Capítulo 368: Closing ceremony
In the blink of an eye, another year of the film festival came to a close. The Sundance Film Festival had lasted for a full ten days, with sixteen American films, sixteen foreign films, and twelve documentaries successively making their appearances, meeting the audience one by one. They had pushed this celebration of independent cinema to its climax. Now, it was finally time to bid farewell, eagerly anticipating the reunion in the coming year.
The closing ceremony and awards presentation of Sundance became the final gathering of this party. The audience members who still lingered in Park City, the independent filmmakers still immersed in the atmosphere of joy, the media, and distributors who remained concerned about the award trends—all came once again to the main venue. They cheered again, shouted again, and celebrated again.
Unrelated to the awards, it was solely about the camaraderie among fellow movie enthusiasts.
Sundance's closing ceremony also featured a red carpet, but everything was kept simple. There were no photo sessions, no interview zones, and no live television broadcasts. The overall style resembled a carnival of national jubilation—friendly, casual, easygoing, and joyful.
After intermittent heavy snowfall for four days, Park City had finally cleared up today. Renly opened the car door, and warm sunlight spilled in, even feeling a bit dazzling. Nathan's nervous voice came from outside, "Be careful, there's standing water outside."
Renly directly stepped onto the road shoulder and walked onto the red carpet. However, he still felt a damp heaviness beneath his feet. The biting cold air reminded him of winters in London.
"Are you sure you don't need a jacket?" Nathan asked with concern. Surprisingly, snowy days were warmer than clear days. Today, the temperature had dropped by at least five degrees, and the chilly wind was becoming more cutting.
Renly smiled and waved his hand, "It's just a few steps." Then, he didn't say anything more and strode directly onto the red carpet.
In just half a year, he had walked on numerous red carpets. This enchanting carpet was becoming familiar.
Suddenly, an earth-shattering roar erupted in his ears. The orderly and grandiose shouts were like thunderclaps, exploding with a force that startled Renly, making his ears ring. The surging waves of sound swept away the cold and chill in the air, and the red carpet seemed to burst into vibrant flames. The air above distorted due to the heatwave.
This shout reminded him of Justin Bieber on the Golden Globe Awards red carpet.
However, when Justin appeared, the screams were heart-rending. Even if you closed your eyes, you could imagine the tearful, adoring expressions of the female fans. It was sharp and piercing. But today's shouts were like a roaring torrent, as if a herd of horses were galloping. The thunderous sound was like the beating of a drum, resonating and overwhelming.
Could it be that Justin had come to Park City?
The faint stinging sensation in his eardrums caused Renly's steps to pause momentarily. He then raised his head, looking behind, searching for Justin's figure. But in the next second, the shouts, accompanied by the deafening sound of metal clashing, rained down like a downpour. "Renly! Ahh! Renly!"
Those chaotic and fragmented calls unreasonably exploded at his feet, morphing into bursts of fireworks. The resplendent colors made the deep red carpet come alive, as if it had gained a life force of its own.
Following the sound, one could see crowds stretching out like an endless expanse, a sea of people spreading densely. In his line of sight, he could count at least three hundred individuals, and in the distance, there seemed to be even more, beyond the horizon, resembling an ocean roaring and surging. The masses were leaping, swaying, and energized. This magnificent scene delivered a powerful visual impact, and even the heartbeat involuntarily synchronized with the rhythm.
Renly slightly parted his lips, realizing that all his past experiences were useless in this moment.
Although he had attended the Toronto International Film Festival, stepped onto the Golden Globe Awards' red carpet, and even felt the warm reception at the premiere of "Like Crazy", nothing compared to the spectacle before his eyes. The rolling heatwave and the surging crowd rendered all words pale and powerless.
Though there were only a few hundred people in front of him, an illusion of tens of thousands was created.
Recognizing this, Renly chuckled helplessly. He had never witnessed a gathering of tens of thousands of people, and naturally, he had no way of knowing what it felt like to hear the shouts of a multitude. Clearly, his judgment just now was a trick of his perception. Indeed, after entering Hollywood, he had much left to learn.
This momentary smile eased Renly's state of mind a bit. He then began to walk towards the direction of the audience. The smile on his lips involuntarily curved upwards like a wisp of warm sunlight piercing through severe winter, radiating a bright and brilliant light. Instantly, the crowd started to surge and boil, surpassing even a volcanic eruption.
Everything felt intensely real yet unreal, creating such a sensation that when reporters asked him about his experience at Sundance, his initial reaction was to point at the noisy crowd behind him and jest, "The organizers spared no expense for today's closing ceremony."
This playful remark instantly brought laughter from all the reporters.
Among the group of journalists stood Eli Wallah, who raised his voice to ask, "This time, "Like Crazy" received widespread acclaim at Sundance and is even considered a hot favorite for today's awards. Your performance has also garnered continuous praise. Do you have any special feelings about this?"
"I've become a star now?" The tail end of Renly's sentence, along with his slightly furrowed brow, fully expressed his uncertainty. A touch of playful sarcasm surfaced, sparking laughter once again. "Actually, if this were a movie script, now would be the perfect time to have a young fan come up to me, asking for an autograph. Then I'd truly be a top-tier superstar."
With a light-hearted tone, a playful posture, and a composed demeanor, Renly was always at ease in front of the media, even more so today. In an instant, everyone couldn't help but smile.
Standing amidst the reporters, Cornell McGregor leaned forward energetically and shouted, "Renly!" attempting to capture his attention and pose a question.
However, before he could proceed with his question, the peripheral vision of the onlookers was drawn to a tall figure with snow-white skin and crimson hair. The rhythm of Cornell's question was abruptly interrupted as the person turned out to be Jessica Chastain.
"Dear Mr. Renly, could you give me an autograph?" Jessica had a smirk on her face, holding a carbon pen in her hand. She waved it lightly and quipped.
One second, two seconds. The entire audience burst into laughter, some even finding it difficult to stop laughing.
Renly, on the other hand, wore a puzzled expression. He looked at Jessica carefully, attempting to discern some truth from her expression: Did Jessica hear what he said just now? Was she doing this intentionally, or was it a coincidence?
But Jessica's composed demeanor revealed no trace of any flaw; Renly's attempt had been in vain. He extended his right hand, palm up, saying, "So, where would you like me to sign?"
This sentence caused Jessica to tilt her head slightly, a hint of surprise and confusion flickering in her eyes, followed by a trace of a smile. Renly instantly understood that Jessica must have heard the comment he made earlier.
In an instant, Renly realized that he had been somewhat carried away by arrogance.
The shouts from the audience baffled him, and he struggled to determine their direction. His head grew warm, as if standing on a cloud, drifting and swaying. His self-esteem, self-confidence, and pride all swelled to their limits, as if he were the king of the world.
Speaking in such a manner inevitably came across as flippant. Such a joke, slightly inappropriate, was indeed incongruent with his usual style.
His momentary loss of control and current clarity were like grasping his ankle, yanking him downward. He landed in a haphazard heap, his restless thoughts returning to solid ground.
Hollywood, the world of fame, spotlight, hedonism, and extravagant living. He had only just stepped onto the threshold.
Renly and Jessica exchanged a glance, both breaking into laughter.
Jessica placed the carbon pen into Renly's palm. He accepted it and casually slipped it into the breast pocket of his suit. Turning around, he gallantly extended his left hand, and Jessica approached, wrapping her fingers around his wrist. The two of them continued walking, heading toward the entrance of the main venue.
Cornell had never anticipated this turn of events. He kept shouting, "Renly! Renly!" But amidst the chaos and noise, his voice was inconsequential. Renly and Jessica's footsteps didn't falter at all. They elegantly continued forward, gradually distancing themselves.
Cornell couldn't help but clench his fist. But despite the raging fire in his chest, he couldn't suppress it. Angrily, he swung his fist forcefully, but it only hit the air, making no sound. Empty, without a place to land.
"Congratulations on the success of your work this time," Jessica said with a cheerful smile.
Renly chuckled lightly and candidly inquired, "Is that praise or irony?"
A surprised expression crossed Jessica's face. "Of course, it's praise. I'm serious." However, seeing that Renly remained unfazed by her playful smile, Jessica eventually conceded, gently shaking her head, and then she slowed her tone. "Honestly, your performance was brilliant and envy-inducing."
"Thank you for coming to the theater to support my work," Renly could tell from her words that this time Jessica was sincere. He accepted the praise with a smile and expressed his gratitude.
Jessica swept a strand of hair behind her ear. "You also came to the cinema to watch my work. Reciprocity. At the very least, that's something I can do."
"How did you know..." Renly's sentence trailed off as he caught the sly smile at the corner of Jessica's mouth. He realized he had fallen for Jessica's little trick; she had been leading him on. Indeed, his mind was still overheated, and his thoughts were not very nimble.
"Hey, isn't that the red-hot Renly?" A cheerful voice came from ahead, preceding the person.
It was Harvey Weinstein.
REFLEXIONES DE LOS CREADORES 
Shallowman
Shallowman Who else could it be. As if Cornell wasn't enough....
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