Bgay Presents:

Thursday Jan. 19

Welcome to Sundance 2006, and for the third consecutive year, “here! @ Sundance” is bringing you front and center to all the happenings at America’s premiere film festival.

It’s Thursday, opening day of the festival, and the snow is falling in Park City, Utah, and the streets are jammed with festival attendees, filmmakers, press and celebrities. This afternoon, Robert Redford greeted a jam-packed audience of media from around the world at the Kimball Arts Center to kick off the start of the 2006 Sundance Film Festival. The legendary actor, director and Sundance Institute president was in a festive mood as he welcomed the participants and helped to introduce the members of all five juries for this year’s festival.

After the press conference, we attended the opening night film by director and Sundance alumna Nicole Holofcener. Friends with Money stars Jennifer Aniston, Frances McDormand, Joan Cusack and Catherine Keener as four life-long friends whose relationships with their husbands and each other face a change after one of them quits her job and another begins to question her sexual identity. The red carpet was a mob scene with well over 200 photographers and media-types jostling to get pics and quick sound-bites. Our time on the carpet was a quick reminder that for the next 10 days, the entertainment world will be entirely focused on the festival.

We were also excited to have a quick sneak peek at the Queer Lounge, which returns to Park City for its third year, serving as the home away from home for the gay community at Sundance. This year, renowned designer Barclay Butera has taken the Queer Lounge’s expanded interior to new heights of glamour. The Queer Lounge kicks off on Friday with its Opening Night party honoring the film Wrestling with Angels: Playwright Tony Kushner. The documentary about the acclaimed playwright of Angels in America and screenwriter of Munich will be celebrated by a performance by glam rock band The East Village Opera Company, as well as by a who’s who of gays in entertainment.

Other hotly anticipated films with queer directors or content include director Patrick Stettner’s adaptation of iconic gay writer Armistead Maupin’s book The Night Listener, director Julian Jarrold’s comedy about a drag queen and a struggling shoe factory Kinky Boots, director Maria Maggenti’s (The Incredibly True Adventures of Two Girls in Love) story of a commitment-phobic lesbian Puccini For Beginners, and out director Jay Floyd’s uniquely twisted comedy Forgiving The Franklins.

As we prepare for a full weekend of parties, screenings and schmoozing, here! also is gearing up for the arrival of John Waters. The godfather of independent film, Waters will be appearing at Sunday’s 10th annual Outfest Queer Brunch to launch his new series on here!, “John Waters Presents Movies That Will Corrupt You.”

Stay tuned for more coverage of all the queer films, filmmakers, events and parties at Sundance 2006. For more information on here! Networks, please visit www.heretv.com.