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Party On Dude! Well, That is if You’re on the List

01-26-2001: Park City, Utah

By Steve Ramos

THE HAPPENING: Can’t Buy Me Buzz. The headline of the Jan. 25 New York Post says it all: “Rape, Lies and Videotape — Victim relives horror caught live on frat house tape.” With that one story, Raw Deal: A Question of Consent, a documentary about an accused rape at the University of Florida, has become the official “buzz” film of Sundance 2001. TV news shows are already contacting Raw Deal director Billy Corben and producer Alfred Spellman for interviews. Their negotiations with interested distributors have reached a fever pitch. For the moment, Corben and Spellman are the belles of the Sundance ball.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “They (New York Post) devoted a cover story. We devoted a year of our lives. But I have to admit it’s all a little overwhelming. People are looking at us on the streets now. It’s really weird.” — Raw Deal director Billy Corben on becoming a Sundance sensation.