If this past weekend was all about standing up for reproductive rights, today we're focusing on celebrating women's growing influence in the entertainment industry. Sundance Institute hosted a star-studded Women at Sundance brunch, co-sponsored by Refinery29 and DOVE® Chocolate on January 23, featuring powerhouse guests ranging from Kerry Washington to Manchester By The Sea's Kimberly Steward, among many others. Our goal? To highlight the women in film working to close Hollywood's astonishing gender gap.
To put that gap in stark perspective, 93% of last year's top movies were directed by men. But Refinery29 has committed to expanding powerful roles behind the camera to include a diverse array of women's voices through our groundbreaking series, Shatterbox Anthology. From Kristen Stewart's astonishing directorial debut, Come Swim, to Anu Valia's defiant portrait of rural America's struggle for abortion access, Lucia, Before and After, Shatterbox represents a pioneering space devoted to amplifying female perspectives, wherever they may take us. For Shatterbox Season 2, launching later this year, we've joined forces with Turner TNT to push our initiative even further, broadcasting Shatterbox content across television and digital media platforms. And we couldn't be prouder of these vital stories spotlighting women's narratives. Lucia, Before and After just won the Sundance Film Festival's Short Film Jury Award.
Both Come Swim and Lucia, Before and After premiered at Sundance, along with Strangers, Refinery29's original online series about the hilarious, heartbreaking struggles of early adulthood, made in co-production with Beachside Productions. From innovative young director (and Girls alum) Mia Lidofsky, Strangers explore's 28 year-old Isobel's (portrayed by Zoe Chao) growing romantic and professional uncertainty, even after her first quarter life crisis. Catch the trailer below.
Just 7% of 2016's top films were directed by women. Refinery29 wants to change this by giving 12 female directors a chance to claim their power. Our message to Hollywood? You can't win without women. Watch new films every month on Refinery29.com/Shatterbox and Comcast Watchable.