The Female Quotient, a company and community dedicated to achieving workplace equality, today announced that it will bring its pop-up activation, The Girls’ Lounge, to the Sundance Film Festival for the first time this year in partnership with Screenvision Media and Jane Walker by Johnnie Walker.
Held at the DB Fine Art Gallery in Park City, Utah on Jan. 26 and 27, the Girls’ Lounge will be the home of equality at the festival, where attendees can connect and activate change together. Programming will include a variety of panel discussions and fireside chats about gender equality, with an emphasis on how women and men in Hollywood are taking action steps to fight gender stereotypes and achieve more equal representation of women both on and off the screen.
“Media helps shape culture and how we see ourselves, yet equality is far from reality in Hollywood,” said Shelley Zalis, founder and CEO of The Female Quotient. “Bringing more visibility to women in film and increasing the number of female storytellers, directors, producers and more in Hollywood will help change the equation. We’ve partnered with Screenvision Media and Jane Walker by Johnnie Walker to create a home of equality at the Sundance Film Festival, where Hollywood leaders and influencers meet, to advance positive solutions for change.”
During the two-day event, the lounge will host filmmakers, artists, cinema advertisers as well as entertainment and brand executives. Topics of discussion include: “The Future of Film is Feminine: What Equality Will Look Like in 2019,” “More Than A Movie: Meaningful Storytelling in Film and Advertising” and “Hollywood and Brands: How Gender Equality is Unifying Industries,” among others.
“The media industry and advertisers have a responsibility to help fight gendered stereotypes by accurately portraying women and girls in film and advertising,” said Christine Martino, Executive Vice President of National Advertising Sales at Screenvision Media. “Screenvision Media reaches a global audience of movie-goers around the world, and a partnership with The Female Quotient allows us to amplify our message of equality at Sundance and to the global advertising industry.
“Just as people are demanding more diversity and inclusivity in the media they consume, they are looking to connect with brands who share those values,” said Sophie Kelly, Senior Vice President of Whisky at Diageo North America. “The Johnnie Walker brand has stood for progress for nearly 200 years, and we know you can’t credibly stand for progress without supporting women’s progress. We are proud to join The Female Quotient in celebrating the strides we are making together towards gender equality, and we are grateful for the opportunity to advance the parity conversation during Sundance.”
The Girls’ Lounge is a growing community of corporate women and female entrepreneurs transforming workplace culture. In partnership with some of the world’s leading brands, Shelley Zalis and her team at The Female Quotient create memorable pop-up experiences and impactful programming to advance the cause of gender equality at the World Economic Forum, SXSW, Cannes Lions, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), and other prestigious events all over the world.
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