2010-01-28 CNN
The Sundance Film Festival gets under way with a promise to return to its roots, showcasing independent films. Founder Robert Redford is also urging festival-goers to remember the earthquake victims in Haiti.
Live now to Sundance in Park City, Utah. CNN Entertainment Correspondent -- there she is -- Brooke Anderson, she is also co-host of HLN's "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT."
Brooke, good to see you.
If you would, take some time here and set the scene for us.
Sure thing, Tony.
And no, I'm not in founder Robert Redford's kitchen. I'm actually in one of CNN's workspaces here at the Treasure Mountain Inn in Park City, Utah.
We've got producers Kay and Rachel (ph) hard at work behind me. But they don't stop working, Tony, actually.
And on the screen here, we are screening the movie "To Catch a Dollar." It's a Sundance movie and it's about the Nobel Peace Prize- winning economist Muhammad Yunus, who will be here.
And now take a look outside on the balcony, because this is where we do a lot of live reports, a lot of live interviews. Down below us is Main Street.
Now, this is going to get more and more crowded over the next few days. About 40,000 people are expected to attend the festival.
Last year's festival, Tony, generated $92 million in economic activity for the state, 2,000 jobs. So, festival organizers are hoping that this year's numbers and figures are at least comparable to last year.
And the festival did officially kick off last night with the premiere of the movie "Howl." Now, that's about the trial of Allen Ginsberg after his poem "Howl" was published. Star Jon Hamm told us that the setting here at Sundance for his film's premier is really breathtaking.
Take a look.
The structure was pretty similar. They just had to put the ears out a tiny bit. So I asked Rob and Jeffrey to make some, like, prosthetics.
At first it was just like putty, but then they made them. So we did that. The nose is a little different.