UPR's Kerry Bringhurst has been mingling among the attendees of the Sundance Film Festival who unknowingly become tools for marketing festival-sponsor products.
Elodie Dermange of Switzerland learned about the American film festival in Utah while searching for ways to promote her documentary short film Intimity, an animated film about her friend who bares her soul while showering, dressing and putting on her make-up.
This being her first American film festival experience, Dermange isn’t exactly sure how to process the parties, interviews and activities that happen in the ski town.
While the festival features screenings of documentaries, dramas, international and indigenous films, outside the screening scene there is a lot of branding and sponsor pushing going on, mostly through parties.
J.Crew is featuring a "Denim by You" event including customized denim jackets. The streaming platform Roku is giving out hot chocolate and hot toddies plus their streaming stick plus.
And the Chase Sapphire lounge includes panel discussion and cooking demonstrations with Top Chef Season 10 winner Kristen Kish. Kish spent one afternoon preparing and passing out her unique idea of a traditional donut. Sapphire used a food truck to push the ricotta donut, coffee and cocoa combination.
If you prefer desert before dinner like me, you are going to follow up with an all plant-based burger at the food truck just down the street featuring The Impossible Burger.
Promoting products is a big part of what happens in Park City. One of the most popular product parties happened this past weekend at the SkullCandy headquarters where headphones and other listening gear were given away and the son of Will and Jada Pinkett Smith, Jaden Smith, performed.
More parties are planned through this weekend at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.
