The optimism and excitement of the Sundance Film Festival was shattered yesterday by the news of Heath Ledger’s passing. When I spoke with actresses Bijou Phillips and Gillian Flynn of “Choke,” just bought by Fox Searchlight, emotions were clearly still raw for both women. Phillips whose lifelong friend Brad Renfro also died recently said simply of these tragic events, “It’s got to stop.”

The full report on how Sundance is reacting to Ledger’s untimely death is here.