Planned Parenthood Hosts Sex, Politics, Film, and TV Reception at Sundance
For Immediate Release: Jan. 22, 2018
Park City, Utah — On Sunday, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Refinery29, and Planned Parenthood Association of Utah co-hosted hundreds of prominent producers, directors, writers, and actors for the annual Sex, Politics, Film, and TV reception during the Sundance Film Festival. The gathering celebrated content makers who accurately and sensitively depict sexual and reproductive health in their films and television programs.
Among the many guests who attended were Emmy Rossum, Jessica Williams, Gabourey Sidibe, Grace Gummer, Andrea Riseborough, Danai Gurira, Tony Revolori, Carlson Young, Nana Ghana, and Jessica Sarah Flaum.
The reception took place during a weekend of action and reflection around the past year’s fight for reproductive health and rights. Planned Parenthood supporters across the entertainment industry marched in solidarity with thousands of other attendees on Saturday at the Respect Rally Park City. Planned Parenthood also joined Color of Change and The BlackHouse Foundation — which focuses on hiring more Black writers, producers, and executives in the entertainment industry — in a panel discussion about Black women leadership and telling Black stories.
You can see photos from the Sex, Politics, Film, and TV reception here.
The Sex, Politics, Film, and TV reception honored the many creators, executive producers, directors, writers, and actors who shatter stigma and insist on normalizing sexual and reproductive health care through storytelling. Their contribution to the movement opens up important dialogue about health care access and equity.
“Planned Parenthood taught me, and all the girls I grew up with, about our bodies. I stand with Planned Parenthood because Planned Parenthood has stood by me since the seventh grade,” said actor Gabourey Sidibe, who spoke at the event.
Guests received Artists Stand With Planned Parenthood pins, information about the fight for birth control, pink beanies, and condoms.
“The idea behind Planned Parenthood was always bigger than birth control — from day one, it was about women being able to control their own lives. It was the idea that women’s bodies are their own. Until that’s true, women cannot be free and they cannot be equal. All of this — Time’s Up, the resistance, the Women’s March — is about taking back the power to make decisions about our bodies,” Dawn Laguens, executive vice president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, said at the reception.
Caren Spruch, the director of arts and entertainment engagement at Planned Parenthood Federation of America, shared how Planned Parenthood partners with the entertainment community on script content, fact-checking, coordinating film shoots at health centers, and providing set materials.
“Storytelling is one of the most powerful tools in the resistance. Planned Parenthood’s collaborations with the entertainment community help ensure that storylines about reproductive health care are medically accurate, stigma-free, and sensitive. These stories are powerful change agents in our fight for reproductive health and rights,” Spruch said.
Planned Parenthood Federation of America is proud to help support the work of the entertainment industry as content makers continue to bravely portray honest and medically accurate sexual and reproductive health information and stories in their films and television programs, as well as on multimedia platforms.
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Planned Parenthood is the nation’s leading provider and advocate of high-quality, affordable health care for women, men, and young people, as well as the nation’s largest provider of sex education. With more than 600 health centers across the country, Planned Parenthood organizations serve all patients with care and compassion, with respect and without judgment. Through health centers, programs in schools and communities, and online resources, Planned Parenthood is a trusted source of reliable health information that allows people to make informed health decisions. We do all this because we care passionately about helping people lead healthier lives.