Occupy Park City wants the Sundance Film Festival later in January to be a marquee moment for the movement.
The organization by the beginning of the year had not devised its plans for Sundance, but the leader of the group indicated in an interview he anticipates there will be some sort of event or events taking place during the festival. He stopped short of saying that Occupy Park City would morph into an Occupy Sundance-type of group for the festival.
Tyler Galovich, who is the leader of Occupy Park City, said the organization expects to craft a calendar of events during Sundance. He expected ideas to be discussed during a Wednesday meeting at the Park City Library and Education Center. It is scheduled from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m.
“Some type of actions will definitely be taking place,” Galovich said.
He said it seemed likely that there would be at least one or two organized actions during the festival. Other events are also under consideration, he said. Perhaps, Galovich said, films about activism or issues important to the wider Occupy Wall Street movement could be shown at Occupy Park City’s encampment at City Park.
“A lot of people have contacted me and want to help out,” he said, noting the possibility of wider press coverage during Sundance with the large media contingent that descends on Park City for the festival.
Details about the location of any actions had not been decided by Wednesday evening’s gathering. Galovich said it was uncertain whether Occupy Park City would organize an event on Main Street, which is normally bustling with film festival crowds and has been the location of demonstrations during Sundance in the past.
He said Occupy Park City had considered requesting it be allowed to operate an information booth on Main Street during Sundance but has since abandoned that idea.
The film festival, which runs Jan. 19 until Jan. 29 this year, has long been a showcase for various activist groups seeking the media spotlight and the attention of the celebrities who are in Park City for Sundance. The political left has been especially well-represented during the festival with anti-war marches and animal-rights demonstrations. Many Sundance-goers this year will likely align themselves politically with the Occupy Wall Street movement that inspired Galovich’s group.
Galovich in late October started Occupy Park City with the City Park encampment. The group is critical of corporate influence on everyday Americans. He has since won the necessary City Hall permits to keep the encampment in place at the northern edge of City Park even as officials have prohibited people from staying overnight as had been allowed at the start. The most recent City Hall permit allowed the encampment through Monday. Galovich expected to dismantle the encampment by Wednesday morning, saying that the site was not critical to the cause anymore.
Max Paap, who manages special events for City Hall and has handled the Occupy Park City permitting, said the encampment, where it sat, would not have conflicted with Sundance-related activities. The Occupy Park City site is far removed from any official Sundance venue.