Washington, D.C., January 18, 2024 – On Sunday, January 21st, gun violence prevention will take the main stage at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. The panel, “Storytelling and Gun Safety: Changing the Narrative to Save Lives,” will feature Brady President Kris Brown, gun violence survivor Rep. Maxwell Frost (FL-10), and Sundance-featured actor/filmmaker Clark Gregg and producers Jelani Johnson and Laura Lewis. The Ankler Editorial Director Richard Rushfield will moderate the meaningful discussion focusing on Hollywood’s role in preventing gun violence by modeling responsible gun ownership and showing the consequences of reckless gun use.
“We’ve seen the pivotal role Hollywood can play in combating some of our country’s toughest public health crises, from promoting seatbelts to preventing drunk driving and smoking," Kris Brown, President of Brady. “With guns now the number one killer of kids in America, we need to flip the script. We must shift the cultural narrative around guns from that of glorification and personal safety to a more balanced view of the inherent dangers of firearms and an understanding of safe gun ownership. I’m looking forward to our conversation and discussing ways to further empower our nation’s storytellers to transform America’s deadly relationship with guns."
“Hollywood has a unique ability to reach all Americans where they are,” says actor Clark Gregg, writer-director of Choke (Sundance Film Festival 2008, Special Jury Prize), the Marvel universe, and his new film premiering at Sundance Film Festival, Thelma. “Not every American is watching the news, but nearly everyone watches films and TV shows. As storytellers – especially those who handle guns on screen – we wield the power to influence norms and beliefs, and we have a responsibility to use that power to illustrate responsible firearm ownership.
Brady, the nation’s leading gun violence prevention group, is empowering our nation’s storytellers to #ShowGunSafety on screen for a safer America free of gun violence. Brady’s core #ShowGunSafety principles have already begun to take root throughout Hollywood. At Sundance Film Festival, more filmmakers and creatives will have the opportunity to learn how they, too, can end gun violence through their art and creativity. Click here to RSVP and reach out to Izzy Olive ([email protected]) for media inquiries.
Brady has one powerful mission — to unite all Americans against gun violence. We work across Congress, the courts, and our communities with over 90 grassroots chapters, bringing together young and old, red and blue, and every shade of color to find common ground in common sense. In the spirit of our namesakes Jim and Sarah Brady, we have fought for over 45 years to take action, not sides, and we will not stop until this epidemic ends. It’s in our hands.
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