In alphabetical order, the Alliance of Women Film Journalists’ top ten films of 2012 are:

Amour
Argo
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Life of Pi
Lincoln
The Master
Moonrise Kingdom
Silver Linings Playbook
Skyfall
Zero Dark Thirty

AWFJ’s Top Ten 2012 list is a compilation of our members’ individual top ten lists, which are also available on our Website.

AWFJ is honored to have presented two EDA Awards at Sheffield Doc/Fest 2012.

The first EDA Award declared Debra Zimmerman to be “Ambassador of Women’s Film,” a title bestowed in recognition of her tireless efforts and tremendous success as the force of nature behind Women Make Movies, which has promoted women filmmakers and their work for 40 years

The AWFJ EDA Award for Best Female-Directed Film went to Going Up The Stairs, directed by Rokhsareh Gaeme Maghami. According to the AWFJ Jury (comprised of AWFJ members Linda Barnard, Nikki Baughan, MaryAnn Johanson, Karen Krizanovich and Jennifer Merin), the film is about a “most unlikely artist, a 50 year old illiterate Iranian woman who is consumed by her need to create, but has also embraced her role in a traditional marriage to an older man who controls her destiny. Her creativity bursts forth, as though it has a will of its own. and she simply can’t stop painting. Akram’s riotous, colourful, primative canvasses - and her endearing personality - reach out to the viewer and grab hold. We present this year’s EDA Award to GOING UP THE STAIRS. Bravo to director Rokhsareh Ghaem Maghami and your wonderful leading lady, Akram.”

Unfortunately, Rokhsareh Gaeme Maghami was not able to attend the ceremony because approval of her visa was delayed by the British embassy in Warsaw, Poland. But she did send a moving acceptance message: “Repeating the phrase ‘the best female directed’ makes me feel better…. I wish the world could be directed in a female way. If it was so, governments wouldn’t go for a war. I don’t think that embassies would take revenge on artists because of politics. I am sure that artists needn’t to prove that they are rich or married to travel abroad for a festival. They wouldn’t hear ’sorry, we cannot make a decision’ when they are nominated for an award. Yes, repeating ‘the best femaled directed’ makes me feel better. I am so proud of it. Thank you, Sheffield Doc/Fest staff and AWFJ.”

Going Up The Stairs was among six finalists in competition for the EDA Award. Others included Call Me Kuchu (Directed by Malika Zouhali-Worrall and Katherine Fairfax-Wright), Indie Game: The Movie (Directed by Lisanne Pajot and James Swirsky), Putin’s Kiss (Directed by Lise Birk Pedersen), Scarlet Road (Directed by Catherine Scott), and The Tsunami and The Cherry Blossom (Directed by Lucy Walker).

All female-directed films screening at Sheffield Doc/Fest 2012 were eligible for the award. The finalists were selected by the jury after they’d viewed all screeners submitted for consideration.

The Sheffield Doc/Fest 2012 awards are the second set of EDA Awards presented at film festivals this year. The first presentation was at Salem Film Fest in March. Awards partnerships with other film festivals — both narrarive and documentary — are in the works. Please stay tumed for developments. Meanwhile, complete coverage of the awards at Sheffield Doc/Fest 2012 can be found here

(PHOTO: Jennifer Merin, Heather Croall, MaryAnn Johanson at Sheffield Doc/Fest 2012 Awards Ceremony. Courtesy: Sheffield Doc/Fest).

The Alliance of Women Film Journalists (AWFJ) is pleased to announce that the winner of our juried EDA Award for the Best Female-Directed Film at the 2012 Salem Film Fest is WISH ME AWAY, directed by Bobbie Birleffi & Beverly Kopf.

AWFJ also presented a special award for Synthesis of Theme and Form to ALL ME: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF WINFRED REMBERT, directed by Vivian Ducat.

The jury for the EDA Awards presented at Salem Film Fest 2012 included AWFJ members Cynthia Fuchs (Popmatters.com), Jennifer Merin (Documentaries.About.com and Womens eNews), Erin Trahan (The Independent), Susan Wloszczyna (USA Today) and Jeanne Wolf (JeanneWolfsHollywood.com and PARADE Magazine).

All jurors participated in the nominating process, selecting from all female-directed films programmed at the festival, the five following titles as EDA Award nominees:

•ALL ME: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF WINFRED REMBERT - Director: Vivian Ducat
•IN HEAVEN, UNDERGROUND - Drector: Britta Wauer
•SKYDANCER - Director: Katja Esson
•WE STILL LIVE HERE: AS NUTAYUNEAN - Director: Anne Makepeace
•WISH ME AWAY - Directors: Bobbie Birleffi & Beverly Kopf

The EDA Award winner was announced and the award certificate was presented on Saturday March 3, at 1:30 pm, during an AWFJ-facilitated panel discussion about “How does media cover documentary film?.”

Salem Film Fest 2012 took place from March 1-8, 2012, in Salem, MA.

AWFJ commends Salem Film Fest selection committee for its high ratio of female-directed films and for helping to facilitate this award process. AWFJ thanks the qualifying filmmakers and distributors for submitting their films for consideration, and our jury members for their participation in presenting this AWFJ EDA Award.

The Alliance of Women Film Journalists (AWFJ) is pleased to announce that we will present a juried EDA Award for the Best Female-Directed Film at the 2012 Salem Film Fest.

The jury for the EDA Award includes AWFJ members Cynthia Fuchs (Popmatters.com), Jennifer Merin (Documentaries.About.com and Womens eNews), Erin Trahan (The Independent), Susan Wloszczyna (USA Today) and Jeanne Wolf (JeanneWolfsHollywood.com and PARADE Magazine). Read more

Cyril Tusche’s fascinating profile of Mikhail Khodorkovsky, the now imprisoned Russian oil mogul and international monetary powerhouse, is a gripping thriller presented with stunning cinematic style. Read more>>

The Alliance of Women Film Journalists is proud to announce its partnership with the Independent Television Service (ITVS) for its the three-year national PBS campaign Women and Girls Lead, the multiyear public engagement campaign, which aims to educate, focus, and connect viewers with more than 50 acclaimed documentaries, as well as through nationwide community and educational events. Read more

USA TODAY’s Susan Wloszczyna, a founding member of AWFJ, found the topic of women in film alive and well and much discussed at the 13th Sarasota Film Festival this year. Her exclusive report: Read more

The Alliance of Women Film Journalists is pleased to announce its 2011 slate of new members, invited from among the top news media covering the content and business of film. The additions bring the number of leading women journalists on the organization’s roster to 70.

Listed in alphabetical order, the AWFJ welcomes: Read more

Of the thousands of items writen about the 2010 EDA Awards, these are some of our favorites. Read more>>

AWFJ’s 2008 EDA Awards and Top Ten lists received global coverage in consumer and industry media, and at fan and special interest Websites. Here, selected from thousands of items available on the Internet, is a rather randomly organized list with links to of some of our favorites, Read more>>