Sundance Women (continue to) Rule the Day

A couple of thousand noisy protesters braved the snow falling in Park City, Utah for the “Respect Rally”, this year’s edition of the Women’s march, marking the 1^st anniversary of the Trump presidency and last year’s march at Sundance. This year’s theme was registering voters and mobilizing turnout for the November mid-term elections. The rally was also energized by a year, which saw continuing protests against Trump administration policies and the rise of the #metoo and Time’s Up movements, particularly in Hollywood. Many festival participants addressed the crowd, including veteran activists Gloria Allred and Jane Fonda, both subjects of separate Sundance documentaries at this year’s festivals. Also on hand to fire up the crowd were Maria Bello and Common who drew loud applause with a rhyme on a world ruled by women. The rally was just one of many women-centered initiatives at the festival at which this year 38% of the films are directed by women.