While the inaugural Women's March and focus on America's political climate took the spotlight at last year's Sundance Film Festival, this year the festival was directly affected by the #MeToo movement. The wave of women across the globe, including women in Hollywood, speaking up about the prevalence of sexual assault took over the independent film festival with a slate of films and programming focused on women's issues.
Highlights of the 34th edition of the festival, which took place January 18 to 28 at venues in Park City, included a speech by attorney Gloria Allred in conjunction with the documentary Seeing Allred; a variety of panels with actors and creators focused on the roles of women in Hollywood; and premieres of films about women and women's issues including RBG, a documentary about Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and The Miseducation of Cameron Post, a film about queer women sent to gay conversion camps, which won the U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic.
As usual, sponsors and brands at the festival engaged with attendees through activations, lounges, panels, and premiere parties, many of which incorporated themes related to activism, specific films screened at the festival, or Park City's ski resort environment into the lounge design and interactive elements. Here's a look at the event highlights from AT&T, Autograph Collection Hotels, Stella Artois, Vulture, and more.
A wall in the space was decorated with framed photographs that included images inspired by Park City, information about the hotel brand’s Indie Film Project, and film posters from the Autograph Collection’s new dedicated digital film channel, which streams a curated selection of indie films at its hotels in the U.S. and Canada. Additional decor included a film reel replica.
AT&T, which returned as the official multichannel video programming distributor sponsor of the festival, took over the space at Heber Avenue and Main Street for its DirecTV Lodge from January 19 to 22. Produced by Best Events, the lounge hosted interviews, premiere parties, and culinary events in partnership with Los Angeles-based American restaurant Craig’s. PR and programming was handled by PMK-BNC.
Decor at the lodge included a moss wall with a shape of the AT&T logo in the center.
AT&T partnered with dessert chain Milk Bar to offer guests a variety of sweet treats.
Events at the lodge included the premiere party for Death of Stalin, where decor included an ice sculpture of the Soviet Union flag’s hammer and sickle symbol. The sculpture was designed by the IFC Films in-house team.
Multi-platform media company Macro brought its lounge space back to Sundance at the Downstairs, where it hosted panels focused on inclusion in storytelling and the financing of creative content. The space, which featured branding from sponsor Shea Moisture, was designed and produced by Platinum Events and Productions. In the Event provided furniture rentals.
Acura, which returned as the festival's presenting sponsor, hosted the Festival Village on Swede Alley from January 19 to 27. Inside, the NSX Gallery had a transparent LED panel that alternated between images of the NSX model and photographer Reuben Wu’s landscape shots. The exterior wall of the gallery also featured a mural of one of Wu’s photographs. The mural featured augmented-reality technology that invited guests to virtually travel through the landscapes. MullenLowe produced the lounge.
The gallery also provided a photo op with a landscape backdrop. Current Studios developed the AR experience and photo op, while George P. Johnson produced Acura's activation. Â
The restaurant Rock & Reilly’s Park City celebrated its sixth year at the festival with a daytime media lounge and nightly events January 19 to 24. Lounge sponsor J.Crew hosted a “Denim by You” customization bar, which invited guests to create their own denim looks with patches and custom calligraphy by illustrator Sam Teich.
The Vulture Spot returned to the festival, providing a winter-theme lounge for interviews later shared on the pop culture site. New York magazine’s internal team produced the space.
On January 19, the magazine and TNT hosted an exclusive screening of the new series The Alienist. The space was turned into a screening room, offering popcorn in branded boxes.
Amazon Video Direct, a self-service program for studios, distributors, and content creators, hosted an event at High West Distillery on January 19 to celebrate the Film Festival Stars program—a model for independent film distribution that offers rights holders direct access to Prime customers. The event featured a step-and-repeat wall that was enhanced by illuminated mason jars. The event was designed by Brilliant Consulting Group.
The official vodka of the festival, Grey Goose hosted a series of events with actors and filmmakers at its lounge. The space, which had a grey and blue color scheme, featured ski imagery on the walls and custom pillows decorated with the vodka's logo. The space was designed by Brilliant Consulting Group.Â
For actors and other attendees, the lounge offered a ski lift-theme photo op with blue skis that sported the brand’s name and logo.
To celebrate the premiere of documentary film Waterschool, Swarovski hosted a luncheon on January 20 at Altitude Restaurant, followed by a private screening of the film. Created by U.C.L.A. graduate film students, the documentary focuses on safeguarding the supply of fresh water, as well as the work of Swarovski Waterschool, the jewelry brand’s community investment program that has reached 2,400 schools worldwide. Decor at the luncheon included crystal centerpieces and facts about water and pollution. The event was designed by the Swarovski's in-house team.
The event included a custom post card station that invited guests to write letter of support to the students at the Swarovski Waterschools.
Stella Artois hosted its Café Artois from January 19 to 21 on Main Street. The activation, which was open to the public, hosted discussions and celebrations to honor people using film to inspire social change. Produced by Mosaic, the space invited festivalgoers from the outside with colorful illustrations surrounding the beer brand’s logo.
Inside, bartenders wearing outfits in Stella Artois colors served guests beer and specialty beverages in the brand’s signature chalices from a custom bar.
As part of Stella Artois’s commitment to end the global water crisis, in partnership with Water.org, the brand offered chalices designed in real time by an artist.
HBO hosted an event January 19 at Riverhorse on Main Street to celebrate the festival premiere of the 2 Dope Queens special, which is based on the comedy podcast by Jessica Williams and Phoebe Robinson. The event, which was produced by Team Epiphany, had a winter theme that incorporated decor including a transparent orb ceiling installation.
Fashion designers Chris and Clayton Griggs, also known as the Griggs Brothers, created custom 2 Dope Queens patches and personalized embroidery at a customization station, which was included in travel kits given to guests.
Autograph Collection Hotels, an associate partner of the Sundance Institute and festival, returned to Hotel Park City for a third year to celebrate its Indie Film Project—a platform celebrating the voices that drive indie film—with a cinema-theme winter lodge-style lounge known as the Retreat. The space, hosted in partnership with online script marketplace the Black List, showcased a wall that was created with film scripts. BMF Media Group produced the lounge.
IndieWire, a film industry and review website, hosted its inaugural studio for filmmakers and talent from January 19 to 22. The space, which was presented by festival sponsor Dropbox, included a colorful wall of words that filmmakers can relate to, as well as a wall for talent to sign their names. The space was produced by Crush Studio.
Sponsor Pizza Hut hosted an interactive lounge that offered guests branded arcade games and free pizza.
The space also included a section sponsored by the A.C.L.U., a national nonprofit organization that works in courts, legislatures, and communities to defend individual rights guaranteed by the Constitution. Guests were invited to take photos with signs focused on issues they were most passionate about. The printed photos were then posted on a branded wall.
