Spotlight – ALLIANCE OF WOMEN FILM JOURNALISTS

SPOTLIGHT March, 2023: Kai Bowe, Programming Director, OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network

March 1, 2023March 5, 2023 Leslie Combemale Africa Channel, ferguson rises, Kai Bowe, oprah winfrey, OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network, program director, reality tv, show runner, spike lee, spotlight, unscripted programming

Kai Bowe strives to create content and shepherd a variety of projects that entertain or comfort, as well as those that make change or impact the world for the better. She is someone who personally stands in her own power and walks the walk of striving to be better for herself, family, friends, and community. So many of the most influential Black creatives, including Spike Lee and Oprah Winfrey, have incorporated “Each one Teach one”, and Kai continues to embrace that philosophy in all her projects. We at AWFJ so appreciate women who bring such positivity, talent, and inspiration to the world of film and TV!

Spotlight

SPOTLIGHT February 2023: Yvonne Rainer, Experimental Filmmaker, Dancer and Choreographer

January 29, 2023January 30, 2023 Marilyn Ferdinand (Archived Contributor) Babette Mangolte, Feelings Are Facts, Hellzapoppin’: What about the bees?, Judson Dance Theater, lives of performers, MURDER and murder, Novella Nelson, Privilege, spotlight, Yvonne Reiner

Yvonne Rainer is an experimental filmmaker whose unique and challenging film collages are informed by her extensive knowledge of and interest in progressive politics, philosophy, social issues, avant garde art and dance, and Hollywood films. Her work has been recognized with numerous awards, including a MacArthur “genius” grant and the addition of Lives of Performers to the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress, demonstrating that living life on one’s own terms is not only possible, but also a key to success.

Spotlight

SPOTLIGHT January 2023: Catherine Martin, Australia’s iconic Costume, Production and Set designer

December 29, 2022December 30, 2022 Brandy McDonnell Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards, Baz Luhrmann, Catherine Martin, Elvis, Longford Lyell Award

As collaborative as she is multi-talented, Catherine Martin has made an indelible mark on cinema. Her flair for design, her dedication to research and her passion for authenticity have allowed the movies she’s worked on to transport us to Parisian cabaret in the 1890s, to a New York mansion during the Roaring 1920s and to a Las Vegas stage with The King himself.

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SPOTLIGHT December 2022: Sarah Polley, Actor, Author, Writer/Director of WOMEN TALKING

November 28, 2022December 29, 2022 Liz Braun away from her, canadian filmmakers, me too, Run Towards The Danger: Confrontations with a Body of Memory, Sarah Polley, spotlight, STORIES WE TELL, Women Talking

Sarah Polley is an iconic independent filmmaker who has throughout her career made choices that explore the lives of women and reflect her own experiences and feminist point of view. Keen insight and compassion distinguish her movies. Her work is authoritative and honest, and always gives audiences a safe space in which to contemplate the issues that impact their lives. We are glad to see her return to directing after a hiatus of 10 years and applaud Women Talking as an artistic achievement well worth all of the awards buzz it is generating

Spotlight

SPOTLIGHT November 2022: Barbara Broccoli, Beloved BOND and Beyond

October 28, 2022October 31, 2022 Beth Accomando 007, albert r boccoli, Barbara Broccoli, Daniel Craig, james bond, James Bond franchise, Michael G. Wilson, OBE, Pierce Brosnan, spotlight, Till

Barbara Broccoli epitomizes what a great producer should be: smart, creative, passionate, tenacious, and successful. Along with her half-brother Michael G. Wilson, she oversees one of the longest-running, most acclaimed, and most financially successful film franchises in the world. But she is not content with that achievement alone and consistently seeks to produce other films and theatrical stage productions as well as engage in philanthropy and activism. As a teenager she knew she wanted a career in the film industry and she set out with fierce determination to achieve that end and has risen to the top in her field with the awards, critical acclaim, financial success and respect of her peers to prove it.

Spotlight

SPOTLIGHT October 2022: Tatiana S. Riegel, Film Editor

September 30, 2022October 6, 2022 Beth Accomando craig gillespie, curella, film editor, i tonya, Pam and Tommy, spotlight

Editing has been called the “invisible art” because it is meant to go unnoticed. Perhaps that’s why it is a field where women were allowed to flourish from the earliest days of Hollywood. Women have consistently made up almost a third of Hollywood’s editing pool and they have excelled at the craft. Tatiana S. Riegel is a success story. She set her sights on a career in the film industry started at the very bottom and navigated her way to the top through hard work and by choosing challenging and diverse projects.

Spotlight

SPOTLIGHT September 2022: Ayoka Chenzira, filmmaker, educator, transmedia storyteller

September 2, 2022September 20, 2022 Marilyn Ferdinand (Archived Contributor) Alma’s Rainbow, Ayoka Chenzira, Hair Piece: A Film for Nappyheaded People, HERadventure, national film registry, spotlight, Syvilla Fort

Ayoka Chenzira is a pioneering Black filmmaker who has pushed the boundaries of where cinema can go. As an educator, she has encouraged new generations of women to find and raise their voices as they pursue careers in the liberal arts. Her dedication to ensuring that authentic African American experiences find their way into the mainstream of American society enriches us all.

Spotlight

SPOTLIGHT August 2022: Haifaa Al Mansour, Saudi Filmmaker and Cultural Activist

July 31, 2022July 31, 2022 Leslie Combemale Haifaa Al Mansour, mary shelley, Nappily Ever After, Saudi Film Commission, Saudi Filmmaker, Tales of the Walking Dead, The Perfect Candidate, Wadjda

Haifaa Al Mansour has a vision and an aesthetic as a filmmaker, to be sure, and she’s bringing it to screens big and small. That’s important, but even more important is the impact she’s having on women around the world. She wants to be inspiring, and she has already proven herself to be as such. Haifaa Al Mansour is an advocate who stands up for women. She has a unique and passionate voice, and we are all lucky she chose to share it with us.

Spotlight

SPOTLIGHT July 2022: Geena Davis, Actor and Activist for Diversity in Cinema

June 30, 2022July 1, 2022 Valerie Kalfrin a league of their own, AWFJ Spotlight, bentonville film festival, geena davis, Geena Davis Institute, susan sarandon, thelma & Louise, tootsie

Geena Davis seeks challenges in the roles she plays—and challenges others to view women’s roles differently. She’s used her fame to draw attention to disparities in representation, especially in family entertainment, and she’s passionate about recognizing unconscious biases and breaking boundaries around gender, race, body image, and abilities. By measuring evidence of what we see on screen, her institute provides evidence of how well media represents us and the inspiration to do better.

Spotlight

SPOTLIGHT JUNE, 2022: Larysa Artiugina, Documentarian, Activist, and Cultural Champion

May 31, 2022August 26, 2022 Marilyn Ferdinand (Archived Contributor) Black Diary of the Maidan, Docua, eastern Ukraine, Euromaidan, How We Became Military Volunteers, Larysa Artiugina, New Donbas, Stronger Than Arms, Ukrainian Cultural Foundation

To most of the world, Russia’s massive, armed aggression against Ukraine in February 2022 came as a shock. For Ukrainian filmmaker and activist Larysa Artiugina, it may have seemed all but inevitable. Artiugina has been on the ground in eastern Ukraine, where Russia has been shelling Ukrainian citizens continuously since 2014, telling stories that depict the country’s plight and resistance—work she continues in a variety of roles. For her trouble, she has been placed on a Russian hit list.

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"#TheLostKing is far from perfect but it is witty, vaguely edifying, and very British." @LizBraunSun reviews director Stephen Frears' latest, starring the always luminous Sally Hawkins: https://awfj.org/blog/2023/03/18/the-lost-king-review-by-liz-braun/

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ICYMI: @MarBarFu brings us #AWFJ's weekly look at movies made by and about women. For March 20-26, here's a run down of what's hitting theatres or streaming: https://awfj.org/blog/2023/03/18/opening-march-20-to-26-2023-margaret-barton-fumo-reports/

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Polish filmmaker Agnieszka Smoczyńska‘s #Fugue is finally getting a long-overdue limited US cinema release. Our own @suspirialex takes a look at this portrait of a woman in crisis: https://awfj.org/blog/2023/03/20/fugue-review-by-alexandra-heller-nicholas/

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We had to wait decades for Nicolas Cage's very first western (Butcher's Crossing) but then only 1 year for his second - #TheOldWays. @susangranger reviews the latest from @PrimeVideo: https://awfj.org/blog/2023/03/20/the-old-ways-review-by-susan-granger/

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"Documentary-like in its candor, [#TheWorstOnes] is also touchingly tender as it captures a memorable summer in its characters’ lives." Our Movie of the Week (#MOTW) team reviews the #Cannes2022 #UnCertainRegard winner from Lise Akoka & Romane Gueret: https://awfj.org/blog/2023/03/18/movie-of-the-week-march-24-2023-the-worst-ones/

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