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Jan. 21, 2000

It's that time of year again, when a little of the glitz and glamour of Hollywood makes its way to Salt Lake City. The Sundance Film Festival is now underway. Arts Specialist Carole Mikita attended Thursday night's opening bash, and has this report.

The smiles, the poses, the flashing lights--it's January and a film premiere in Salt Lake City signals the start of this year's Sundance Film Festival.

It is the world premiere of "What's Cooking?", the story of four very different households all preparing Thanksgiving dinner.

For one popular television actress, this movie was a chance to stretch and get away from the role of Nurse Carol Hathaway on "ER."

Julianna Margulies/'What's Cooking': "I did this one my hiatus last May, so I wasn't working in television then. And it was quite, actually easy. It's a lot calmer than doing television, you actually rehearse."

For veteran Sundance goer, Alfre Woodard, being here is more than starring in a movie. It's the atmosphere she loves.

Alfre Woodard,'What's Cooking': "I always like coming here because you have a concentration of people who love cinema and who study it, who talk about it, and it's very different than when we're all scattered out in our own world. And everyone's just at the mall, looking at the movie."

The filmmaker told her audience, she is fascinated with the diversity of American families. She was excited to show her film to an audience and even more excited to be in Utah.

Gurinder Chadha, director: "As a very young girl back in London, I used to think that Salt Lake City was a very exotic place, and not just Salt Lake City but Provo. The reason being, in my bedroom the walls were covered with pictures of Donny Osmond."

The festival runs from today through January 30th in Park City. There are still tickets available, but be warned -- the films are not rated. Get a film guide to make sure you know what each film is about.

More information from:

www.sundancechannel.com