Posted: Mon., Jan. 21, 2008, 7:11pm PT

Sundance snow biz

Focus Features leads the party patrol

By Variety Staff

U2 at the 'U2 3D' premiere on Saturday at the Eccles Theater in Park City, Utah.

Josh Hartnett hits the slopes at Sundance.

'Be Kind Rewind' actor Mos Def at Sundance.

'Blind Date' duo Patricia Clarkson and Stanley Tucci share a laugh at Sundance.

Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker at the movies.

Mary-Kate Olsen and Colin Farrell get close at the 'In Bruges' premiere.

Director Noam Murro, Dennis Quaid and Miramax's Daniel Battsek at the 'Smart People' bow on Sunday.

Robert De Niro, Robert Redford, Barry Levinson and Art Linson at Saturday's 'What Just Happened?" premiere at the Eccles Theater.

Jack Black and director Michel Gondry at the 'Be Kind Rewind' premiere on Sunday.

PARK CITY, Utah -- Focus Features kicked off the 2008 Sundance party circuit on Thursday with a post-preem fete for "In Bruges." Mary-Kate Olsen, in town for the world bow of "The Wackness," made a bee-line for pal and "In Bruges" star Colin Farrell to offer congratulations, while the film's helmer Martin McDonagh, Focus topper James Schamus and Universal Pictures' David Linde worked the room.

The next night, Patricia Clarkson and Stanley Tucci bundled up for the premiere of "Blind Date." Asked about helming and starring in the pic, Tucci said "It was very hard, I fought with myself a lot."

Stars drummed up support quite literally when Kevin Bacon's band, the Bacon Brothers, hit the stage during a party for "The U.S. Campaign," 10 short films focused on hot-button issues to be directed by established docu helmers.

Bacon told the crowd, which included Cathy Schulman, Amy Berg and Peter Guber, "I'm not going to make a film, but maybe I will be in one? I have my resume with me downstairs."

Meanwhile, Tilda Swinton, IFC prexy Jonathan Sehring and Killer Films topper Christine Vachon collectively celebrated docu "Derek" and Julianne Moore drama "Savage Grace" over dinner at Windy Ridge Cafe.

Festgoers saw a busy Sunday night with the eco-focused Harmony Project event featuring a performance by Moby; the "Be Kind Rewind" preem with stars Jack Black and Mos Def; and docu director Alex Gibney's debut of his latest pic "Gonzo: The Life and Work of Hunter S. Thompson."

L.A. club Hyde set up its own Park City outpost for the first time, drawing execs and talent late night. Sunday night's revelers included Jason Patric, Rufus Sewell, Oliver Stone and Josh Hartnett.

As he exited, Sewell, whose pic "Downloading Nancy" preemed the following day, pondered whether his five Red Bulls might have been a bit much: "My groomer is going to have to pop my eyeballs back into their sockets tomorrow."

-- Reporting by Winter Miller, Addie Morfoot, Tatiana Siegel and Sharon Swart