• Variety continues the coverage of how “subdued” this year’s festival will be. Reportedly, the cool new trend is regifting swag bags to charity. Meanwhile, IFC’s Arianna Bocco points out the should-be-obvious truth: “If people love something, they will still compete to get it, regardless of the larger economic situation.”
• And the Los Angeles Times seems certain there’s a lot to love. Rather than concentrate on the negative ramifications of a recession-set Sundance, Kenneth Turan notes the number of films selected this year is still staggering, the “hubbub” over swag and celebrities is still in full force, and the quality of the films should be as high as usual.
• But why worry about the economic troubles of Sundance anyway when, according to Michael Cieply at The Carpetbagger, there are more pressing matters at hand involving a complicated issue with festival films produced under waiver agreements from the Screen Actors Guild. Studios may not legally be able to pick up these films as long as there’s no contract and still threat of a SAG strike.
• Fortunately, for those films that aren’t picked up, Anthony Kaufman has a focus on the DIY release alternative over at indieWire.
• The Hollywood Reporter highlights the 10 films likely to acquire distribution, as well as five additional, lesser-known titles that may be underdog performers.
• Apparently those Sundance attendees on their way to Park City today or tomorrow are already too late to the parties. Last night, Real World Brooklyn cast member Baya Voce kicked things off early at The Star Bar.

If you’ve watched the last two episodes of our Sundance video coverage, you’ve learned a little bit about the spoils of Sundance swag. Designer pooper scoops are great and all, but I always like to see filmmakers passing out something that promotes their film in a clever way. In the industry lounge a few minutes ago, I stumbled over a friend of filmmaker Margaret Brown, who was affixing stickers for Browns’ The Order of Myths to a carton full of Mini Moon Pies. Moon Pies play a surprisingly significant role in Brown’s film, which is otherwise about race relations and Mardi Gras in Mobile, Alabama. It probably goes without saying, but this kind of thing is so much more interesting and valuable to a weary journalist than a bag full of random corporate stuff.