Redford fights swag at Sundance, Lohan banned from coming
January 24, 2007 - 19:09

By: LEE-ANNE GOODMAN

PARK CITY, Utah (CP) - Sundance founder Robert Redford has made efforts this year to stop his beloved film festival from remaining a major source of "swag" - the free goodies that already privileged celebrities don't need but greedily clamour for.

Every year, Park City's Main Street is transformed into a sea of corporate logos as local businesses rent out storefronts to create so-called hospitality lounges that the stars descend upon - and the paparazzi stake out.

It's all much to the chagrin of Redford and Sundance organizers. So this year, Redford gave Sundance workers their marching orders: promote the festival's role as a place to celebrate independent filmmakers and their work, and nothing else.

The Sundance Institute made 25,000 buttons bearing the message "Focus on Film." They're being handed out with cards which state that wearing the buttons during the festival means:

-"I want to see films that I know I'll never get to see anywhere else."

-"My idea of 'celebrity' is the filmmaker who directed my favorite film at the festival."

-"I'm willing to wait in the cold for two hours to see a hot documentary ... "

Has it been successful? Apparently the message didn't get through to "Desperate Housewives" star Teri Hatcher, who showed up for the festival for her bit part in the Josh Hartnett film "Resurrecting the Champ," but reportedly walked off with US$10,000 worth of swag, including $3,000 worth of Lia Sophia jewelry, Dermalogica products and AG jeans.