Women and Hollywood’s 10th Anniversary
Women and Hollywood celebrated its 10th anniversary in fall 2017!
Founder and Publisher Melissa Silverstein hosted three different events — one in New York, one in Los Angeles, and one in London — to honor a decade of educating, advocating, and agitating for greater gender diversity in film.
New York City — October 17, 2017
From left to right: Julie Taymor, Amma Asante, Sheila Nevins, Mynette Louie, and Julie Dash
Held at the Time Warner Center, our first celebration included screenings of Vanessa Coscia’s “ILE O Curta” and Brittany Fennell’s “Q.U.E.E.N.,” the respective NYC winner and runner up of the First-Time Female Filmmaker Contest. We also presented Trailblazer Awards to director Julie Taymor (“The Lion King,” “Frida”); director Amma Asante (“Belle,” “Where Hands Touch”); HBO Documentary Films president Sheila Nevins; GameChanger Films president Mynette Louie; and director Julie Dash (“Daughters of the Dust,” “Queen Sugar”).
Los Angeles — October 25, 2017
From left to right: Lenora Lapidus, Melissa Goodman, Dr. Stacy L. Smith, Angela Robinson, Haifaa al-Mansour, and Leah Meyerhoff
Our second event was held at the Arclight Theatre and was covered by The New York Times. It included screenings of Jaime Leigh Gianopoulos’ “O Florescer Da Voz” and Angela Jude’s “Prudence,” the respective LA winner and runner up of the First-Time Female Filmmaker Contest. We presented Trailblazer Awards to director Patty Jenkins (“Wonder Woman,” “Monster”); Lenora Lapidus, Director of the Women’s Rights Project at the ACLU; Melissa Goodman, Audrey Irmas director of the LGBTQ, Gender and Reproductive Justice Project at ACLU of SoCal; Dr. Stacy L. Smith, founder of the Media, Diversity, & Social Change Initiative; director Angela Robinson (“Professor Marston and the Wonder Women,” “D.E.B.S.”); director Haifaa al-Mansour (“Wadjda,” “Mary Shelley”); and director and Film Fatales founder Leah Meyerhoff (“I Believe in Unicorns”).
London — November 27, 2017
From left to right: Zelda Perkins, Gurinder Chadha, Alison Owen, Simran Hans, Clare Stewart, Elizabeth Karlsen, and Corrina Antrobus
Held at The May Fair Hotel, our final celebration included screenings of Marnie Paxton-Harris’ “Annie Waits,”and Meg Campbell’s “Present,” the respective London winner and runner up of the First-Time Female Filmmaker Contest. We presented Trailblazer Awards to Robert Fox Ltd theater producer Zelda Perkins; director Gurinder Chadha (“Viceroy’s House,” “Bend it Like Beckham”); producers Alison Owen (“Harlots,” “Suffragette”) and Elizabeth Karlsen (“Carol,” “Made in Dagenham”); Bechdel Test Fest’s Simran Hans and Corrina Antrobus; and BFI London Film Fest director Clare Stewart.
Congratulations to our Trailblazers and First-Time Female Filmmaker Contest honorees! And thank you to everyone who joined us to celebrate!