This image was lost some time after publication.

We'll excuse you if you forgot that the Sundance Film Festival is taking place right now. Whether it's because of the recession or those scene-stealers in Washington who've been hogging the spotlight this week, this year's fest will likely go down as one of the most low-profile in recent memory. The first batch of events this past weekend turned out to be a disappointment to celeb spotters (unless you count the occasional glimpse of people like Denise Richards and Ron Jeremy, that is). And the situation didn't improve yesterday when Park City turned into a ghost town as important people jumped on jets to head to Washington and the less fortunate had to make do with watching the historic event on TV. (Pity the photogs: The dearth of A-listers, reports VF, sent "errant packs of TMZ reporters scrambling for a celebrity sighting that was nowhere to be had.")

The silver lining? There's been lots more swag for everyone else. And some people might get to return to LA or New York with a real tan this year instead of the sort that is dispensed from a plastic bottle. As Variety cheerfully points out, "The weather has also been more consistently stunning than any vets can recall—about 45 degrees and sunny every day." Somehow the line "No, my film didn't sell, but the weather was tremendous!" doesn't sound like much of a consolation prize, but what do we know.