Tuesday, December 19, 2023
Monday, December 18, 2023
Sunday, December 17, 2023
Kristen supports, and will appear in, Paul Jay’s documentary 'How to Stop a Nuclear War'
Kristen Stewart is sounding the alarm over the threat of a global nuclear war by getting behind Paul Jay’s feature doc about Pentagon Papers leaker Daniel Ellsberg, How to Stop a Nuclear War, which is now in production.
“We’ve grown so accustomed to the looming threat of nuclear annihilation, that it barely registers in our daily lives,” Stewart says in a fundraising video obtained by The Hollywood Reporter for the documentary, which is based on the book Doomsday Machine by the Vietnam-era whistleblower. “But when some new crisis or close call startles out of our slumber for just a brief moment, we truly grasp the insanity of living on a hair trigger to what could be a real-life Armageddon.”
Stewart’s fiancée, Dylan Meyer, is the daughter of Nicholas Meyer, the director of ABC’s groundbreaking 1983 TV movie The Day After and an executive producer of the How to Stop a Nuclear War documentary. Emma Thompson is also on board to narrate the upcoming feature doc, where Ellsberg warns that the nuclear weapon arsenals of the U.S. and Russia are still very much a threat to global peace, and that an all-out nuclear war remains capable of being launched from missile silos or submarines on a few minutes’ notice.
Stewart, who will also appear in the eventual documentary, echoes Ellsberg in arguing the world is “dangerously close to nuclear conflict, perhaps closer than we have been since the Cold War.”
In the sizzle reel sent to potential investors of the doc as the producers fill out the budget, Stewart praises the history-making whistleblower, who died in June 2023 at age 92. “[Ellsberg’s] insider knowledge of nuclear war planning informs the film’s urgent call to action. This films sounds the alarm about this threat, but also shows the solutions and steps we can take to avert catastrophe,” she adds.
Ellsberg famously made copies of the Pentagon Papers and other classified nuclear documents during the Nixon administration and leaked the documents to The New York Times and other media outlets in 1971. As a high-level Pentagon analyst, Ellsberg was charged by the U.S. with breaking the Espionage Act, but the case was dismissed because of government misconduct in evidence-gathering.
“If we don’t address this [nuclear weapons] issue, nothing else we care about — no social justice or environmental causes or peaceful political resolutions, movies we make, people we love, the things we care about — don’t matter anymore. They don’t matter in a postapocalyptic wasteland,” Stewart warns.
Friday, December 15, 2023
Thursday, December 14, 2023
Kristen will be honoured with the Sundance Institute Visionary Award on opening night of the Sundance Film Festival
The second annual Sundance Institute Visionary Award recognizes a notable Sundance Institute alum’s contributions to the field of independent film and dedication to maintaining an independent spirit. This year’s award is being given to Kristen Stewart, who fully embodies the spirit of our mission and values. She is an Academy Award–nominated actress for her performance as Princess Diana in Spencer and was the first American actress to receive a César Award for her role in Clouds of Sils Maria. After her star rose in The Twilight Saga, she made her directorial debut, Come Swim, at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival.
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“We are thrilled to honor the immensely talented Kristen Stewart at our Opening Night Gala,” said Joana Vicente, CEO of the Sundance Institute. “Kristen’s captivating performances across a wide, diverse body of work make her a truly unique talent. With over ten Sundance films under her belt, she has always remained committed to the art of independent cinema. We are excited to welcome her back to the festival and can’t wait to see what she has in store for our 40th year.”
Stewart also commented on her upcoming honor.
“Sundance’s purity, lack of fussy pretension and its commitment to supporting independence in an industry that doesn’t always value the radical or the sidelined is what makes it by far the homiest place for me to go see, discuss and present films,” said Stewart. “Truly honored to be acknowledged by this beloved institution.”
More on the event:
On January 18, join us at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival’s Opening Night Gala: Celebrating 40 Years Presented by Chase Sapphire®, with additional support by the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation, Acura, and Google TV. This inspiring evening celebrating artists and sharing delicious food and drink will honor notable Sundance alumni Christopher Nolan, Celine Song and Maite Alberdi, as well as former Sundance Institute Board Chair and trustee, Pat Mitchell.
This is a unique opportunity to celebrate the 40th edition of the Sundance Film Festival as we honor our legacy and our mission — to support the future of independent storytelling. By attending this highly anticipated opening night gala, you will kick off the 2024 Festival with a passionate group of like-minded Sundance supporters and the artists we support while contributing to Sundance Institute grants, mentorships, and other critical resources that enable artists to bring their stories to life.
We hope to see you at our 2024 Opening Night Gala: Celebrating 40 Years Presented by Chase Sapphire® at the DeJoria Center in Kamas, Utah, starting at 7:15 p.m. The dinner and program will begin at 8:30 p.m. Shuttle service between the Eccles Theatre in Park City and the DeJoria Center will be available. Valet parking and self-parking will be available at the DeJoria Center.
