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CNN Live At Daybreak

Hollywood Dreaming at Sundance Film Festival

Aired January 22, 2003 - 05:41   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Whether you're a Hollywood producer or an aspiring director, the Sundance Film Festival is the place to see and be seen this week.
CNN's Anderson Cooper drew the short straw and he was forced to go out to cover this tough assignment.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Park City, Utah is usually a quaint, quiet little town. This week, however, it's anything but.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You have to get in line.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Forest Whitaker loved this movie.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a movie about a father turned vigilante.

COOPER: The Sundance Film Festival has transformed this place into a surreal circus, Hollywood shakers, low and no budget moviemakers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "Julie and Jack" is a story about love.

COOPER: What was once a fringe festival for independent movies has become a major Hollywood affair. Studio executives looking for good films on the cheap (ph) fuel the dreams of hundreds of aspiring filmmakers desperate for discovery.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're CNN?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: CNN.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. So our movie is called "Movie."

COOPER: They show their movies on sidewalks. If they're lucky, in theaters, whatever it takes to get someone to watch.

Celebrities come here promoting themselves and their films. You see them on streets, though they don't stay for long.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have to go to something.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You have to keep walking. OK.

COOPER: Every day there are parties. The goal: see and be seen. With stars have come sponsors, free facials, free stuff. That's "Rush Hour" director Brett Ratner. He gets whatever he likes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You like this?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This cute?

COOPER: Sundance is not all parties and promotion, for some it's a lot of hard work.

TOM ORTENBERG, PRESIDENT, LIONS GATE FILMS: Joe, it's Tom returning your call. Give me a...

COOPER: Tom Ortenberg, President of Lions Gate Films, just paid a reported $1.5 million for the rights to one movie. He's in the market for more.

ORTENBERG: We're looking for pictures that fit a certain mold, something that we like to consider the Lions Gate brand, a picture with indi (ph) credibility but with commercial sensibilities.

COOPER: In the end, only a handful of movies will be bought this week at Sundance, most will simply disappear. But next year you can bet hundreds of aspiring filmmakers will return here to Park City joining the stars and the moguls and those dreaming of fame.

Anderson Cooper, CNN, Park City, Utah.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Well that Anderson Cooper. Did a good job, though, didn't he?

We'll have more from the Sundance later this morning. Actress Tatum O'Neil will be the guest on CNN to talk about her movie "The Technical Writers (ph)." And that will come up about six hours from now so mark your calendar right now.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired January 22, 2003 - 05:41   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Whether you're a Hollywood producer or an aspiring director, the Sundance Film Festival is the place to see and be seen this week.
CNN's Anderson Cooper drew the short straw and he was forced to go out to cover this tough assignment.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Park City, Utah is usually a quaint, quiet little town. This week, however, it's anything but.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You have to get in line.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Forest Whitaker loved this movie.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a movie about a father turned vigilante.

COOPER: The Sundance Film Festival has transformed this place into a surreal circus, Hollywood shakers, low and no budget moviemakers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "Julie and Jack" is a story about love.

COOPER: What was once a fringe festival for independent movies has become a major Hollywood affair. Studio executives looking for good films on the cheap (ph) fuel the dreams of hundreds of aspiring filmmakers desperate for discovery.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're CNN?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: CNN.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. So our movie is called "Movie."

COOPER: They show their movies on sidewalks. If they're lucky, in theaters, whatever it takes to get someone to watch.

Celebrities come here promoting themselves and their films. You see them on streets, though they don't stay for long.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have to go to something.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You have to keep walking. OK.

COOPER: Every day there are parties. The goal: see and be seen. With stars have come sponsors, free facials, free stuff. That's "Rush Hour" director Brett Ratner. He gets whatever he likes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You like this?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This cute?

COOPER: Sundance is not all parties and promotion, for some it's a lot of hard work.

TOM ORTENBERG, PRESIDENT, LIONS GATE FILMS: Joe, it's Tom returning your call. Give me a...

COOPER: Tom Ortenberg, President of Lions Gate Films, just paid a reported $1.5 million for the rights to one movie. He's in the market for more.

ORTENBERG: We're looking for pictures that fit a certain mold, something that we like to consider the Lions Gate brand, a picture with indi (ph) credibility but with commercial sensibilities.

COOPER: In the end, only a handful of movies will be bought this week at Sundance, most will simply disappear. But next year you can bet hundreds of aspiring filmmakers will return here to Park City joining the stars and the moguls and those dreaming of fame.

Anderson Cooper, CNN, Park City, Utah.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Well that Anderson Cooper. Did a good job, though, didn't he?

We'll have more from the Sundance later this morning. Actress Tatum O'Neil will be the guest on CNN to talk about her movie "The Technical Writers (ph)." And that will come up about six hours from now so mark your calendar right now.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com