Velvet Club Fatigue

On a sultry afternoon, the Park City Mainstreet spills with a parade of pretenders: every glittering handbag, every tailored jacket in gala black, every spike‑topped tuxedo, all vying for a glimpse of the 54 short films proffered by the Sundance Institute under the stern gaze of Joey Soloway. The event’s patronage is monopolized by the same caucus of soliders, the elite who gathered in the Park City Legacy program, a pantheon of alumni that includes Andrea Arnold, Joey Soloway, and Taika Waititi. The buzz is thick as a step‑and‑repeat red carpet, yet the traffic in front of The Egyptian and the spiraling queues out of the old community center feel like a punishment for too much ambition. The Ketel One Vodka sponsorship is a garnish that never quite mends the dry taste of long, tumbling lines that whisper, “hold your breath.” Even so, the sheer exclusivity grants me a grudging nod. Verdict: Avoid the Main Street crush.