Patrick Schwarzenegger to Headline Variety’s Spirituality & Entertainment Brunch at Sundance

Actor Patrick Schwarzenegger, actor and comedian Alex Edelman, actor Jeff Hiller, director and producer Poh Si Teng, and creator and executive producer Sterlin Harjo are slated to participate in Variety’s Spirituality & Entertainment Brunch, presented by the Coalition for Faith & Media, at Sundance Film Festival. The brunch will take place on Jan. 23.

Kicking off the brunch is a conversation with actor Patrick Schwarzenegger, which will be moderated by Variety’s Co-Editor-in-Chief Cynthia Littleton. Following that, “A Closer Look at the Faith and Entertainment Index 2026” will explore top findings from research conducted by HarrisX, investigating faith in storytelling and its influence on modern audiences in America, featuring executive director of the Coalition for Faith & Media, Brooke Zaugg.

The brunch follows up Variety’s Faith & Spirituality in Entertainment Honors, which took place on Dec. 4, 2025, and honored Tiffany Haddish, Mo Amer, Zahn McClarnon, Bridget Everett, Thomas Pa’a Sibbett and more. The honors were hosted by Jay Shetty.

Wrapping things up is the “Spirituality & Entertainment Roundtable,” which explores creative talent who are influenced and inspired by spirituality in their work in film and TV. The roundtable will be moderated by Cynthia Littleton and features Poh Si Teng, director/producer, (“American Doctor”); Alex Edelman, Emmy-winning writer, actor and comedian, (“The Paper” and “Alex Edelman: Just for Us”); Sterlin Harjo, creator and executive producer (“The Lowdown” and “Reservation Dogs”); and Jeff Hiller, Emmy-winning actor (“Somebody, Somewhere”; “Pluribus” and “Widow’s Bay”).

“Building on the momentum of our Faith & Spirituality in Entertainment Honors in December, we are pleased to once again partner with the Coalition for Faith & Media at Sundance,” said Dea Lawrence, Variety’s publisher and co-president. “These conversations continue to shape positive perceptions around faith and spirituality within the entertainment industry.”

“At a time when faith, identity and culture are often treated as divisive, storytelling offers another path. We’re excited to partner with Variety at Sundance to introduce new research examining how audiences actually experience faith on screen — and what that means for the future of entertainment.”

You can follow all of Variety’s Sundance coverage here.

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