While many established actors are happy to make the most of the sun, snow and mulled wine on offer during Utah's Sundance Film Festival, for movie executives it's business as usual.
And so while Samuel L Jackson and Cuba Gooding Jr could relax and joke around as the parties got into full swing, hanging out on Wednesday evening at a film bash, behind the scenes it is all about the deals.
Film makers come to the festival hoping to secure a distribution deal with the powerful firms which scan the offerings. Last year's success story was the discovery of Oscar-nominated Little Miss Sunshine, and this year the buzz is about British comedy film Son Of Rambow - the subject of an intense bidding contest. John Cusack's latest offering, Grace Is Gone, in which he plays an Iraq widower who can't bring himself to tell his daughters their mother is a casualty, was also snapped up.
The more serious side to the proceedings hasn't stopped the stars enjoying themselves, though. Samuel joined co-stars Christina Ricci and Justin Timberlake to promote their latest film Black Snake Moan, larking around during press calls. Meanwhile, Eddie Murphy and his girlfriend Tracey Edmonds were spotted wrapped up warm on a stroll through the town, while a chilled-out Gwyneth Paltrow checked out the shops in between promoting her latest film, The Good Night, directed by her brother Jake Paltrow.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
