A force of nature, Tichi Wilkerson became the publisher and editor of The Hollywood Reporter after her husband, Billy Wilkerson, died in 1962. Yet no matter how prominent her position, the publisher, who was of Mexican heritage, felt isolated professionally from Hollywood with its men’s clubs and associations, according to Mollie Gregory’s 2002 book, Women Who Run the Show. In 1973, Wilkerson formed the advocacy group Women in Film.
Wilkerson ran a front-page editorial in THR introducing readers to Wif, stating that Hollywood was more prejudiced against women than anyone cared to admit. “Now is the time to verify our reputation as an equal-opportunity industry by opening the doors wider to an ever-increasing group of talented female filmmakers,” the op-ed said. “They do need a chance to be seen and heard.”
Wilkerson had been flooded with calls when reading a story in her own paper revealing that barely 1 percent of TV scripts were written by women.
Wilkerson ran a front-page editorial in THR introducing readers to Wif, stating that Hollywood was more prejudiced against women than anyone cared to admit. “Now is the time to verify our reputation as an equal-opportunity industry by opening the doors wider to an ever-increasing group of talented female filmmakers,” the op-ed said. “They do need a chance to be seen and heard.”
Wilkerson had been flooded with calls when reading a story in her own paper revealing that barely 1 percent of TV scripts were written by women.
- 5/31/2023
- by Nekesa Mumbi Moody and Pamela McClintock
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Step out of your 6000 Sux, stop watching Tj Lazer re-runs, put down that flier from the Home Heart Centre, box up your game of Nukem. That’s right folks, we’re time-traveling to the not too distant future of 2043 Detroit in this episode of Revisited where Paul Verhoeven set his seminal, all time classic sci-fi action epic Robocop. The Dutch director showcases all of his trademark filmmaking skills and a penchant for graphic violence in the movie and it remains an often copied, but never bettered, example of visceral sci-fi filmmaking. Just think of entertainment empires that are now synonymous with the era in which they first emerged and have gained longevity in various forms – for example; Star Wars, Marvel, The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter and it’s hard to imagine a mid-budget movie such as Robocop having the same cultural appeal or influence. However, just like its hero,...
- 5/8/2023
- by Adam Walton
- JoBlo.com
Click here to read the full article.
In honor of the 30th anniversary of The Hollywood Reporter’s annual Women in Entertainment issue, THR spoke with some of the powerhouse women that were featured in the very first list in 1992. From the likes of Sherry Lansing, Kathleen Kennedy, Gale Ann Hurd, Debbie Allen and more, nine women share what they’ve learned, the challenges they faced and how they’ve seen the industry evolve over the years. This year, THR also celebrates 30 years of sponsorship from longstanding cable network Lifetime.
Debbie Allen is flanked by dancers Destiny Wimpye (left) and Jalyn Flowers in the 2020 film Dance Dreams: Hot Chocolate Nutcracker. Debbie Allen
Actor-singer-director-producer
What I was doing in 1992 I was directing and producing A Different World, the spinoff of The Cosby Show, which became a centerpiece in the world of higher achievement in academics for colleges. We tripled the...
In honor of the 30th anniversary of The Hollywood Reporter’s annual Women in Entertainment issue, THR spoke with some of the powerhouse women that were featured in the very first list in 1992. From the likes of Sherry Lansing, Kathleen Kennedy, Gale Ann Hurd, Debbie Allen and more, nine women share what they’ve learned, the challenges they faced and how they’ve seen the industry evolve over the years. This year, THR also celebrates 30 years of sponsorship from longstanding cable network Lifetime.
Debbie Allen is flanked by dancers Destiny Wimpye (left) and Jalyn Flowers in the 2020 film Dance Dreams: Hot Chocolate Nutcracker. Debbie Allen
Actor-singer-director-producer
What I was doing in 1992 I was directing and producing A Different World, the spinoff of The Cosby Show, which became a centerpiece in the world of higher achievement in academics for colleges. We tripled the...
- 12/12/2022
- by Sydney Odman and Stacey Wilson Hunt
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Stephanie Allain has been selected as this year’s recipient of the PGA/UCLA Vision Award for her work championing visionary filmmakers of color and women.
The UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television made the announcement Monday. The award, presented by the UCLA Tft Producers Program in consultation with the Producers Guild of America, is being presented to Allain in recognition of a career that “exemplifies an extraordinary vision as a producer in all aspects of film, art, and business, and who leaves an indelible mark on the industry.”
Allain’s producing credits include “Hustle & Flow,” “Something New,” “Beyond the Lights” and “Dear White People.” She also co-produced the 2020 Oscars, becoming the first African American woman to do so in the 92-year history of the awards ceremony.
Allain is a member of the producers branch of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, the Writers Guild of...
The UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television made the announcement Monday. The award, presented by the UCLA Tft Producers Program in consultation with the Producers Guild of America, is being presented to Allain in recognition of a career that “exemplifies an extraordinary vision as a producer in all aspects of film, art, and business, and who leaves an indelible mark on the industry.”
Allain’s producing credits include “Hustle & Flow,” “Something New,” “Beyond the Lights” and “Dear White People.” She also co-produced the 2020 Oscars, becoming the first African American woman to do so in the 92-year history of the awards ceremony.
Allain is a member of the producers branch of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, the Writers Guild of...
- 8/3/2020
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Polly Platt, production designer, screenwriter, producer, and key collaborator to auteurs such as James L. Brooks and Peter Bogdanovich, doesn’t get the credit she deserves as a creative genius.
The new season of “You Must Remember This,” Karina Longworth’s deeply researched podcasts on all things Hollywood history, aims to rectify that injustice. Entitled “Polly Platt, The Invisible Woman,” the series recounts Platt’s integral role in the creation of such classics as “The Last Picture Show,” “Paper Moon,” “Terms of Endearment,” “Broadcast News,” and “Say Anything.” It also details her stormy personal life — a battle with alcoholism, as well as the emotional toll exacted by the breakup of her marriage to Bogdanovich, who left her on the set of “The Last Picture Show” for Cybill Shepherd.
Platt was a barrier-breaker in every sense of the phrase, becoming one of the first women to be admitted into the production designers guild,...
The new season of “You Must Remember This,” Karina Longworth’s deeply researched podcasts on all things Hollywood history, aims to rectify that injustice. Entitled “Polly Platt, The Invisible Woman,” the series recounts Platt’s integral role in the creation of such classics as “The Last Picture Show,” “Paper Moon,” “Terms of Endearment,” “Broadcast News,” and “Say Anything.” It also details her stormy personal life — a battle with alcoholism, as well as the emotional toll exacted by the breakup of her marriage to Bogdanovich, who left her on the set of “The Last Picture Show” for Cybill Shepherd.
Platt was a barrier-breaker in every sense of the phrase, becoming one of the first women to be admitted into the production designers guild,...
- 7/15/2020
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Editors’ Note: With full acknowledgment of the big-picture implications of a pandemic that already has claimed thousands of lives, cratered economies globally and closed international borders, Deadline’s Coping With Covid-19 Crisis series is a forum for those in the entertainment space grappling with myriad consequences of seeing the industry screech to a halt. The hope is for an exchange of ideas and experiences, and suggestions on how businesses and individuals can best ride out a crisis that doesn’t look like it will abate any time soon. If you have a story, email mike@deadline.com.
Like the rest of the faculty at Los Angeles’ big film schools, USC School of Cinematic Arts professor Gail Katz had to quickly modify her teaching methods and curriculum once the coronavirus pandemic hit. As a longtime producer, she knows all about adapting on the fly, with credits on blockbusters including the Wolfgang Petersen movies Air Force One,...
Like the rest of the faculty at Los Angeles’ big film schools, USC School of Cinematic Arts professor Gail Katz had to quickly modify her teaching methods and curriculum once the coronavirus pandemic hit. As a longtime producer, she knows all about adapting on the fly, with credits on blockbusters including the Wolfgang Petersen movies Air Force One,...
- 5/6/2020
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
On Wednesday, June 13th, Women In Film, Los Angeles (Wif) celebrated outstanding women in the entertainment industry with the 2018 Crystal + Lucy Awards presented by sponsors Max Mara, Lancôme and Lexus.
Ellen Pompeo Speaks Onstage
Credit/Copyright: Getty Images for Women In Film
The evening, themed “Ignited,” raised funds and awareness for Women In Film, La and its many educational and philanthropic programs, and its advocacy for gender parity for women throughout the industry.
The 2018 Crystal + Lucy Award honorees included the following: Brie Larson with The Crystal Award for Excellence in Film presented to her by actress and friend Jessie Ennis; Channing Dungey with The Lucy Award for Excellence in Television presented to her by actress Ellen Pompeo; Alexandra Shipp with the Women In Film Max Mara Face of the Future Award presented to her by actress Regina Hall and Max Mara Vice President Us Retail and Global Brand Ambassador Maria...
Ellen Pompeo Speaks Onstage
Credit/Copyright: Getty Images for Women In Film
The evening, themed “Ignited,” raised funds and awareness for Women In Film, La and its many educational and philanthropic programs, and its advocacy for gender parity for women throughout the industry.
The 2018 Crystal + Lucy Award honorees included the following: Brie Larson with The Crystal Award for Excellence in Film presented to her by actress and friend Jessie Ennis; Channing Dungey with The Lucy Award for Excellence in Television presented to her by actress Ellen Pompeo; Alexandra Shipp with the Women In Film Max Mara Face of the Future Award presented to her by actress Regina Hall and Max Mara Vice President Us Retail and Global Brand Ambassador Maria...
- 6/15/2018
- Look to the Stars
Patrick Dempsey and his wife, Jill, are back together, and their first order of business -- dumping the pad Jill bought when they were on the verge of divorce. Jill swooped the 2 story Pacific Palisades home last summer for $6.1 million -- when she and Patrick were in the throes of the breakup -- and now she's unloaded it for $7.575 mil. The deal closed on Tuesday. Pretty sweet temporary housing for Jill -- 5 beds, 5 baths with 6,135 square feet of space,...
- 10/4/2016
- by TMZ Staff
- TMZ
UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television has established the Barbara Boyle Promising Producers Prize in the school’s Producers Program, the school announced Tuesday. Beginning in 2016, the award will be given to a UCLA Tft Producers Program student presenting in the annual Producers Marketplace during the school’s Student Film Festival. The award honors Boyle, a former film executive and producer whose credits include “Phenomenon” and “Bottle Rocket.” She served as chair of UCLA Tft’s Department of Film, Television and Digital Media for nine years. She is currently the Associate Dean of Entrepreneurial Activities and Special Initiatives at UCLA Tft.
- 8/12/2015
- by Deborah Day
- The Wrap
The UCLA School Of Theater, Film And Television has established an award named after the former executive and Women In Film Crystal Award recipient.
Albert Dorman, Boyle’s brother and founding chairman of Los Angeles-based Aecom Technology Corp, has created the Barbara Boyle Promising Producers Prize in the UCLA Tft Producers Program.
The award will carry on Boyle’s legacy in educating future filmmakers and starting in 2016 will be given to a UCLA Tft Producers Program student presenting in the annual Producers Marketplace during the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television’s Student Film Festival.
Boyle studied law at UCLA and from 1982-86 in her capacity as a production executive oversaw production on The Terminator and Platoon.
She co-founded Sovereign Pictures in 1990 with offices in Los Angeles and London and as an independent producer she made Phenomenon.
In April 2003 she stepped down from the presidency of Valhalla Motion Pictures to become chair of UCLA Tft’s Department...
Albert Dorman, Boyle’s brother and founding chairman of Los Angeles-based Aecom Technology Corp, has created the Barbara Boyle Promising Producers Prize in the UCLA Tft Producers Program.
The award will carry on Boyle’s legacy in educating future filmmakers and starting in 2016 will be given to a UCLA Tft Producers Program student presenting in the annual Producers Marketplace during the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television’s Student Film Festival.
Boyle studied law at UCLA and from 1982-86 in her capacity as a production executive oversaw production on The Terminator and Platoon.
She co-founded Sovereign Pictures in 1990 with offices in Los Angeles and London and as an independent producer she made Phenomenon.
In April 2003 she stepped down from the presidency of Valhalla Motion Pictures to become chair of UCLA Tft’s Department...
- 8/11/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Women In Film is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting equal opportunities for women, encouraging creative projects by women, and expanding and enhancing portrayals of women in all forms of global media. Given that women comprise fifty percent of the population, Wif's ultimate goal is to see the same gender parity reflected on and off screen. Founded in 1973, Wif focuses on advocacy and education, provides scholarships, grants and film finishing funds and works to preserve the legacies of all women working in the entertainment community.
Since 1977, Women In Film, Los Angeles has annually honored outstanding women in the entertainment industry – women who lead by example, who are creative, groundbreaking, and who excel at their chosen fields. This year’s Crystal + Lucy Awards® fundraising dinner, in support of Wif La’s educational and philanthropic programs and its advocacy for gender parity for women throughout the industry, is being held on Tuesday, June 16 in the Los Angeles Ballroom of the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Century City. The 2015 Crystal + Lucy Awards is sponsored by Max Mara, BMW of North America, and Tiffany & Co.
This year’s Crystal + Lucy Award honorees are:
2015 Crystal Award for Excellence in Film – Nicole Kidman 2015 Lucy Award for Excellence in Television – Jill Soloway 2015 Dorothy Arzner Directors Award® – Ava DuVernay The Women In Film Max Mara “Face of the Future®” 2015 – Kate Mara Presented by Nicola Maramotti Global Brand Ambassador for Max Mara
2015 Tiffany & Co. / Bruce Paltrow Mentorship Award – Sue Kroll 2015 Sue Mengers Award – Toni Howard
Cathy Schulman , President of Women In Film, Los Angeles, said in making the announcement, “We are proud to celebrate an extraordinary line-up of honorees this year. Each one of these women has made extraordinary contributions to the media art, and as a group they have forged sustainable careers that are emblematic of the positive and long overdue change that is taking root for women in Hollywood.”
Iris Grossman, President Emerita of Women In Film, Los Angeles, returning this year as Chair of the Awards, said “This year’s honorees are all women who have helped change the face of the business. Through their insight, determination, resilience and talent, they add substance and depth to their creative endeavors and to the entertainment industry as a whole.”
About the Honorees
Nicole Kidman / Crystal Award for Excellence in Film
The Crystal Awards were established in 1977 to honor outstanding women who, through their endurance and the excellence of their work, have helped to expand the role of women within the entertainment industry. Past recipients include Cate Blanchett, Laura Linney, Viola Davis, Annette Bening, Donna Langley, Jennifer Aniston, Diane English and the cast of The Women, Renée Zellweger, Jennifer Lopez, Sandra Bullock, Gwyneth Paltrow, Diane Lane, Halle Berry, Laura Ziskin, Jessica Lange, Meryl Streep, Jodie Foster, Angela Bassett, Meg Ryan, Susan Sarandon, Michelle Pfeiffer, Alfre Woodard, Polly Platt, Lauren Shuler Donner, Diane Warren, Amy Heckerling, Paula Weinstein, Martha Coolidge, Buffy Shutt and Kathy Jones, Gale Anne Hurd, Nancy Malone, Maya Angelou, Lily Tomlin, Ruby Dee, Penny Marshall, Jessica Tandy, Barbara Boyle, Nikki Rocco, Jean Firstenberg, Lee Remick, Lina Wertmuller, Bette Davis, Bette Midler, Goldie Hawn, Diane Keaton, Sherry Lansing, Nora Ephron, Dawn Steel, Fay Kanin, Lillian Gish, Whoopi Goldberg, Glenn Close and Amy Pascal.
Academy Award winning actress Nicole Kidman is internationally-recognized for her range and versatility. In 2002, Kidman was honored with her first Oscar nomination for her performance in the innovative musical, "Moulin Rouge!" For that role, and her performance in the psychological thriller "The Others," she received dual 2002 Golden Globe nominations, winning for Best Actress in a Musical. In 2003, Kidman won an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA Award and a Berlin Silver Bear for her portrayal of Virginia Woolf in Stephen Daldry’s "The Hours." In 2010 Kidman starred in "Rabbit Hole," for which she received Academy Award, Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild and Independent Spirit Award nominations for Best Actress. The film was developed by Kidman’s production company, Blossom Films. In October 2012 Kidman starred in Lee Daniel’s "The Paperboy." Her performance earned her an Aacta, Screen Actors Guild and Golden Globe nomination.
Upcoming films include "Strangerland," "The Family Fang" and "Genius." Kidman is currently in production on "The Secret in Their Eyes." Next up, she will being shooting The Weinstein Company’s "Lion."
In January of 2006, Kidman was awarded Australia’s highest honor, the Companion in the Order of Australia. She was also named, and continues to serve, as Goodwill Ambassador of the United Nations Development Fund for Women, Un Women, whose goals are to foster women’s empowerment and gender equality, to raise awareness of the infringement on women’s human rights around the world and to end violence against women. Along with her husband, Keith Urban, she has helped raise millions over the years for the Women’s Cancer Program which is a world-renowned center for research into the causes, treatment, prevention, and eventual cure of women’s cancer.
Jill Soloway / Lucy Award for Excellence in Television
The Lucy Awards were founded in 1994 by Joanna Kerns, Bonny Dore and Loreen Arbus and are presented in association with the Lucille Ball Estate. They were named for Lucille Ball, who was not only a legendary actress and comedienne, but also a producer, studio owner, creator and director. They are given to recognize women and men and their creative works that exemplify the extraordinary accomplishments she embodied; whose excellence and innovation have enhanced the perception of women through the medium of television. Past recipients include: Kerry Washington, The Women Of "Mad Men" (Christina Hendricks, January Jones, Elisabeth Moss, Jessica Paré, Kiernan Shipka), Bonnie Hammer, Nina Tassler, Courteney Cox, Holly Hunter, Salma Hayek, Shonda Rhimes and the women of "Grey’s Anatomy," Geena Davis, Debra Messing and Megan Mullally, Blythe Danner, Lily Tomlin, Rosie O’Donnell, Amy Brenneman, Tyne Daley, Phyllis Diller, Marcy Carsey, Carol Burnett, Barbara Walters, Shari Lewis, Garry Marshall, Angela Lansbury, Marlo Thomas, Gary David Goldberg, Diahann Carroll, Tracey Ullman, Fred Silverman, Imogene Coca, Camryn Manheim, Norman Lear, Bud Yorkin and the casts of "Sex and the City," " If These Walls Could Talk" and "If These Walls Could Talk 2."
Jill Soloway is the creator of Amazon Studios' Golden Globe-winning, "Transparent," a dark, deep, silly family series about boundaries, love and secrets.
Soloway won the U.S. Dramatic Directing Award at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival for her first feature, "Afternoon Delight." She recently founded WifeyTv, an internet brand producing and curating content to ignite the feminist revolution. Soloway is a three-time Emmy nominee for her work writing and producing "Six Feet Under."
She co-created the theater experiences, "Real Live Brady Bunch," "Miss Vagina Pageant," "Hollywood Hellhouse" and "Sit N Spin," and co-founded the community organization East Side Jews. Soloway lives with her family in Silver Lake.
Ava DuVernay / Dorothy Arzner Directors Award
Dorothy Arzner was the first female member of the Directors Guild of America. In her honor, the Dorothy Arzner Directors Award® was established to recognize the important role women directors play in the film and television industries. Past recipients include: Jennifer Lee, Sofia Coppola, Pamela Fryman, Lisa Cholodenko, Catherine Hardwicke, Nancy Meyers, Barbra Streisand, Mimi Leder, Barbara Kopple, Gillian Armstrong, Lian Lunson, Joey Lauren Adams and Nicole Holofcener.
Nominated for two Academy Awards, four Golden Globes, five Critics Choice awards, eight NAACP Image Awards and five Independent Spirit Awards, writer/director Ava DuVernay's most recent film "Selma" chronicles the historic 1965 voting rights campaign led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
She won the Best Director Prize at the Sundance Film Festival in 2012 for her acclaimed feature "Middle of Nowhere." Her previous narrative and documentary work includes the feature film "I Will Follow" and the documentaries Venus Vs.," "My Mic Sounds Nice" and "This is The Life."
In 2010, DuVernay founded the African-American Film Festival Releasing Movement (Affrm), a grassroots collective that distributes work from filmmakers of color. Prior to her directorial career, she worked as a film marketer and publicist for more than 14 years through her company, The DuVernay Agency.
Kate Mara / The Women In Film Max Mara “Face of the Future” Award
The Women In Film Max Mara “Face of the Future” Award® was inaugurated at Women In Film’s 2006 Crystal + Lucy Awards®. As the 13th year as presenting sponsor and longstanding Women In Film partner, Max Mara identifies an actress who is experiencing a turning point in her career through her work in the film and television industries with focus on her contributions to the community at large and recognizes her outstanding personal achievements and embodiment of style and grace. Past recipients include: Rose Byrne, Hailee Steinfeld, Chloë Grace Moretz, Katie Holmes, Zoë Saldana, Elizabeth Banks, Ginnifer Goodwin, Emily Blunt and Maria Bello.
Kate Mara made her feature film debut in "Random Hearts" for director Sydney Pollack. She then co-starred in Ang Lee’s "Brokeback Mountain" in which she portrayed Heath Ledger’s daughter. She also appeared in the Academy Award nominated film "127 Hours" with James Franco for director Danny Boyle and she co-starred in "Transcendence" alongside Johnny Depp and Morgan Freeman, which marked the directorial debut of Academy Award-winning cinematographer Wally Pfister.
Mara recently completed filming on location in Budapest director Ridley Scott’s outer space action film The Martian alongside Matt Damon and Jessica Chastain. Last fall, she completed filming the psychological thriller "Man Down" in which she plays the wife of a war veteran, played by Shia Labeouf and "Captive" in which she stars with David Oyelowo as a single mother struggling with meth addiction in the adaptation of the best-selling book An Unlikely Angel. This summer she will film "Morgan" for director Luke Scott, son of Ridley Scott, who will produce. Audiences will next see her star in "Fantastic Four" alongside Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan and Jamie Bell.
She received an Emmy Award® nomination for her role in David Fincher’s critically acclaimed television series, "House of Cards" in which she co-starred alongside Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright.
Sue Kroll/ Tiffany & Co. / Bruce Paltrow Mentorship Award
The Tiffany & Co. / Bruce Paltrow Mentorship Award was created to honor the late director and great mentor Bruce Paltrow. This year, Wif Presenting Sponsor Tiffany & Co. has joined the Paltrow family in recognizing an entertainment industry professional who has demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to mentoring and supporting the next generation of filmmakers and executives. Past honorees include Kathleen Kennedy and Sherry Lansing.
Sue Kroll is President, Worldwide Marketing and International Distribution for Warner Bros. Pictures. As marketing chief, she oversees the strategic creation and implementation of marketing campaigns for the Studio’s global releases and collaborates closely with the Studio’s principals on the strategic development of its slate of films.
Her leadership of global marketing has propelled the studio’s releases to record-breaking box office and myriad awards. Most recently, the Best Picture Oscar nominee "American Sniper" became the top-grossing domestic film release of 2014 and has grossed more than $500 million worldwide. Other recent successes include the "Harry Potter," "Dark Knight," and "The Hobbit" film series, as well as such award-winning pictures as "Gravity," "Argo" and "The Departed."
Kroll joined Warner Bros. in 1994 and headed International Marketing from 2000 to 2008, when she was named to her current role at the studio. She also serves on the Board of Directors of Film Independent, the Los Angeles-based non-profit that produces the Spirit Awards and the Los Angeles Film Festival, and is one of the inaugural members of Big Brothers Big Sisters’ Women in Entertainment Mentorship Program.
Toni Howard / Sue Mengers Award
The Sue Mengers Award , named for the legendary agent and given for the first time in 2015, will be presented annually to a representative who is, and has been, instrumental in guiding careers. Sue Mengers was an icon in the entertainment industry. She was one of the most influential talent agents of her time, when women were not the norm, and she was devoted to her clients.
Toni Howard is a partner at ICM Partners. Toni joined the agency’s talent department in 1991 and quickly became a leader in the division, having served as its department head for the better part of a decade. She oversees a celebrated and eclectic group of actors who appear in film, television and on stage and have garnered an astonishing 46 Academy Award® nominations, 148 Emmy® nominations, and 125 Golden Globe® nominations. Among her award-winning clients are Alan Alda, Candice Bergen, Michael Caine, Bobby Cannavale, Edie Falco, Samuel L. Jackson, Topher Grace, Holly Hunter, Michael Keaton, Nathan Lane, Spike Lee, Laura Linney, Catherine O’Hara, Lily Rabe, Christina Ricci, Tim Robbins, Michael Sheen, Maggie Smith, James Spader, Julia Stiles, and Christopher Walken. Throughout her career at ICM Partners, Toni has mentored many young agents to incredibly successful careers of their own.
Prior to joining ICM, Toni was an agent at the William Morris Agency for seven years. She began her entertainment industry career as a casting director, working on such iconic projects as "Tootsie," "Superman," "The Right Stuff" and "Something About Amelia."
Recognized by her distinctive voice, Toni was cast by director Alexander Payne as the voice of agent ‘Evelyn Berman-Silverman’ in the film "Sideways."...
Since 1977, Women In Film, Los Angeles has annually honored outstanding women in the entertainment industry – women who lead by example, who are creative, groundbreaking, and who excel at their chosen fields. This year’s Crystal + Lucy Awards® fundraising dinner, in support of Wif La’s educational and philanthropic programs and its advocacy for gender parity for women throughout the industry, is being held on Tuesday, June 16 in the Los Angeles Ballroom of the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Century City. The 2015 Crystal + Lucy Awards is sponsored by Max Mara, BMW of North America, and Tiffany & Co.
This year’s Crystal + Lucy Award honorees are:
2015 Crystal Award for Excellence in Film – Nicole Kidman 2015 Lucy Award for Excellence in Television – Jill Soloway 2015 Dorothy Arzner Directors Award® – Ava DuVernay The Women In Film Max Mara “Face of the Future®” 2015 – Kate Mara Presented by Nicola Maramotti Global Brand Ambassador for Max Mara
2015 Tiffany & Co. / Bruce Paltrow Mentorship Award – Sue Kroll 2015 Sue Mengers Award – Toni Howard
Cathy Schulman , President of Women In Film, Los Angeles, said in making the announcement, “We are proud to celebrate an extraordinary line-up of honorees this year. Each one of these women has made extraordinary contributions to the media art, and as a group they have forged sustainable careers that are emblematic of the positive and long overdue change that is taking root for women in Hollywood.”
Iris Grossman, President Emerita of Women In Film, Los Angeles, returning this year as Chair of the Awards, said “This year’s honorees are all women who have helped change the face of the business. Through their insight, determination, resilience and talent, they add substance and depth to their creative endeavors and to the entertainment industry as a whole.”
About the Honorees
Nicole Kidman / Crystal Award for Excellence in Film
The Crystal Awards were established in 1977 to honor outstanding women who, through their endurance and the excellence of their work, have helped to expand the role of women within the entertainment industry. Past recipients include Cate Blanchett, Laura Linney, Viola Davis, Annette Bening, Donna Langley, Jennifer Aniston, Diane English and the cast of The Women, Renée Zellweger, Jennifer Lopez, Sandra Bullock, Gwyneth Paltrow, Diane Lane, Halle Berry, Laura Ziskin, Jessica Lange, Meryl Streep, Jodie Foster, Angela Bassett, Meg Ryan, Susan Sarandon, Michelle Pfeiffer, Alfre Woodard, Polly Platt, Lauren Shuler Donner, Diane Warren, Amy Heckerling, Paula Weinstein, Martha Coolidge, Buffy Shutt and Kathy Jones, Gale Anne Hurd, Nancy Malone, Maya Angelou, Lily Tomlin, Ruby Dee, Penny Marshall, Jessica Tandy, Barbara Boyle, Nikki Rocco, Jean Firstenberg, Lee Remick, Lina Wertmuller, Bette Davis, Bette Midler, Goldie Hawn, Diane Keaton, Sherry Lansing, Nora Ephron, Dawn Steel, Fay Kanin, Lillian Gish, Whoopi Goldberg, Glenn Close and Amy Pascal.
Academy Award winning actress Nicole Kidman is internationally-recognized for her range and versatility. In 2002, Kidman was honored with her first Oscar nomination for her performance in the innovative musical, "Moulin Rouge!" For that role, and her performance in the psychological thriller "The Others," she received dual 2002 Golden Globe nominations, winning for Best Actress in a Musical. In 2003, Kidman won an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA Award and a Berlin Silver Bear for her portrayal of Virginia Woolf in Stephen Daldry’s "The Hours." In 2010 Kidman starred in "Rabbit Hole," for which she received Academy Award, Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild and Independent Spirit Award nominations for Best Actress. The film was developed by Kidman’s production company, Blossom Films. In October 2012 Kidman starred in Lee Daniel’s "The Paperboy." Her performance earned her an Aacta, Screen Actors Guild and Golden Globe nomination.
Upcoming films include "Strangerland," "The Family Fang" and "Genius." Kidman is currently in production on "The Secret in Their Eyes." Next up, she will being shooting The Weinstein Company’s "Lion."
In January of 2006, Kidman was awarded Australia’s highest honor, the Companion in the Order of Australia. She was also named, and continues to serve, as Goodwill Ambassador of the United Nations Development Fund for Women, Un Women, whose goals are to foster women’s empowerment and gender equality, to raise awareness of the infringement on women’s human rights around the world and to end violence against women. Along with her husband, Keith Urban, she has helped raise millions over the years for the Women’s Cancer Program which is a world-renowned center for research into the causes, treatment, prevention, and eventual cure of women’s cancer.
Jill Soloway / Lucy Award for Excellence in Television
The Lucy Awards were founded in 1994 by Joanna Kerns, Bonny Dore and Loreen Arbus and are presented in association with the Lucille Ball Estate. They were named for Lucille Ball, who was not only a legendary actress and comedienne, but also a producer, studio owner, creator and director. They are given to recognize women and men and their creative works that exemplify the extraordinary accomplishments she embodied; whose excellence and innovation have enhanced the perception of women through the medium of television. Past recipients include: Kerry Washington, The Women Of "Mad Men" (Christina Hendricks, January Jones, Elisabeth Moss, Jessica Paré, Kiernan Shipka), Bonnie Hammer, Nina Tassler, Courteney Cox, Holly Hunter, Salma Hayek, Shonda Rhimes and the women of "Grey’s Anatomy," Geena Davis, Debra Messing and Megan Mullally, Blythe Danner, Lily Tomlin, Rosie O’Donnell, Amy Brenneman, Tyne Daley, Phyllis Diller, Marcy Carsey, Carol Burnett, Barbara Walters, Shari Lewis, Garry Marshall, Angela Lansbury, Marlo Thomas, Gary David Goldberg, Diahann Carroll, Tracey Ullman, Fred Silverman, Imogene Coca, Camryn Manheim, Norman Lear, Bud Yorkin and the casts of "Sex and the City," " If These Walls Could Talk" and "If These Walls Could Talk 2."
Jill Soloway is the creator of Amazon Studios' Golden Globe-winning, "Transparent," a dark, deep, silly family series about boundaries, love and secrets.
Soloway won the U.S. Dramatic Directing Award at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival for her first feature, "Afternoon Delight." She recently founded WifeyTv, an internet brand producing and curating content to ignite the feminist revolution. Soloway is a three-time Emmy nominee for her work writing and producing "Six Feet Under."
She co-created the theater experiences, "Real Live Brady Bunch," "Miss Vagina Pageant," "Hollywood Hellhouse" and "Sit N Spin," and co-founded the community organization East Side Jews. Soloway lives with her family in Silver Lake.
Ava DuVernay / Dorothy Arzner Directors Award
Dorothy Arzner was the first female member of the Directors Guild of America. In her honor, the Dorothy Arzner Directors Award® was established to recognize the important role women directors play in the film and television industries. Past recipients include: Jennifer Lee, Sofia Coppola, Pamela Fryman, Lisa Cholodenko, Catherine Hardwicke, Nancy Meyers, Barbra Streisand, Mimi Leder, Barbara Kopple, Gillian Armstrong, Lian Lunson, Joey Lauren Adams and Nicole Holofcener.
Nominated for two Academy Awards, four Golden Globes, five Critics Choice awards, eight NAACP Image Awards and five Independent Spirit Awards, writer/director Ava DuVernay's most recent film "Selma" chronicles the historic 1965 voting rights campaign led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
She won the Best Director Prize at the Sundance Film Festival in 2012 for her acclaimed feature "Middle of Nowhere." Her previous narrative and documentary work includes the feature film "I Will Follow" and the documentaries Venus Vs.," "My Mic Sounds Nice" and "This is The Life."
In 2010, DuVernay founded the African-American Film Festival Releasing Movement (Affrm), a grassroots collective that distributes work from filmmakers of color. Prior to her directorial career, she worked as a film marketer and publicist for more than 14 years through her company, The DuVernay Agency.
Kate Mara / The Women In Film Max Mara “Face of the Future” Award
The Women In Film Max Mara “Face of the Future” Award® was inaugurated at Women In Film’s 2006 Crystal + Lucy Awards®. As the 13th year as presenting sponsor and longstanding Women In Film partner, Max Mara identifies an actress who is experiencing a turning point in her career through her work in the film and television industries with focus on her contributions to the community at large and recognizes her outstanding personal achievements and embodiment of style and grace. Past recipients include: Rose Byrne, Hailee Steinfeld, Chloë Grace Moretz, Katie Holmes, Zoë Saldana, Elizabeth Banks, Ginnifer Goodwin, Emily Blunt and Maria Bello.
Kate Mara made her feature film debut in "Random Hearts" for director Sydney Pollack. She then co-starred in Ang Lee’s "Brokeback Mountain" in which she portrayed Heath Ledger’s daughter. She also appeared in the Academy Award nominated film "127 Hours" with James Franco for director Danny Boyle and she co-starred in "Transcendence" alongside Johnny Depp and Morgan Freeman, which marked the directorial debut of Academy Award-winning cinematographer Wally Pfister.
Mara recently completed filming on location in Budapest director Ridley Scott’s outer space action film The Martian alongside Matt Damon and Jessica Chastain. Last fall, she completed filming the psychological thriller "Man Down" in which she plays the wife of a war veteran, played by Shia Labeouf and "Captive" in which she stars with David Oyelowo as a single mother struggling with meth addiction in the adaptation of the best-selling book An Unlikely Angel. This summer she will film "Morgan" for director Luke Scott, son of Ridley Scott, who will produce. Audiences will next see her star in "Fantastic Four" alongside Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan and Jamie Bell.
She received an Emmy Award® nomination for her role in David Fincher’s critically acclaimed television series, "House of Cards" in which she co-starred alongside Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright.
Sue Kroll/ Tiffany & Co. / Bruce Paltrow Mentorship Award
The Tiffany & Co. / Bruce Paltrow Mentorship Award was created to honor the late director and great mentor Bruce Paltrow. This year, Wif Presenting Sponsor Tiffany & Co. has joined the Paltrow family in recognizing an entertainment industry professional who has demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to mentoring and supporting the next generation of filmmakers and executives. Past honorees include Kathleen Kennedy and Sherry Lansing.
Sue Kroll is President, Worldwide Marketing and International Distribution for Warner Bros. Pictures. As marketing chief, she oversees the strategic creation and implementation of marketing campaigns for the Studio’s global releases and collaborates closely with the Studio’s principals on the strategic development of its slate of films.
Her leadership of global marketing has propelled the studio’s releases to record-breaking box office and myriad awards. Most recently, the Best Picture Oscar nominee "American Sniper" became the top-grossing domestic film release of 2014 and has grossed more than $500 million worldwide. Other recent successes include the "Harry Potter," "Dark Knight," and "The Hobbit" film series, as well as such award-winning pictures as "Gravity," "Argo" and "The Departed."
Kroll joined Warner Bros. in 1994 and headed International Marketing from 2000 to 2008, when she was named to her current role at the studio. She also serves on the Board of Directors of Film Independent, the Los Angeles-based non-profit that produces the Spirit Awards and the Los Angeles Film Festival, and is one of the inaugural members of Big Brothers Big Sisters’ Women in Entertainment Mentorship Program.
Toni Howard / Sue Mengers Award
The Sue Mengers Award , named for the legendary agent and given for the first time in 2015, will be presented annually to a representative who is, and has been, instrumental in guiding careers. Sue Mengers was an icon in the entertainment industry. She was one of the most influential talent agents of her time, when women were not the norm, and she was devoted to her clients.
Toni Howard is a partner at ICM Partners. Toni joined the agency’s talent department in 1991 and quickly became a leader in the division, having served as its department head for the better part of a decade. She oversees a celebrated and eclectic group of actors who appear in film, television and on stage and have garnered an astonishing 46 Academy Award® nominations, 148 Emmy® nominations, and 125 Golden Globe® nominations. Among her award-winning clients are Alan Alda, Candice Bergen, Michael Caine, Bobby Cannavale, Edie Falco, Samuel L. Jackson, Topher Grace, Holly Hunter, Michael Keaton, Nathan Lane, Spike Lee, Laura Linney, Catherine O’Hara, Lily Rabe, Christina Ricci, Tim Robbins, Michael Sheen, Maggie Smith, James Spader, Julia Stiles, and Christopher Walken. Throughout her career at ICM Partners, Toni has mentored many young agents to incredibly successful careers of their own.
Prior to joining ICM, Toni was an agent at the William Morris Agency for seven years. She began her entertainment industry career as a casting director, working on such iconic projects as "Tootsie," "Superman," "The Right Stuff" and "Something About Amelia."
Recognized by her distinctive voice, Toni was cast by director Alexander Payne as the voice of agent ‘Evelyn Berman-Silverman’ in the film "Sideways."...
- 4/6/2015
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Thirty years ago, a killing machine from 2029—assuming the form of an Austrian bodybuilder—arrived with a lethal directive to alter the future. That he certainly did. The Terminator, made for $6.4 million by a couple of young disciples of B-movie king Roger Corman, became one of the defining sci-fi touchstones of all time. Its $38 million gross placed it outside of the top-20 box-office releases for 1984, yet the film grew into a phenomenon, spawning a five-picture franchise that’s taken in $1.4 billion to date and securing a place on the National Film Registry, which dubbed it “among the finest science-fiction films in many decades.
- 7/17/2014
- by Joe McGovern
- EW - Inside Movies
After the runaway success of Frozen last year, Hollywood film-makers have high hopes for their spring lineup of cartoons on a mission to educate
Cartoons with a conscience and a mission to educate have become the route to success in Hollywood this spring, after a winter devoted to greed and crime in films such as The Wolf of Wall Street and American Hustle.
Last week Mr Peabody & Sherman – a DreamWorks animation about a dog that adopts a child and travels through history encountering Marie Antoinette, Leonardo da Vinci and the Trojan horse – beat all-comers to top the Us box office. Early next month 20th Century Fox's Rio 2, in which a lovable blue parrot and his friends battle extinction, is being rolled out in conjunction with a campaign by the Us Forest Service to encourage children to spend more time outdoors and reconnect with nature.
Studio-sponsored, public-service announcements are planned...
Cartoons with a conscience and a mission to educate have become the route to success in Hollywood this spring, after a winter devoted to greed and crime in films such as The Wolf of Wall Street and American Hustle.
Last week Mr Peabody & Sherman – a DreamWorks animation about a dog that adopts a child and travels through history encountering Marie Antoinette, Leonardo da Vinci and the Trojan horse – beat all-comers to top the Us box office. Early next month 20th Century Fox's Rio 2, in which a lovable blue parrot and his friends battle extinction, is being rolled out in conjunction with a campaign by the Us Forest Service to encourage children to spend more time outdoors and reconnect with nature.
Studio-sponsored, public-service announcements are planned...
- 3/23/2014
- by Edward Helmore
- The Guardian - Film News
Bart Simpson isn't a fan of school, but his creator is: Matt Groening has donated $500,000 to UCLA's School of Theater, Film and Television for the endowment of The Matt Groening Chair in Animation. The endowment will allow visiting master artists to teach classes in the program. This also marks the second year of the Matt Groening Initiative, in which "The Simpsons" creator gives $50,000 annually to supports animation students producing short animated films with social responsibility themes. It was started by Groening and Barbara Boyle, chair of the school’s Film,...
- 2/14/2012
- by Tim Molloy
- The Wrap
Every once in a while smart people get together to do good. In this case, the Women In Film Foundation was sitting on countless hours of some 40 Legacy Series video interviews with industry achievers--including Debbie Allen, Martha Coolidge, Eva Marie Saint, Fay Kanin, Evelyn Keyes, Marcia Nasatir, Margaret O'Brien, Anna Hamilton Phelan, Meta Wilde, Joan Tewkesbury, Fay Wray, Jane Wyatt and Laura Ziskin--that needed editing. After talking to Wif's Ilene Kahn Power and Linda Feferman about the series, Barbara Boyle, UCLA's Chair of the UCLA Department of Film, Television and Digital Media, figured out a clever way to kill two birds with one stone. She allocated some funding for first-round Legacy Series interviewee, legendary film editor Anne V. Coates (Lawrence of Arabia), to guest lecture ...
- 10/11/2010
- Thompson on Hollywood
While some filmmakers spend their entire careers maximizing the succinct pleasures of the short film, others start out by making shorts that they hope will maximize their chances of becoming a feature film director. This week alone will see the feature debuts of two directors who have turned their short films into full-length one -- Neill Blomkamp, whose 2005 socially conscious alien invasion tale "Alive in Joburg" has been turned into the Peter Jackson-produced "District 9," and Paul Solet, whose 2006 horror short "Grace," about a mother who refuses to give up on her miscarriage has morphed into a feature of the same name starring Jordan Ladd. Here's a look at ten other notable shorts that got the full feature treatment.
"Bottle Rocket" (1992)
Directed by Wes Anderson
What's another $4,000 after paying private school tuition? That was probably the pitch made by Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson to their fathers, a year...
"Bottle Rocket" (1992)
Directed by Wes Anderson
What's another $4,000 after paying private school tuition? That was probably the pitch made by Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson to their fathers, a year...
- 8/14/2009
- by Stephen Saito
- ifc.com
David Koepp has been honored with the Distinguished Achievement in Screenwriting Award by the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television at the UCLA Screenwriters Showcase, held this week at the WGA West Theater in Beverly Hills. The event was part of UCLA Festival 2004: New Student Work in Theater, Film and Television, which runs through Friday. Gore Verbinski received the UCLA Filmmaker of the Year Award at a Tuesday ceremony hosted by Robert Rosen, dean of the school, at the DGA Theatre in Los Angeles. On Wednesday, Catherine Hardwicke was honored by UCLA Film, Television and Digital Media Department chair Barbara Boyle at the DGA Theatre. Monday night's showcase honoring Koepp, which was hosted by Mike Werb, also featured staged readings from five winners of the annual graduate student screenwriting competition. They were Mike Armbruster, Tammy Duffy, Greg Kennerson, Katherine Ruppe and Julie Ann Sipos.
- 6/18/2004
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Girlfight helmer Karyn Kusama is in final negotiations to direct Paramount Pictures/MTV Films' Aeon Flux, a live-action feature based on the 1995 animated MTV Networks series of the same name that Gale Anne Hurd's Valhalla also is producing. Written by Matt Manfredi and Phil Hay (crazy/beautiful), the project is described as a stylish, fast-paced, female-driven action thriller set in a future where a top agent at an underground organization takes on a secret mission. Peter Cheung created the original series, whose feature film version will be produced by Hurd and MTV's David Gale. Valhalla executive Barbara Boyle and MTV exec Michael Cole are overseeing. Kusama is repped by WMA.
- 3/18/2003
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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