The Athena Film Festival has announced its 2019 awardees. The ninth edition of the fest will honor Time’s Up founding member Nina Shaw, “The Miseducation of Cameron Post” filmmaker Desiree Akhavan, and Cameron Bailey, co-head of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). A celebration of female leaders, the fest is set to run from February 28 to March 3 at Barnard College in New York City.
Shaw will be recognized with the Athena Award. She has over four decades of experience working in the industry as a talent attorney with a focus on television, motion picture, and live stage areas. In 2005 she received the Women in Film Crystal Award. Launched on January 1, 2018, Time’s Up advocates for better representation and working conditions for women across industries. Time’s Up and the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative recently joined forces for the 4% Challenge to increase the number of women, especially women of color, directing major studio films. Universal Filmed Entertainment Group (Universal Pictures, Focus Features, and Dreamworks Animation), MGM Studios, and Paramount (Paramount Pictures, Paramount Animation, and Paramount Players) have accepted the 4% Challenge, among others.
Writer, director, actress, and producer Akhavan will be honored with the Breakthrough Award. She made her feature debut with 2014’s “Appropriate Behavior,” and her latest film, “The Miseducation of Cameron Post,” won the Grand Jury prize at Sundance 2018. The multi-hyphenate writes, directs, and stars in her series, “The Bisexual,” currently airing on Hulu.
Receiving the Leading Man Award is Bailey. He served as artistic director of TIFF from 2012, and was recently named co-head of the fest. “During his tenure, TIFF has brought many female filmmakers into the international spotlight,” a press release from Athena emphasizes. TIFF signed the gender parity pledge back in September.
“We are proud to announce our 2019 Athena Film Festival honorees, who continue to push the gender equality and inclusion conversation forward, both in front of and behind the camera,” said Kathryn Kolbert, co-founder and producing director of the Athena Film Festival. “We value the work of each of our honorees and look forward to highlighting their accomplishments at the festival.”
Melissa Silverstein, co-founder and artistic director of the Athena Film Festival and founder of Women and Hollywood, added, “Now more than ever, it is crucial that we continue to recognize the voices and visions of women in this industry. The Athena Film Festival is proud to honor these champions and give them a platform to continue the dialogue about this important moment in the industry.”
Previous Athena Film Festival awardees include Ava DuVernay, Greta Gerwig, and Paul Feig.
