PARK CITY, UTAH — The fact that Slamdance happens here at the same time as Sundance means access to a labyrinth of once-in-a-lifetime encounters, essential meetings, fulfilled expectations, humbling rejections, intense fatigue, validation, inspiration, reunions with filmmakers from the past, important connections for the future.

Day three — Monday, Jan. 19

12 p.m.: After a brief interview with a North Dakotan film major, I see Paul Giamatti for the third time and I finally ask to take his picture. He smiles.

1 p.m.: I head to a DIY marketing and distribution panel presented by spout.com. The ensuing conversations I have with filmmakers from New York, L.A., New Zealand and Brazil are invigorating. Slamdance gives all their films the opportunity to be streamed on indieroad.net/slamdance. I post our feature Only. Internet V.O.D. is here big time.

2 p.m.: My friend Simon Reynolds and I head to the press office, filmmaker lounge and business center at the Sundance Marriott hotel to distribute postcards announcing our final Slamdance screening. En route we engage in discussions with people about movies we love, the challenges of film financing, and where to eat in Park City. (Avoid the Mexican.)

5 p.m.: I go to the San Francisco Film Society party where I meet festival programmers from Ann Arbor, Aspen and Denver. Then, Simon and I head to the Slamdance Happy Hour where Pom juice, Irish whiskey, Jagermeister and s’mores Luna bars are served.

8 p.m.: I meet Tom Hall and Holly Herrick, the stellar Sarasota Film Festival programming duo, for drinks at Sundance’s Yarrow Resort Hotel and see Charlotte Mickie from E1 Films International, who’s on her way to the Cinetic party, followed by the William Morris party. I’ve seen Charlotte several times throughout the festival, always working a step ahead of the crowd.

Day four — Tuesday, Jan 20

10 a.m.: Slamdance hosts an inauguration celebration. Wow. The feeling in the room is overwhelming relief, pride, hope and love.

11 a.m.: Simon and I watch the animated shorts program. I discover one particular animator who I’d like to work with on a future project I am developing.

12 p.m.: I attend the Art/Craft/Business of Screenwriting panel and vow to devote time to writing my next script when I get home.

2 p.m.: Simon and I have a Slamdance TV interview with festival dynamo Heidi Van Lier.

4 p.m.: We go to the Nollywood Babylon film panel. I love this National Film Board movie! I meet Nigeria’s Lancelot Oduwa Imasuen, aka ‘The Guv’nor.’ At 36, Lancelot has made over 150 films. I sit with him for over half an hour discussing the art and commerce of making movies.

6 p.m.: The first person I see as I enter the Sundance Channel party is Jeff Dowd (aka ‘The Dude’). Simon is a huge fan of The Big Lebowski, so I pull him over for an introduction, ‘Simon, meet The Dude.’ I see EVP of programming Laura Michalchyshyn and hand her a DVD copy of Only for consideration.

9 p.m.: I attend the Sundance screening of Canada’s very own Victoria Day, screening in dramatic competition, and the innovative preceding short, Ten for Grandpa. The Victoria Day producers score me a ticket to their sold-out screening; a perfect cap to a great day. Tomorrow, we have our final screening of Only and a meeting with a U.S. distributor.

Ingrid Veninger reports this week from Slamdance. Her CFC feature Nurse.Fighter.Boy directed by Charles Officer (www.nursefighterboy.ca) opens in Toronto and Vancouver on Feb. 6 through Mongrel Media.