Stewart was honored for her starring roles in two big festival premieres: “Love Me,” a post-apocalyptic romance film in which she stars opposite Steven Yeun, and “Loves Lies Bleeding,” an A24-backed crime thriller in which she played a reclusive gym manager who falls for a local bodybuilder.
“It’s hard to get here,” Stewart said at the party about returning to Sundance, where she has premiered more than a dozen movies throughout her career. “Not because it’s an established and elite film festival, but because it supports marginalized voices. Voices that aren’t heard anywhere else. It’s a solidifying, communal feeling and it only makes you stronger to go back into a world of a ‘no’ and say, ‘I know that there’s a place for me.’”
In , which marks the second directorial effort of “Saint Maud” helmer Rose Glass, Stewart goes toe-to-toe with such heavyweight actors like Ed Harris and Jena Malone.
“You don’t always work with great actors but I was just stunned,” Stewart said of working on the film. “They are such good actors. It can be intimidated but you rise to the occasion. You really stand on your tippy toes in those occasions.”
“Jenna and I have a sisterly showdown,” Stewart continued. “She shocked the pants off me. She screamed in my face in a way that was not even remotely scripted. It took me so far back that I fell on a bed and she landed on top of me and started pummeling me. I’ve looked up to her as a sister but from a distance. You know when you see people on screen and you’re like, ‘I feel like I know you.’ We had some historical admiration.”
Stewart’s “Love Lies Bleeding” co-star Anna Baryshnikov was in attendance at the Variety Sundance Cover Party presented by United Airlines and sang Stewart’s praises.
“She’s the real adult version of cool,” Baryshnikov said. “She’s incredibly kind and hard working. She’s just so passionate and deeply knowledgeable about film. A good example of what a generous scene partner she is that my first scene with her I was smoking a cigarette was shaking so much and it blew it out. The scene ended and I was so embarrassed and she said, ‘No, we want people that are going to care about the movie that much.’ She’s so talented and courageous. I play a character that was in love with her and acting was so easy.”
Stewart’s Love Me directors Andrew Zuchero and Sam Zuchero stopped by the party to support their leading lady, as did “Power” actor Gianni Paolo and activist Alok.
