Extreme Weather Survivors, 350.org Take Human-Centered Storytelling to Sundance
Filmmakers and survivors turn lived experience into civic and cultural power.
PARK CITY, UTAH –– This weekend at the Sundance Film Festival, Extreme Weather Survivors (EWS) and 350.org will be joined by filmmakers, survivors, and leaders for an urgent and timely fireside chat centering storytelling as a form of civic and cultural power, exploring how survivor-led narratives shape public understanding and enable lasting policy change.
Event Details
When Stories Lead, Systems Follow: Human-Centered Storytelling for Change
2026 Sundance Film Festival, Impact Lounge in Prospector Square | 2245 Sidewinder Drive Park City, UT 84060 | 6:30–7:15 PM
Interviews available with panelists on storytelling, recovery, and systemic change.
Moderated by Candice Fortin, U.S. Campaign Manager at 350.org, the panel features:
Sierra Lindsey Kos, Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director, Extreme Weather Survivors
Victor Tadashi Suárez and Livia Albeck-Ripka, Directors, Still Standing
Max Walker-Silverman, Director, Rebuilding
The 45-minute discussion will include film clips and video testimonies from survivors across the country, grounding the conversation in the real-world consequences of extreme weather and the long, uneven road to recovery. Together, filmmakers and survivors will examine how stories, when led by lived experience, can mobilize communities, influence institutions, and catalyze the changes required for a more just and resilient future.
Panelist Background:
Sierra Lindsey Kos brings a rare blend of storytelling and policy experience, from serving as President Obama’s video director to producing award-winning documentaries and leading major public interest campaigns.
Victor Tadashi Suárez and Livia Albeck-Ripka’s Sundance documentary short Still Standing captures the unsettling aftermath of the January 7, 2025, Altadena wildfire, documenting families trapped between toxic homes and an insurance system without clear standards for habitability.
Max Walker-Silverman’s Rebuilding, premiering at Sundance 2025, explores loss, hope, and community in the wake of a wildfire through the story of a father and daughter rebuilding their lives in a FEMA camp.
“These are not lessons or ‘eat-your-vegetables’ stories,” said Sierra Kos, co-founder and executive director, EWS. “They are deeply human stories told from the inside of a crisis, and when lived experience leads the narrative, it has the power to move culture and ultimately make real change.”
Media and festival attendees are invited to take part in a conversation on how storytelling grounded in lived experience helps shape lasting policy change.
