A Bunch of Sundance Stars on Schmoozing, Bidding Wars, and Hangovers

Last week the 40th Sundance Film Festival took over Park City, Utah, which meant a bunch of actors and filmmakers hit the mountain town on a quest to generate buzz and sales for their labors of love. Amidst the annual blitz of movie premieres and photo studios and media lounges and after parties, a bunch of them crossed paths with photographer Myles Pettengill, who not only took their photos, but also asked most of them for instant reactions to some hot-button topics.

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JULIA FOX
ACTOR, PRESENCE

Gifting Suites: Free shit.

Swag: Me.

Puffer Coats: Meh.

Auditions: The worst.

Reviews: Losers.

Hangovers: IV drips. 

Schmoozing: The worst. I like trauma dumping. 

After Parties: Never been. Never will.

Vendettas: I’ve been known to be called the Patron Saint of Vengeance.

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GLEN POWELL
ACTOR, HIT MAN

Video Village: Top dogs. 

Cast Dinners: Rowdy. 

Wrap Parties: Even rowdier. 

Table Reads: Nervous.

Reviews: Ignore. 

Hangovers: Coffee. 

After Parties: Selfies. 

AirPods: Lost. 

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NORMANI
ACTOR, FREAKY TALES

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LUCY LIU
ACTOR, PRESENCE

Bidding Wars: Money.

Premieres: Reconnections.

Small Talk: Insufferable.

After Parties: Inebriation.

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SIMONE ASHLEY
ACTOR, 10 LIVES

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ZACH GALIFANAKIS
ACTOR, WINNER

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KATHRYN NEWTON
ACTOR, WINNER

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JUSTICE SMITH
ACTOR, I SAW THE TV GLOW

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MELISSA BERRERA
ACTOR, YOUR MONSTER

Schmoozing: Is that like snuggling? I have no idea what that is.

Vendettas: Natalie Portman

Chemistry: My favorite subject in school. But I’m sure that’s not what you mean. You mean, like, chemistry in a movie? Make or break.

The Algorithm: Fuck the algorithm.

Rage: Your Monster.

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DYLAN O’BRIEN
ACTOR, PONYBOI

Bidding Wars: International Major League free agents.

Cast Dinners: Steamed short rib in a catering tray.

A24: Quality. Don’t even need to see it.

Group Chats: Mute them.

Posing: Not good at it.

Puffer Coats: Fuck with them.

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LESLIE GRACE
ACTOR, IN THE SUMMERS

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JUDITH LIGHT
ACTOR, OUT OF MY MIND

Gifting Suites: I don’t tend to do them so much unless I can give a lot away. One thing I’ve kept from over the years, and it’s probably 20 years old now, was a coat that came from Japan that was embroidered. We get so much and then they give us more, and it’s nice to be able to give some of it away.

Rage: It’s the word that’s in the middle of the word courage.

Best Friends: Oh, my husband and my dear friend, Brynn Thayer and her husband, David Steinberg. Brynn and I played sisters on One Life to Live together. 

Hangovers: Oh, we don’t do that. It’s not that we don’t do that or haven’t done that, but they’re truly miserable

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VICTORIA PEDRETTI
ACTOR, PONYBOI

A24: Money.

The Algorithm: Stupid.

Letterboxd: Oh, I don’t use that. I should be more well-versed in film than I am. It makes me feel inferior.

Schmoozing: Gross

Chemistry: Made up.

AirPods: Easy to lose.

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ALOK
PERFORMER, ALOK

 

Gifting Suites: Camp.

Swag: Aspirational.

Premieres: Overrated.

Gossip: Currency.

Schmoozing: The antithesis of a good time.

Small Talk: I don’t know her.

After Parties: Essential.

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JASON SCHWARTZMAN
ACTOR, BETWEEN THE TEMPLES

Puffer Coats: Beastie Boys.

Best Friends: Rare.

Lust: Yes, please.

After Parties: Hate them. I don’t like the pre-party, the day party, or the after party.

Vendettas: Sadly, still a few to carry out.

Posing: If you’re flexible, it’s nice.

Group Chats: Dangerous.

AirPods: Only one.

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KATY O’BRIAN
ACTOR, LOVE LIES BLEEDING

Rage: A healthy amount of rage is good as long as you know how to take care of it. And who to put it on.

Premieres: A mixture of exciting and bizarre because in a way it feels like a dog and pony show. And in another way you’re just really excited for people to finally see the movie. 

Lust: Me and my wife.

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JESSE EISENBERG
ACTOR, A REAL PAIN

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EMILIA JONES
ACTOR, WINNER

 

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KIERAN CULKIN
ACTOR, A REAL PAIN

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MEGAN PARK
DIRECTOR, MY OLD ASS

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JANE SCHOENBRUN
DIRECTOR, I SAW THE TV GLOW

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BRITTANY O’GRADY
ACTOR, IT’S WHAT’S INSIDE

Small Talk: Uncomfortable.

Hangovers: Death.

Auditions: Anxiety.

Gifting Suites: Capitalism.

Algorithm: Confused.

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JAY ELLIS
ACTOR, FREAKY TALES

Hangovers: This morning. Yeah. Still going. I was being responsible, and then I partied.

Group Chats: The family ones are the worst. The friend ones, at least you get a funny meme every once in a while.

After Parties: Never miss one.

Table Reads: Nerve-wracking, but also freeing.

Swag: I got it by the pound.

Gifting Suites: I don’t like the obligation of having to take a picture because you gave me something.

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MOLLY MANNING WALKER
DIRECTOR, HOW TO HAVE SEX

Bidding Wars: Fuck, I don’t know anything about bidding wars.

Cast Dinners: We like a good cheap pizza. 

Hangovers: I’ve had some shocking hangovers on the tour for this film.

Reviews: I don’t read any of them.

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BRIGETTE LUNDY PAINE
ACTOR, I SAW THE TV GLOW

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JUNE SQUIBB
ACTOR, THELMA

Gossip: I like gossip. I like to hear what everybody’s doing.

Best Friends: Yes, I have best friends, and I love them, and I see them.

Letterboxd: A box you put letters in.

After Parties: That’s fun because you’ve done it, and as much as you enjoy doing it’s great to have done it, and you can rest for a while, or drink for a while, or whatever you want to do for a while.

FRED HECHINGER
ACTOR, THELMA

Auditions: Sweaty palms.

After Parties: Fun until they’re tiring.

Hangovers: I have a slight soft spot for a hangover. I know people speak against them, but there’s a little bit of a up kind of feeling, where you’re looking at the world from a few inches above.

Cast Dinners

Lust: Confusion.

 

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RIVER GALLO
WRITER AND ACTOR, PONYBOI

Best Friends: My girls from Jersey.

Lust: Stay away from it, but also have fun.

Rage: I have a playlist of a lot of Taking Back Sunday and I listen to it when I feel really, really mad.

Group Chats: I hate them so much.

The Algorithm: Algorithms are a technological form of the collective unconscious that is out to get us.

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SUE BIRD
ATHLETE, IN THE CLUTCH

Cast Dinners: Love them. I feel like when you’re on a team, you got to get to know people. The best way to do it is breaking bread.

A24: Past Lives was elite.

Rage: It’s not my thing. I balance my rage, my New York rage with living in Seattle.

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PERCY HYNES WHITE
ACTOR, MY OLD ASS

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NINA BLOOMGARDEN
ACTOR, IT’S WHAT’S INSIDE

Letterboxd: Cunty.

Rage: Important.

Wrap Parties: Drunk.

Vendettas: Love it. Iconic. Necessary.

Best Friends: Queens.

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CALLINA LIANG
ACTOR, PRESENCE

Letterboxd: What’s that? 

After Parties: I’m too grandma for that.

Bidding Wars: What is that? Good for the movie. Right?

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REINA HARDESTY
ACTOR, IT’S WHAT’S INSIDE

Posing: Uncomfortable.

Group Chats: Chaos. Ignore. Stop.

AirPods: Not enough battery.

The Algorithm: Purgatory.

Letterboxd: My favorite thing in the world.

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MO GILLIGAN
ACTOR, 10 LIVES

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MADDIE ZIEGLER
ACTOR, MY OLD ASS

Wrap Parties: Hor d’oeuvres.

Swag: Justin Bieber.

Rage: Coming of age movies.

Hangovers: Liquid IV.

Small Talk: I’m an introvert, so small talk is hard for me.

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MAISY STELLA
ACTOR, MY OLD ASS

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KERRICE BROOKS
ACTOR, MY OLD ASS

After Parties: Lit.

Group Chats: Do not disturb.

AirPods: Ear wax.

The Algorithm: Stupid.

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YURI PLESKUN
ACTOR, TENDABERRY

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LILY COLLIAS
ACTOR, GOOD ONE

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MARK DUPLASS
CO-WRITER AND EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, PENELOPE

Gifting Suites: Aggressive.

Bidding Wars: Fuckin’ awesome.

Puffer Coats: Essential.

Cast Dinners: Not essential.

Table Reads: Not my thing.

Hangovers: One beer.

Group Chats: I’m too old.

The Algorithm: Unnecessarily vilified.