by

Emily Chandler-Westergreen

[caption id="attachment_19214" align="aligncenter" width="478" caption="Emily Chandler-Westergreen & Michael Cera @ Sundance."]

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The

Sundance Film Festival

- the largest Independent film festival in the US - has always been on my bucket list of not-to-be-missed events, but until this year I have never had a reason to attend. Or an invitation. That all changed when I was asked by Atlanta designer Rob Bennett to model his upcoming collection "V by Rob Bennett" at a party hosted by the American Film Institute. OK, let me think about it for a second...ummm yes! 

Walking through Park City, Utah is a charming experience anytime of year, and when you populate it with the entire who's who of Hollywood, it's like taking a stroll through your favorite movies and TV shows. Except the celebrities are real. And accessible. Need directions? Just ask a star.

This actually happened when I was in a panic to find the Fender Music Lounge, where Dave Grohl was throwing a private performance. I never found the Fender Music Lounge, but I did run into

Michael C. Hall

. He was crossing the street beside me. I oh-so-causally threw myself in front of a car to get closer. Luckily, Dexter was not in a serial killing mood - he grabbed my arm and guided me safely to the other side, where we took a photo together. "The photo wasn't worth getting killed for," he said. (I slightly disagree.)

[caption id="attachment_19218" align="aligncenter" width="478" caption="Michael C. Hall & Emily "]

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The days of Sundance are spent bouncing among the numerous gifting suites - I brought a second suitcase home to accommodate the swag. Or hanging out at Nikki Beach, one of the pop up lounges brought in from Miami. Don't mind if I do pop in and grab some lunch. Sitting beside

Robert Redford

and

Michael Cera

didn't hurt the ambiance a bit!

The night time scene is quite different from Fashion Week or other events in cities where everyone is scattered among the vast selection of clubs. At Sundance the only club allowed to stay open past 1AM is

Tao

, so that is where everyone is. Needless to say, that's where my entourage and I found ourselves every night. I bumped into

Paris Hilton

several times there. And I mean that literally. I was in a really crowded space and everyone was mashed up against each other like sardines. I felt a butt pressed up behind mine when a friend taps me on the shoulder and says "Hey Emily, do you realize who you're squeezed up against?"

A major difference between nightlife at Sundance and nightlife, well, everywhere else (besides the star-studded factor) is the fashion. This was the only time I've ever been out to a fancy nightclub wearing snow boots. And when I say snow boot, I don't mean those cute, furry little "look at me" boots, I mean the rubber soled "let me not slip on ice and die" boots. It's like this everywhere at Sundance. You can literally hop of the ski lift and cruise right into the swankiest event in town. I do love my five inch Fashion Week heels, but my feet were a big fan of this laid back Sundance mindset.

Oh wait, the movies. I haven't even mentioned them. Ain't nobody got time to watch a movie at Sundance! I'll catch them on DVD when I can catch my breath and there aren't ten thousand other fabulous things that absolutely have to be added to my ultimate Sundance experience.

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