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.