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While the official festival film kicks off Thursday night, the unofficial Sundance fun festival peaks this weekend.
"The number of events this year is up -- way up," Christopher Ryan, creator of the coveted private master grid of Sundance events that makes its rounds in Hollywood each January, told TheWrap.
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And everything's open for a corporate activation. "The name of my list might change if I have a brand sponsor it," Ryan says.
With that caveat, TheWrap has chosen the buzziest in advance. Here are the places to be seen:
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Before Jennifer Lawrence hunted in "The Hunger Games" or broke out in "Winter's Bone," she was a Gen Art Fresh Face in Film. "All the attention goes to creative individuals who are already getting all of the attention," Gen Art's Jeff Abramson told TheWrap. Seth Rogen associate Ari Graynor and Lizzy Caplan are on the 2012 slate for the post-dinner cocktail party on Friday night.
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It's also the best bet to see Robert Redford. He hosts the annual "Day One" press conference at the three-story complex that takes over the Claim Jumper hotel.
As an official partner of the film festival, Microsoft's search for a talent lineup got results for every day part and entertainment category. The veritable Club Med even has its own cruise director, Ross Matthews, who's the in house correspondent for digital broadcasts.
(Pictured, Florence and the Machine rock Bing Bar last year.)
Talent ranges from feature figures William H. Macy, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Bruce Willis, to buzz bands like Group Love and Theophilus London, nightly headliners Drake, Wiz Khalifa and Jason Mraz, and even comedy with popular podcaster Marc Maron sharing the stage with Aziz Ansari on Saturday night.
The six-day cruise sets sail on Friday and lasts longer than most of the other spaces, wrapping up Wednesday.
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Follow the credentials and flashbulbs to the stairs at the bottom of Main Street. The T-Mobile/Google Music Village at the Lift is back.
