Ari Graynor: One hot girl in the Sundance chill

Let us present one of the loveliest of distractions from the Sundance Film Festival's focus on independent-film sales: the Sundance "it" girl, an actress who stars in multiple films, lights up cocktail and dinner parties with fun cold-weather fashion and charms jaded industry vets.

This year, one of those girls is Ari Graynor -- star of festival entries "For A Good Time, Call ..." and Rashida Jones' "Celeste & Jesse Forever."

A breakout as the loony drunk sidekick in cult hit "Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist," Graynor has a laundry list of supporting credits and is poised for a leading-lady breakout thanks to upcoming projects, not to mention her current starring gig on Broadway in "Relatively Speaking," a one-act play by Woody Allen. Here are a few essentials on one of 2012 Sundance's "it" girls.

Career hyphenate: Graynor is an actress by trade, but came on as executive producer of "For A Good Time, Call ...."

"I require a lot of stimulation," she told us at Grey Goose's Blue Door lounge on Main Street in Park City, Utah, "and there's so much I've learned being in front of the camera, I felt like I had more to give behind it." 

Style guide: Let's not pretend that looking great doesn't contribute to enticing potential film buyers. So did Graynor activate a glam task force for the festival?

"There was a little bit of thought, but it wasn't extensive," she said with a laugh. "I went to Dolce & Gabbana, and they gave me a few things, which was so helpful." 

Free-stuff factor: Sundance's other distractions, including swag suites, raging after-hours partying, celeb canoodling and silly industry folk, have Graynor amused.

"You come here and it's this hilarious dichotomy of independent filmmaking -- blood, sweat and tears, no money -- and then you show up to ... places where's there's like ... all this free stuff, and this world of junior publicists," she said, laughing. "That's a little bit intense for me."

Starstruck: The fame game may not entice Graynor, but she was starstruck meeting Ethel Kennedy, subject of the Sundance documentary "Ethel." A Massachusetts native, Ari was obviously hit with some Camelot fever.

"In fact, I was one of her grandsons' senior-prom dates. I asked her to tell him hello for me."

Obvious Redford swooning: Any Sundance standout must pledge allegiance to festival founder and American heartthrob Robert Redford. We asked which Redford, through the ages, she found the sexiest.

"For me? It's 'Butch Cassidy' Redford," Graynor said. 

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-- Matt Donnelly
twitter.com/MattDonnelly

Photo: Ari Graynor at the premiere of "For a Good Time, Call ..." at the Sundance Film Festival on Sunday. Credit: Chris Pizzello / Associated Press

Seth Rogen plays trophy husband at Sundance Film Festival

Seth Rogen is well acquainted with the movie star routine: in-depth cover stories and photo shoots, endless domestic and foreign junkets, and the pressure of performing at the box office.

But at this year's Sundance Film Festival, he's just a trophy husband.

Rogen's wife, Lauren Miller, is writer, producer and star of the festival entry "For a Good Time Call," about two girlfriends who start a phone-sex line.

We hear Rogen pops up in the film, but largely has no official business here in Park City, Utah. Does that make him arm candy?

"Yeah, I guess it does," Rogen said, laughing, at Grey Goose's Blue Door experience on Main Street, where the "Good Time" cast enjoyed dinner before screening the flick for potential buyers.

"Honestly, it's not bad. It's a lot less stressful than normal," he said. 

If Miller's film, costarring Ari Graynor, nabs a buyer, perhaps Rogen can further explore a life of leisure. In the meantime, he's wrapping production on "Neighborhood Watch" costarring Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn and Billy Crudup.  

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-- Matt Donnelly
twitter.com/MattDonnelly

Photo: Seth Rogen and wife Lauren Miller get cozy at the Grey Goose Blue Door experience in Park City, Utah. Credit: WireImage

 

Drake performs at Sundance Film Festival for a star-packed crowd

Drake took care of a lot of frost-bitten fans at the Sundance Film Festival this weekend, hitting Park City, Utah, for a special performance.

Hundreds packed several floors of the cozy Bing Bar, a.k.a. the Claim Jumper Hotel, waiting for the "I'm on One" hitmaker to roll through Saturday. A blizzard delayed the star, but he showed eventually, rocking one his trademark printed sweaters.

Funnyman Aziz Ansari served as his opening act, assuaging the crowd with some material about his fears of marriage and growing up (he's on the verge of 30), but the crowd demanded Drake — and they got about 45 minutes worth.

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Feeding shots to eager fans, the rapper belted tracks from his album "Take Care," including the song "Crew Love" for the first time live. Celeb admirers included Quincy Jones, Ryan Kwanten, "The Bachelor" Ben Flajnik, Will Forte, Aubrey Plaza and Aaron Paul.  

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— Matt Donnelly
twitter.com/MattDonnelly

Photo: Drake sheds his winter coat for a star-packed crowd at Bing Bar. Credit: WireImage

Tracy Morgan hospitalized after collapsing at Sundance [Video]

This post has been updated. See the note below for details.

Tracy Morgan's medical problems still aren't over, it seems, after the "30 Rock" star collapsed following an awards ceremony during the Sundance Film Festival on Sunday night.

Morgan, who has a diabetic condition and underwent a kidney transplant in 2010, was escorted to Park City Medical Center after losing consciousness at the Creative Coalition Spotlight Awards, according to officials in Park City, Utah.

But before tongues started wagging (too late, they already have) Morgan's publicist, Lewis Kay, wanted to be clear that drugs and alcohol played no factor in the star's collapse. Despite TMZ reports that Morgan appeared intoxicated at the awards, Kay said in a statement to the media that "exhaustion and altitude" were to blame.

This year's Sundance Film Festival has been a particularly tough one from a medical standpoint. Bingham Ray, San Francisco Film Society executive director and noted player in the world of indie film, was sent to a Provo hospital late last week after suffering two strokes at the festival.

[Updated, 1:30 p.m. Jan. 23: Ray has died, the Sundance Institute announced Monday. He was 57.

"On behalf of the independent film community here in Park City for the 2012 Sundance Film Festival and elsewhere, we offer our support and condolences to his family," the institute said in a statement.]

CNN filmed Morgan on the red carpet immediately before the awards ceremony and passed along reports from eyewitnesses who said the comedian appeared injured or sick even before the show. (Footage of the photo op, including Morgan's comment that the media area was "crazy," is below).

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The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

Photo: Tracy Morgan with actor James Marsden in Park City, Utah, on Sunday night. Frazer Harrison / Getty Images

Sundance: Aziz Ansari ponders baby gifts for Blue Ivy Carter

Funnyman Aziz Ansari is quite serious when it comes to his love of hip-hop, so naturally gifts for Beyonce and Jay-Z's new baby, Blue Ivy Carter, would be on his mind.  

The Ministry ran into Ansari preparing for a stand-up performance at Bing Bar at the Sundance Film Festival, where the Jay-Z devotee told us what he'd send off to the newborn.

"I'd get her a bib that says, 'I got 99 problems and a bib ain't one,' " said Aziz.

Photos: The scene at Sundance 2012

That's not all he'd have in store for Blue -- Aziz famously illustrated the Jay and Kanye hit "...In Paris" using iPhone emoticons. He'd like to do another featuring the newborn (who already has a music credit under her belt).

"I wanna remix, like, Drake's 'I'm On One' and have Blue on the track like waaah," he said, doing his best baby cry.

We're down, Aziz. The comedian is prepping a new comedy tour to go up on his "Parks and Recreation" hiatus, about life as he approaches 30. But for any "Parks" fans, we had to ask what how his character Tom Haverford would handle Park City.

"Tom Haverford would hit every gifting lounge possible. He wouldn't be able to get into any parties because of all the bags he'd have on him," Ansari said. 

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-- Matt Donnelly
twitter.com/MattDonnelly

Photo: Comedian and actor Aziz Ansari. Credit: Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times

Sundance party preview: Drake, Lizzie Olsen to hit the snow

No sooner do Golden Globes gowns and tuxedos hit the floor than snow boots and knits come on, as Hollywood migrates to Utah for the Sundance Film Festival.

Here's the Ministry's guide to the most anticipated parties, performances and star gatherings that will light up Park City.

Bing Bar: The search engine company returns to the former Claim Jumper Hotel with three floors of space to accommodate film junkets, cast dinners and after-parties. Cast members of "Lay the Favorite" will chow down there after their festival premiere, which could see Catherine Zeta-Jones, Rebecca Hall, Bruce Willis and Joshua Jackson. On Saturday evening, Drake is set to light up the main stage.

Village at the Lift: Normally reserved for skiing enthusiasts, the lift at the base of Main Street will once again host T-Mobile's hospitality hub for filmmakers, celebs and media. By day, the frost-bitten will enjoy Wi-Fi access and treats from the McCafe lounge and salon services at the Miami Oasis Suite. By night, it will house the festival's biggest celeb party draw: the Tao nightclub pop-up.

Acura Studio: The official festival sponsor will host vehicles (natch), chief among them a special treat for film fans: a peek at the Acura Super Car, featured in the upcoming superhero epic "The Avengers." The 528 Main St. space will also see celebrations for films including "Your Sister's Sister" with Emily Blunt, Rosemarie DeWitt and Mark Duplass.

7 Fresh Faces: Denim house 7 For All Mankind and Gen Art team each year to toast a generation of talent to watch, and this year's crop includes actresses Ari Graynor, Olivia Thirlby and Lizzy Caplan, held at the Bertoli Meal Soup chalet (the popular Sky Lodge space).

Blue Door experience: Grey Goose hosts a bunch of events, including a bash for the new season of the Sundance Channel's "Iconoclast" series. Paul Simon will host a conversation about the series, and celebrations are also expected for shows such as "Redlights," starring Elizabeth Olsen and Sigourney Weaver. 

Chefdance: The annual culinary celebration returns to Main Street to feed frozen toes. This year, expect cameos from the likes of Hung Huynh, a winner of "Top Chef" to serve delicious dishes with pairings like Cascal fermented soda.

Swag time: Naturally, a built-in component for the festival are the giveaways. Folks like CanWeStudios.com, creators of the smartphone app for CanWeMeet and CanWeNetwork, are giving away the iPad 2 and Apple TV device to select celebs.

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-- Matt Donnelly
Twitter.com/MattDonnelly

Photo: A scene from Main Street, in downtown Park City, Utah, on Tuesday, two days before the start of the Sundance Film Festival. Credit: Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times  

Sundance sightings: Hemsworth boys hit the slopes

Though neither Chris Hemsworth or Liam Hemsworth has a film circulating at this year's almost-done Sundance Film Festival, they still hit Park City, Utah, for some action sports.

The boys participated in Oakley's Learn to Ride program fueled by Muscle Milk, where they got to snowboard with pro Sammy Luebke. Though sibling rivalry was alive and well, both boys were smoked by Chris' wife, Elsa Pataky.

On a different slope but still rocking a snowboard, outer-gear brand Burton gave "Gossip Girl" guy Penn Badgley a two-hour experience with board pro Danny Davis.

Back on the street, stars wove in and out of the Samsung Galaxy Tab Lift, including "Extra" host Mario Lopez. The super-fit new dad played with the device and powered up for the festivites on Main with an apple.

Over at Tweet House, Mandalay Entertainment honcho Peter Guber gave a talk on social media and storytelling for an audience including actor William Mapother and Morgan Spurlock (who brought along his crew and camera).

Also spotted: Emile Hirsch popping by the House of Swagg and scoring stuff like Enjoy Lighting flameless candles ... Demi Moore arriving at the festival (where she's been out and about with husband Ashton Kutcher) in high style, via private plane from JetSuite.

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FOR COMPLETE SUNDANCE COVERAGE, VISIT 24 FRAMES

-- Matt Donnelly
Twitter.com/MattDonnelly

Photos: Liam Hemsworth, left, gets suited up in Oakley gear at the brand's Learn to Ride fueled by Muscle Milk program. Mario Lopez, right, gets acquainted with a Samsung Galaxy tablet. Credits: handout, left; Getty Image, right. 

Sundance: Celebrity sightings around snowy Park City

The 2011 Sundance Film Festival raged on this week in Park City, Utah -- despite the teensy distraction of Oscar nominations Tuesday -- with some serious boldface names playing in après ski wear and getting down with indie filmmakers.

Bing Bar served as a major mecca for creative panels, after-parties and simply happy hour. The hot team from "The Details" celebrated their film there, with appearances by Tobey Maguire, Kerry Washington (drenched in Lia Sophia jewels), director Jason Reitman, Dennis Haysbert and movie mogul Harvey Weinstein. 

Kevin Smith made his attention-grabbing rounds promoting "Red State," his cult-conservative thriller starring John Goodman and Melissa Leo, talking with fans between sending impassioned tweets and having fun with fevered film protesters.

Meanwhile, the Fender Music Lodge hosted a charming portrait studio with a chalkboard, where the likes of "Worst Enemy" director Lake Bell and Oscar winner Michael Shannon got to express themselves with doodles, while the chance to participate in Save the Children PSAs brought stars like Rosie O'Donnell, Chelsea Handler, Patrick WIlson and Emily Mortimer to the House of Hype Livestyle lounge.

A fashionable crowd attended the Superdry and 944 magazine's afternoon escape, where Susan Sarandon chatted up Adrian Grenier, who later performed in the space with his band the Honey Brothers. 

Sundance: Lake Bell explores body work in 'Worst Enemy'

Lake Bell is a funny gal, so it's fitting that her directorial debut, a short film making the rounds at the Sundance Film Festival, has plenty of punch line.

What's surprising (and ample grist for the Ministry mill) is the deeper exploration of the female form by Bell -- herself a woman still very subject to Hollywood's impossible body guidelines.

In Nancy Meyers' "It's Complicated," opposite Meryl Streep, Bell was a perfect foil as the midriff-baring seductress in oversized sunglasses and skimpy separates who has nabbed Alec Baldwin. In her directorial debut "Worst Enemy," she shows a woman judging and punishing herself in the face of such images. 

The inspiration came from her own struggles and those of her friends.

"There are these trivial things that they render mammoth in their lives, things that are totally fixable but they choose to complain about it or feel bad about it. It's the idea of putting a Band-Aid on a problem," she said.

Her protagonist, a sidewalk artist named Wooly, devours dairy despite lactose intolerance and neuroses about her weight. It equals heavy Tums chewing and incessant approval-seeking regarding her appearance.

"If there's something that's holding you back as a happy person," Bell tells us, "you have to challenge yourself to look at what the cause of that is. Don't let yourself off the hook."

She attributes the problem to a deeper laziness and a world of quick fixes (Want Gwyneth Paltrow's body? It could be 21 days away!) that doesn't demand any real work.

"I have a lower-back problem, and I am such a bad worker-outer," she said. "All I have to do is go to the ... therapeutic Pilates. Of course, I don't."

We don't necessarily believe that Bell doesn't work out, but we appreciate her message. 

Does the quick-fix theory ring a bell with you? Give us your thoughts in the comments section below.

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-- Matt Donnelly
twitter.com/MattDonnelly 

Photo: Lake Bell at the 2011 HBO Golden Globes after-party in Beverly Hills on Jan. 16, 2011. Credit: Michael Buckner / Getty Images

 

Kevin Smith ponders the fate of his career in Sundance

 

Kevin Smith is making his Sundance rounds (so far without transport issues) and stopped by the Bing Bar to discuss his controversial new flick, "Red State."

Though Smith, a '90s phenomenon for his film "Clerks," is courting political tension with the new thriller, wherein a cult-like conservative group wreaks havoc on sex-seeking teens, he's also aware of the state of his career.

After seriously upsetting journalists and potential film buyers with a bait-and-switch on the distribution rights to his film, he reflected on Sundance making his career (where "Clerks" was sold) and his latest visit — the beginning of the end?

"I am a creature of Sundance. I made my career here, and tonight I might have destroyed my career here," he told Bing.  

"Or created the second phase of the career."

There's that Smith optimism. What do you think of Kevin's snowcapped drama? Tell us in the comments section below.

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— Matt Donnelly
Twitter.com/MattDonnelly