Real in Park City [SLT]
· Six Tips for Surviving Sundance 2009 [Jaunted]]]> pbb 2009-01-13T15:30:48-05:00 40.6420960 -111.49472 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/1/9/132258/4743

Once was enough. We're skipping Sundance this year, but for those of you first timers hoping to enjoy the Park City insanity, here are six ways to make your film fest fun.

Don't Drive: We know: It seems impossible to give up your wheels, particularly if you're coming from LA. But trust us, they don't say Sundance traffic's a bitch for nothing. The streets are backed up from dawn until well after sundown, and you're not going to find a parking spot anyway. Just take the bus.]]> pbb 2009-01-09T13:31:54-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/1/22/16472/2535

That does it for our Sundance Film Festival coverage this year. We ate some good Mexican, we walked up and down Main Street God knows how many times, we toasted with the locals and we even got to chill with Cisco Adler. (Wait, is that a good thing?)

Hope you had a chance to follow our adventure on Twitter, in the Jaunted Flickr Pool and on our Sundance 2008 Map. And just 'cause we're done with the 'dance doesn't mean you shouldn't stick around: We've got lots more fun field trips planned this year.

Related Stories:
· Sundance Film Festival coverage [Jaunted]
· Sundance Field Trip [Jaunted]
· Sundance 2008 Map [Jaunted]]]> pbb 2008-01-22T16:47:02-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/1/22/12254/2986

Sadly, we've fled the icy streets of Park City, but that doesn't mean that Sundance isn't still chugging right along. Though folks are already filtering out of Utah, the fest continues until Sunday. If you're sticking it out, you can actually watch some movies now that there's a bit of breathing room in town.

Tickets are still available for "Black List"--which HBO already picked up--and for "Raisin in the Sun", starring Diddy and Sean Patrick Thomas. You can also get tix for "Sugar", a complex rags-to-riches sports drama from Sundance stars Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck.

Saturday is Awards Night, followed by the Awards Night Party at the Park City Racquet Club. Besides the hobnobbing, you can also make plans there for films to see Sunday morning: All the winners will be screened the next day throughout town, and last-minute tickets will be available.

Related Stories:
· HOWTO: Get into the Films You Want to See [Jaunted]
· Sundance Film Festival Theater Guide [Jaunted]
· Sundance Field Trip [Jaunted]
· Sundance 2008 Map [Jaunted]]]> pbb 2008-01-22T12:03:46-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/1/21/161034/570
The road to our condo (for the night)

During Sundance, rooms at the Yarrow Hotel start at $400 a night. Given that the Yarrow is about as swank as some suburban Comfort Inns we've stayed at, that really sucks. So how did we beat the system? Couchsurfing Park City.

We'll admit, it wasn't easy to find a place to crash; lodging is tight when 50,000 people descend on a town of 8,000. But as the film fest continues this week, more and more people will be heading out, leaving floor space and couches--and maybe even some bedrooms--wide open. It's up to you to scam your way into those spots.

Our first few tries didn't pan out. One friend who was in town on business couldn't host us per company rules. Another pal was too busy working to even meet up for a drink, let alone put us up for the night. A few random emails to some random people we found on the Internet didn't even net replies.

Just when we were getting really nervous about finding a spot, a friend of a friend called up offering a couch at a condo on Deer Valley Drive. Perfect! The spot was on a few bus routes and provided some people to party with.

How we found our place to crash.]]> pbb 2008-01-21T16:16:09-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/1/21/12170/0438

It's true that Sundance is a little less starstruck this year, but we still managed to spot some celebs on our Park City field trip with the help of Virgin America.

The airline set up shop at the Village at the Yard, which is basically a star-friendly gifting lounge. While we were there, Jessica Alba, Method Man, Perez Hilton and Mischa Barton ex Cisco Adler all dropped by to look through the swag.

And while we had other things happening later that night, VA's Charles Ogilvie kept working the party circuit. Turns out Paris Hilton loves WiFi and wants to try out Virgin's new in-flight system when it debuts. She must not have heard that you can IM from one of JetBlue's planes!

More pics, post click

Related Stories:
· Sundance Film Festival coverage [Jaunted]
· Sundance Field Trip [Jaunted]
· Sundance 2008 Map [Jaunted]]]> pbb 2008-01-21T12:30:01-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/