HOLLYWOOD - It's starting a week early to accommodate the upcoming 2002 Winter Olympics. Security is beefed up like never before. But on Thursday night, the show will go on at the Sundance Film Festival.Held in Park City, Utah, Sundance will begin with a screening of the film The Laramie Project, which tells the story of the murder of college student Matthew Shepard and stars Steve Buscemi and Laura Linney. The festival will show 172 films before it ends on Jan. 20.
But it's not the same Sundance.
This year, Sundance attendees will endure something that they've never had to deal with before: strict, tightened security. Concerns about possible terrorist attacks at both the festival and the Olympics (several Olympic events will be held in and around Park City) have forced major changes, including a ban on sealed envelopes at the festival's headquarters, fewer invites to celebrity parties and an overall decrease in attendance.
According to CNN, festival workers and volunteers have also received specialized training in case a threat is posed.
It's not all doom and gloom, however. This Sunday, applause will be heard in Park City as Oscar-winner Benicio Del Toro (Traffic) receives the Piper-Heidsieck award for his contributions to independent filmmaking.