The Artemis Women in Action Film Festival has announced the honorees for its 2017 edition. Ingrid Bolsø Berdal, Cynthia Rothrock, Gina Carano, and Luci Romberg will be celebrated in April, a press release revealed.
Produced by Artemis Motion Pictures, the fest is dedicated to honoring female-driven action films. Carrie Fisher, Rosie O’Donnell, Patricia Arquette, and Paul Feig are among its high-profile supporters.
“Our film festival seeks to redefine the image of women, not just on screen, but in culture as well,” emphasized festival Founder Melanie Wise. “Our official hashtag is #womenkickass and we try to convey that sensibility in everything that we do.”
“The idea of female action heroes is nothing new, women have been action heroes from Antiquity to the present day,” Co-Founder Sean Marlon Newcombe added. “We want to increase awareness of that for the industry and for audiences.”
Berdal (“Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters,” 2014’s “Hercules”) will be honored with the Artemis Action Next Wave Award. A graduate of Oslo National Academy of the Arts, she is best known for portraying Armistice in the Lisa Joy co-created “Westworld.” Berdal will next be seen in the upcoming “The Odd Couple,” directed by Margarethe von Trotta and written by Pamela Katz.
Rothrock (“China O’Brien,” “Lady Dragon”) is set to receive the Artemis Action Lifetime Achievement Award for her “extraordinary body of work” in more than 50 action films.” She holds a black belt in seven different martial arts and “is a legend both in Hong Kong and the US,” the press release details.
Carano will take home the Artemis Action Warrior Award for “her contributions to the female action genre and women’s Mixed Martial Arts.” The star of Steven Soderbergh’s “Haywire” has also appeared in films like “Fast & Furious 6,” “The Heist,” and “Deadpool.”
Finally, Romberg will be celebrated as part of the upcoming generation of stuntwomen. She has served as Melissa McCarthy’s stunt double in “Ghostbusters,” “Spy,” “The Boss,” and “Identity Thief.” A talented freerunner, Romberg serves as stuntwoman on the upcoming “Pitch Perfect 3,” directed by Trish Sie and written by Kay Cannon.
For more information check out the Artemis Film Festival website.
