Focus Features

In 1868, stray soldiers looking for silver deposits in the Wasatch mountains outside Salt Lake City found a gentle valley at the edge of the mountains. Their camp eventually became Park City, a rough and tumble mining town. In the 20th century, silver gave way to skiing both for the locals and the area’s many out-of-state guests. And since the 1980s, the town’s biggest currency every January has been new cinematic talent rather than silver ore.

Located only 32 miles from Salt Lake City, at a breath-gasping elevation of 7,000 feet above sea level, Park City is, on paper, relatively small. The 2000 census counted only about 7,300 folks up in those hills. But during the winter months when skiers flock to the valley to ski, the population skyrockets. Estimates suggest over a million and a half tourists visit each winter. In January, when you throw in aspiring filmmakers, studio execs, publicity folk, and poorly dressed journalists, the population bulges at the town’s seams.

Because of the Sundance Film Festival, Park City has become the platform for some of America’s most important filmmakers. Its roster of filmmakers who live there and films shot there is perhaps less impressive, but certainly no less interesting. In addition to Hollywood actors like Treat Williams (whose TV show “Everwood” was shot in Park City), other actors, like 70s porn star Harry Reems (Deep Throat), are residents.  And films like Daddy Day Care and Dumb and Dumber have had the honor of filming there.

After 19th century silver boon, the town fell on hard times. Mining accidents, tapped out veins and a drop in silver prices pretty much wiped out the silver industry. By the fifties, Park City was all but a ghost town. But the introduction in 1963 of the Treasure Island ski area changed everything. Now the valley houses three major resorts: Park City Mountain, Deer Valley, and The Canyons. And in 2002, when Salt Lake City hosted the Winter Olympics, Park City’s ski areas saw plenty of Olympic action.

In 1981, the U.S. Film Festival left its Salt Lake City home to take up residence in Park City, where it would evolve into the Sundance Film Festival. Under the leadership of Robert Redford, the festival has emerged to become America’s premiere film festival, launching the careers of such notable directors as Jim Jarmusch (who went on to helm Focus Features’ Broken Flowers and Limits of Control), Steven Soderbergh, and Kevin Smith. We take a look at its rich history in “Sundance: Evolution of a Festival.”

For Focus, Sundance provides the opportunity to connect with the independent film community, see new talent, and premiere new Focus movies. To get a survey of Focus’ involvement with Park City and the Sundance Film Festival, check out “Focus at Sundance.” To the left is snap of Greta Gerwig in Park City before making Greenberg. Also see what was new this year at Sundance with Scott Macaulay’s on-the-snowy-street coverage at “Sundance 2010: Dispatch #1” and “Sundance 2010 Wrap-Up.”

Despite the fact that people who come to the Sundance Film Festival end up sitting in dark, usually chilly theaters, the town outside those city walls remains spectacular. Indeed for many people, like journalist Ray Pride, Sundance is two festivals. One is the list of films one sees during one’s stay, and the other is a collection of moments that includes breathtaking sunsets, whimsical moments, and strange collisions between town and festival. Ray Pride put his moments into an album—“Ray Pride’s Park City.”