The Circuit

Waiting in the Patron line for a screening of "The Savages," a directive came down to the volunteers: counterfeit Patron tickets had been discovered.  It surprised even the veteran volunteers; no one had ever heard of counterfeit tickets at Telluride.  Suddenly a Sundance problem had arrived at a fest that prides itself in being different.  While it turned out not to be a big problem, it was indicative of a complaint that hadn't gone away by fest's end -- the long lines of angry $680 badge holders that were turned away at many screenings.  Telluride is a festival of hard-lined traditionalists.  One long-time attendee told me she's been coming to camp out and see movies for 20 years.  She hadn't gotten into one screening by Sunday afternoon, and was pissed.  One rumor was the number of Patron badges sold was increased in order to cover a financial shortfall created when some sponsors left after the co-founding Pences retired last year.  Co-director Gary Meyer, however, said the Patron badge number was capped at the usual 2,500 200.  At any rate, Telluride devotees are as vocal as the staffers who yelled at the clueless attendee who failed to turn off his cell.  I'm sure Telluride is hearing from them.