UPDATES

ReFrame Announces New Director and Leadership Council

Pictured above from L–R: Channing Dungey, Franklin Leonard, Andria Wilson Mirza, Keri Putnam, Rena Ronson, Bird Runningwater, Kirsten Schaffer, Cathy Schulman

ReFrame, the coalition of industry professionals and partner companies founded in 2017 by WIF and Sundance Institute with the mission to increase the number of women of all backgrounds working in the screen industries, has appointed a new Director: Andria Wilson Mirza.

She will be working alongside the newly formed ReFrame Council, which includes:

  • Channing Dungey, Chairman and CEO, Warner Bros. Television
  • Franklin Leonard, Founder, The Black List
  • Keri Putnam, ReFrame co-founder and Sundance CEO
  • Rena Ronson, Head of UTA Independent Film Group
  • Bird Runningwater, Senior Director of Indigenous Program and DEI, Sundance Institute
  • Kirsten Schaffer, Executive Director, WIF
  • Cathy Schulman, ReFrame co-funder and Oscar-winning producer

Most recently, Andria Wilson Mirza was the Executive Director of Inside Out in Toronto, Canada, one of the world’s largest LGBTQ film festivals and the home of the International LGBTQ Film Financing Forum, which was launched during her tenure. While at Inside Out, Andria also led the development of strategic partnerships that focused on industry advocacy and professional development for underrepresented filmmakers. She co-founded the North American Queer Festival Alliance and the LGBTQ talent database Out on Set, launched an endowment fund for queer women and trans emerging directors, and spearheaded a four-year partnership between Inside Out and Netflix to expand career and content development programs for LGBTQ filmmakers.

Learn More About ReFrame
Read Article on Deadline

93rd Oscar Nominations

March 15, 2021

Today we celebrate the historic nomination of two women for Best Director at the Oscars, a great leap forward after only five women have previously been nominated in 93 years of the Academy Awards. It’s so heartening to see women nominated across almost every category, from Best Picture to writing, editing, and all of the crafts that make movies happen. We will continue to work for these great strides to continue as there is still more to do to achieve equality in entertainment.

We congratulate the 72 women nominated for Academy Awards this year, as well as the three women who will receive Technical Achievement Awards. We also honor the significance of several milestones among this year’s nominees, including:

  • Chloé Zhao, who is nominated in four categories for Nomadland (which she directed, produced, wrote, and edited), is the first woman of color to receive a Best Director nomination. This is the first year that there are two Asian directors nominated, including Minari‘s Lee Isaac Chung.
  • This is also the first year that there are two women directors nominated, as Emerald Fennell is nominated not only for directing Promising Young Woman, but also for producing and writing.
  • Viola Davis, Best Actress nominee for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom has the most nominations ever for a Black actress, with this being her fourth Oscar nod. She is the only Black woman with two nominations for Best Actress.
  • Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom Makeup and Hairstyling nominees Mia Neal and Jamika Wilson are the first Black women ever to be nominated for the category.

The women nominees for the 93rd Academy Awards are:

  • Best Picture
    • Mank – Ceán Chaffin, Producer
    • Minari – Christina Oh, Producer
    • Nomadland – Frances McDormand, Mollye Asher, Chloé Zhao, Producers
    • Promising Young Woman – Ashley Fox, Emerald Fennell, Producers
  • Directing
    • Nomadland – Chloé Zhao
    • Promising Young Woman – Emerald Fennell
  • Film Editing
    • Nomadland – Chloé Zhao
  • Actress in a Leading Role
    • Viola Davis – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
    • Andra Day – The United States vs. Billie Holiday
    • Vanessa Kirby – Pieces of a Woman
    • Frances McDormand – Nomadland
    • Carey Mulligan – Promising Young Woman
  • Actress in a Supporting Role
    • Maria Bakalova – Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
    • Glenn Close – Hillbilly Elegy
    • Olivia Colman – The Father
    • Amanda Seyfried – Mank
    • Yuh-Jung Youn – Minari
  • Original Screenplay
    • Promising Young Woman – Written by Emerald Fennell
  • Adapted Screenplay
    • Borat Subsequent Moviefilm – Screenplay by Erica Rivinoja & Jena Friedman; Story by Nina Pedrad
    • Nomadland – Written for the screen by Chloé Zhao
  • Documentary Feature
    • Collective – Bianca Oana
    • Crip Camp – Nicole Newnham, Sara Bolder
    • The Mole Agent – Maite Alberdi, Marcela Santibáñez
    • My Octopus Teacher – Pippa Ehrlich
    • Time – Garrett Bradley, Lauren Domino
  • International Feature
    • The Man Who Sold His Skin (Tunisia) – Directed by Kaouther Ben Hania
    • Quo Vadis, Aida? (Bosnia and Herzegovina) – Directed by Jasmila Žbanić
  • Animated Feature
    • Onward – Kori Rae
    • Over the Moon – Gennie Rim, Peilin Chou
    • Soul – Dana Murray
  • Live Action Short
    • Feeling Through – Susan Ruzenski
    • The Letter Room – Elvira Lind, Sofia Sondervan
    • The Present – Farah Nabulsi
    • White Eye – Shira Hochman
  • Documentary Short
    • Colette – Alice Doyard
    • Do Not Split – Charlotte Cook
    • A Love Song for Latasha – Sophia Nahli Allison, Janice Duncan
  • Animated Short
    • Burrow – Madeline Sharafian
  • Production Design
    • The Father – Cathy Featherstone
    • Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom – Karen O’Hara, Diana Stoughton
    • Mank – Jan Pascale
    • News of the World – Elizabeth Keenan
    • Tenet – Kathy Lucas
  • Costume Design
    • Emma. – Alexandra Byrne
    • Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom – Ann Roth
    • Mank – Trish Summerville
    • Mulan – Bina Daigeler
  • Makeup and Hairstyling
    • Emma. – Marese Langan, Laura Allen, Claudia Stolze
    • Hillbilly Elegy – Eryn Krueger Mekash, Patricia Dehaney
    • Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom – Mia Neal, Jamika Wilson
    • Mank – Gigi Williams, Kimberley Spiteri, Colleen LaBaff
    • Pinocchio – Dalia Colli
  • Visual Effects
    • Love and Monsters – Genevieve Camilleri
  • Sound
    • Soul – Coya Elliott
    • Sound of Metal – Michelle Couttolenc
  • Original Song
    • “Fight for You” from Judas and the Black Messiah – H.E.R., Tiara Thomas
    • “Hear My Voice” from The Trial of the Chicago 7 – Celeste Waite
    • “Io Sì (Seen)” from The Life Ahead – Diane Warren, Laura Pausini

In February, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences celebrated its Scientific & Technical Awards. Receiving Technical Achievement Awards were:

  • Hayley Iben, for the Taz Hair Simulation System
  • Kelly Ward Hammel and Maryann Simmons, for the Walt Disney Animation Studios Hair Simulation System

Click here to read more about the women of this year’s awards season, including video interviews with nominees and the #VoteForWomen ballot.

A Look Back at WIF @ Sundance

WIF congratulates the women who were celebrated at this year’s Sundance Film Festival awards ceremony, especially Siân Heder, director of CODA, which not only is the first film in the festival’s history to win all three top prizes in the U.S. Dramatic feature category—the Grand Jury Prize, the Directing Award, and the Audience Award—but also broke records when it was bought for $25 million after its premiere. CODA additionally received the Special Jury Award for Best Ensemble, including actors Emilia Jones and Marlee Matlin.

In the U.S. Documentary competition, Natalia Almada won the Directing Prize, for USERS; Kristina Motwani and Rebecca Adorno won the Jonathan Oppenheim Editing Award, for HOMEROOM; and Parker Hill and Isabel Bethencourt won the Special Jury Award for Emerging Filmmaker, for CUSP. In the World Cinema Dramatic Competition, Blerta Basholli of Kosovo also took home the triple crown, her film HIVE winning the Grand Jury Prize, Directing Award, and Audience Award. In the World Cinema Documentary Competition, Rintu Thomas won the Special Jury Award for Impact for Change, for WRITING WITH FIRE, which also won the Audience Award; and Camilla Nielsson won the Special Jury Award for Vérité Filmmaking, for PRESIDENT.

We also congratulate Marion Hill, who won the NEXT Audience Award for MY BELLE, MY BEAUTY; animation director Jane Samborski who won the NEXT Innovator Award for CRYPTOZOO; Natalie Qasabian, who won the Sundance Institute/Amazon Studios Producers Award for Narrative Features, for RUN; Nicole Salazar, who won the Sundance Institute/Amazon Studios Producers Award for Documentary Features, for PHILLY D.A.; Meryam Joobeur, who won the Sundance Institute NHK Award, for MOTHERHOOD; Juli Vizza, who won the Sundance Institute/Adobe Mentorship Award for Editing Nonfiction; and Terilyn Shropshire, who won the Sundance Institute/Adobe Mentorship Award for Editing Fiction.

WATCH NOW: WIF @ Sundance

“Let’s Talk About Sex, Maybe”
Join WIF and a panel of brilliant intimacy coordinators and their collaborators for a conversation about the vital work being done across independent film and big budget productions to ensure better storytelling and safety on set. Who are the professionals helping to set our industry standards for intimate content? What are the different ways they balance addressing the needs of actors and crew while also facilitating the artistic vision of creative decision-makers? How do they practice and encourage mindful engagement on set, particularly when faced with challenging subject matter or sensitive themes? Guests to include Amanda Blumenthal, Olivia Troy, and Michael Mohan.

A Sound, A Mood, A Place” How Music Supervisors Set the Stage
Join WIF for a fascinating discussion with music supervisor Alexandra Eckhardt about the ways she curated jazz music that accurately reflected the transition from Chicago-style blues and New Orleans brass bands to jazz orchestras in the Harlem Renaissance for Rebecca Hall’s PASSING, screening now at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. This riveting conversation will be a captivating look at how music supervisors help convey a tone, express character, propel a narrative, and immerse audiences in a world. Other guests to be announced.

SXSW Winners 2021

WIF congratulates the women who received awards at the 28th SXSW Film Festival in March 2021.

Feature Film Grand Jury Awards

Narrative Feature Competition

  • Winner
    The Fallout, director: Megan Park
  • Special Jury Recognition for Multi-hyphenate Storyteller
    I’m Fine (Thanks for Asking), directors: Kelley Kali and Angelique Molina

Documentary Feature Competition

  • Special Jury Recognition for Exceptional Intimacy in Storytelling
    Introducing, Selma Blair, director: Rachel Fleit

Short Film Grand Jury Awards

Narrative Shorts

  • Special Jury Recognition for Direction
    Like the Ones I Used to Know, director: Annie St-Pierre

Documentary Shorts

  • Winner
    Águilas, directors: Kristy Guevara-Flanagan and Maite Zubiaurre

Animated Shorts

  • Special Jury Recognition for Storytelling
    Your Own Bullshit, director: Daria Kopiec

Music Videos

  • Winner
    Madame Gandhi – “Waiting for Me,” director: Misha Ghose
  • Special Jury Recognition for Pure Joy
    Kuricorder Quartet – “Southpaw,” director: Sawako Kabuki

Texas Shorts

  • Winner
    Summer Animals, director: Haley Elizabeth Anderson
  • Special Jury Recognition for Vision
    O Black Hole!, director: Renee Zhan

Texas High School Shorts

  • Winner
    A Really Dark Comedy, director: Manasi Ughadmathe
  • Special Jury Recognition for Directing
    Beyond the Model, director: Jessica Lin

Episodic Pilot Competition

  • Winner
    4 Feet High, directors: Maria Belen Poncio and Rosario Perazolo Masjoan
  • Special Jury Recognition for Best Duo
    Pretend Partners, Kristin Erickson with director Ron Najor

Title Design Competition

  • Winner
    The Queen’s Gambit Title Sequence, designer: Saskia Marka

Audience Awards

Headliners
Tom Petty, Somewhere You Feel Free, director: Mary Wharton

Narrative Feature Competition
The Fallout, director: Megan Park

Narrative Spotlight
Language Lessons, director: Natalie Morales

Documentary Spotlight
Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America, directors: Emily Kunstler and Sarah Kunstler

Visions
Inbetween Girl, director: Mei Makino

Midnighters
Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk Horror, director: Kier-La Janisse

Global
Ninjababy, director: Yngvild Sve Flikke

Festival Favorites
In The Same Breath, director: Nanfu Wang

2020 Spotlight
We Are The Thousand, director: Anita Rivaroli

Texas Shorts Competition
Learning Tagalog with Kayla, director: Kayla Abuda Galang

Texas High School Shorts Competition
Beyond the Model, director: Jessica Lin

Music Videos Competition
Kuricorder Quartet – “Southpaw,” director: Sawako Kabuki

Episodic Pilot Competition
4 Feet High, directors: Maria Belen Poncio and Rosario Perazolo Masjoan

Virtual Cinema Competition
Finding Pandora X, director: Kiira Benzing

SXSW Special Awards

Brightcove Illumination Award
The Fallout, director: Megan Park

Adam Yauch Hörnblowér Award
Delia Derbyshire – the Myths and the Legendary Tapes, director: Caroline Catz

Louis Black “Lone Star” Award
Without Getting Killed or Caught, directors: Tamara Saviano and Paul Whitfield

Mailchimp Support the Shorts Special Jury Recognition

  • Like the Ones I Used to Know, director: Annie St-Pierre
  • Malignant, directors: Morgan Bond and Nickolas Grisham

Sundance Film Festival 2021

WIF congratulates the filmmakers of marginalized genders who have directed films that will be on the 2021 Sundance Film Festival program. Fifty percent of the works that have been selected for the festival have at least one woman director, and six projects have non-binary directors. These films are listed below.

U.S. Dramatic Competition

Presenting the world premieres of narrative feature films, the U.S. Dramatic Competition offers Festivalgoers a first look at groundbreaking new voices in American Independent film.

CODA
Director and Screenwriter: Siân Heder
As a CODA – Child of Deaf Adults – Ruby is the only hearing person in her deaf family. When the family’s fishing business is threatened, Ruby finds herself torn between pursuing her love of music and her fear of abandoning her parents.

PASSING
Director and Screenwriter: Rebecca Hall
Two African American women who can “pass” as white choose to live on opposite sides of the color line in 1929 New York in an exploration of racial and gender identity, performance, obsession and repression.

TOGETHER TOGETHER
Director and Screenwriter: Nikole Beckwith
When young loner Anna is hired as the surrogate for Matt, a single man in his 40s, the two strangers come to realize this unexpected relationship will quickly challenge their perceptions of connection, boundaries and the particulars of love.

MAYDAY
Director and Screenwriter: Karen Cinorre
Ana is transported to a dreamlike and dangerous land where she joins a team of female soldiers engaged in a never-ending war along a rugged coast. Though she finds strength in this exhilarating world, she comes to realize that she’s not the killer they want her to be.

SUPERIOR
Director: Erin Vassilopoulos; Screenwriters: Erin Vassilopoulos, Alessandra Mesa
On the run, Marian returns to her hometown in upstate New York to hide out with her estranged identical twin sister, Vivian. Struggling to put the past behind her, Marian lies about the reason for her return, leaving her sister in the dark until their two worlds begin to collide.

U.S. Documentary Competition

Presenting the world premieres of nonfiction feature films, the U.S. Documentary Competition offers Festivalgoers a first look at American films illuminating the ideas, people, and events that shape the present day.

AILEY
Director: Jamila Wignot
Alvin Ailey was a visionary artist who found salvation through dance. Told in his own words and through the creation of a dance inspired by his life, this immersive portrait follows a man who, when confronted by a world that refused to embrace him, determined to build one that would.

CUSP
Directors: Parker Hill, Isabel Bethencourt
In a Texas military town, three teenage girls confront the dark corners of adolescence at the end of a fever dream summer.

TRY HARDER!
Director: Debbie Lum
In a universe where cool kids are nerds, the orchestra is world class and being Asian American is the norm, seniors at Lowell High School compete for the top prize: admission to the college of their dreams.

AT THE READY
Director: Maisie Crow
Home to one of the region’s largest law enforcement education program, students at Horizon High School in El Paso train to become police officers and Border Patrol agents as they discover the realities of their dream jobs may be at odds with the truths and people they hold most dear.

RITA MORENO: JUST A GIRL WHO DECIDED TO GO FOR IT
Director: Mariem Pérez Riera
Rita Moreno defied both her humble upbringing and relentless racism to become one of a select group who have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Award. Over a seventy year career, she has paved the way for Hispanic American performers by refusing to be pigeonholed into one-dimensional stereotypes.

USERS
Director: Natalia Almada
A mother wonders, will my children love their perfect machines more than they love me, their imperfect mother? She switches on a smart-crib lulling her crying baby to sleep. This perfect mother is everywhere. She watches over us, takes care of us. We listen to her. We trust her.

World Cinema Dramatic Competition

These narrative feature films from emerging talent around the world offer fresh perspectives and inventive styles.

THE DOG WHO WOULDN’T BE QUIET (Argentina)
Director: Ana Katz
Sebastian, a man in his thirties, works a series of temporary jobs and he embraces love at every opportunity. He transforms, through a series of short encounters, as the world flirts with possible apocalypse.

HIVE (Kosovo-Switzerland-Macedonia-Albania)
Director and Screenwriter: Blerta Basholli
Fahrije’s husband has been missing since the war in Kosovo. She sets up her own small business to provide for her kids, but as she fights against a patriarchal society that does not support her, she faces a crucial decision: to wait for his return, or to continue to persevere.

PLEASURE (Sweden-Netherlands-France)
Director and Screenwriter: Ninja Thyberg
A 20-year-old girl moves from her small town in Sweden to LA for a shot at a career in the adult film industry.

EL PLANETA (U.S.-Spain)
Director and Screenwriter: Amalia Ulman
Amidst the devastation of post-crisis Spain, mother and daughter bluff and grift to keep up the lifestyle they think they deserve, bonding over common tragedy and an impending eviction.

THE PINK CLOUD (Brazil)
Director and Screenwriter: Iuli Gerbase
A mysterious and deadly pink cloud appears across the globe, forcing everyone to stay home. Strangers at the outset, Giovana and Yago try to invent themselves as a couple as years of shared lockdown pass. While Yago is living in his own utopia, Giovana feels trapped deep inside.

World Cinema Documentary Competition

These nonfiction feature films from emerging talent around the world showcase some of the most courageous and extraordinary filmmaking today.

FAYA DAYI (Ethiopia-U.S.)
Director, Screenwriter and Producer: Jessica Beshir
A spiritual journey into the highlands of Harar, immersed in the rituals of khat, a leaf Sufi Muslims chewed for centuries for religious meditations – and Ethiopia’s most lucrative cash crop today. A tapestry of intimate stories offers a window into the dreams of youth under a repressive regime.

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL BOY IN THE WORLD (Sweden)
Directors: Kristina Lindström, Kristian Petri
Swedish actor/musician Björn Andresen’s life was forever changed at the age of 15, when he played Tadzio, the object of Dirk Bogarde’s obsession in Death in Venice – a role which led Italian maestro Luchino Visconti to dub him “the world’s most beautiful boy.”

PRESIDENT (Denmark-U.S.-Norway)
Director: Camilla Nielsson
Zimbabwe is at a crossroads. The leader of the opposition MDC party, Nelson Chamisa, challenges the old guard ZANU-PF led by Emmerson Mnangagwa, known as “The Crocodile.” The election tests both the ruling party and the opposition – how do they interpret principles of democracy in discourse and in practice?

INCONVENIENT INDIAN (Canada)
Director and Screenwriter: Michelle Latimer
An examination of Thomas King’s brilliant dismantling of North America’s colonial narrative, which reframes history with the powerful voices of those continuing the tradition of Indigenous resistance.

PLAYING WITH SHARKS (Australia)
Director and Screenwriter: Sally Aitken
Valerie Taylor is a shark fanatic and an Australian icon – a marine maverick who forged her way as a fearless diver, cinematographer and conservationist. She filmed the real sharks for Jaws and famously wore a chainmail suit, using herself as shark bait, changing our scientific understanding of sharks forever.

TAMING THE GARDEN (Switzerland-Germany-Georgia)
Director Salomé Jashi
A poetic ode to the rivalry between men and nature.

WRITING WITH FIRE (India)
Directors and Producers: Rintu Thomas, Sushmit Ghosh
In a cluttered news landscape dominated by men, emerges India’s only newspaper run by Dalit women. Armed with smartphones, Chief Reporter Meera and her journalists break traditions on the frontlines of India’s biggest issues and within the confines of their own homes, redefining what it means to be powerful.

Premieres

This showcase of world premieres presents highly anticipated films on a variety of subjects, from both the fiction and nonfiction worlds.

BRING YOUR OWN BRIGADE
Director and Screenwriter: Lucy Walker
A character-driven vérité and revelatory investigation takes us on a journey embedded with firefighters and residents on a mission to understand the causes of historically large wildfires and how to survive them, discovering that the solution has been here all along. (Documentary)

IN THE SAME BREATH
Director: Nanfu Wang
How did the Chinese government turn pandemic coverups in Wuhan into a triumph for the Communist party? An essential narrative of firsthand accounts of the coronavirus, and a revelatory examination of how propaganda and patriotism shaped the outbreak’s course – both in China and in the U.S. (Documentary)

MARVELOUS AND THE BLACK HOLE
Director and Screenwriter: Kate Tsang
A teenage delinquent befriends a surly magician who helps her navigate her inner demons and dysfunctional family with sleight of hand magic, in a coming-of-age comedy that touches on unlikely friendships, grief, and finding hope in the darkest moments. (Narrative)

“Philly D.A.”
Created By: Ted Passon, Yoni Brook, Nicole Salazar
A groundbreaking inside look at the long shot election and tumultuous first term of Larry Krasner, Philadelphia’s unapologetic District Attorney, and his experiment to upend the criminal justice system from the inside out. (Episodic Documentary)

HOW IT ENDS
Directors, Screenwriters and Producers: Daryl Wein, WIF Film Finishing Fund grantee Zoe Lister-Jones
On the last day on Earth, one woman goes on a journey through LA to make it to her last party before the world ends, running into an eclectic cast of characters along the way. (Narrative)

LAND
Director: Robin Wright
The poignant story of one woman’s search, in the aftermath of an unfathomable event, for meaning in the vast and harsh American wilderness. Cast: Robin Wright, Demián Bichir, Kim Dickens. (Narrative)

MY NAME IS PAULI MURRAY
Directors: Betsy West, Julie Cohen
Overlooked by history, Pauli Murray was a legal trailblazer whose ideas influenced RBG’s fight for gender equality and Thurgood Marshall’s landmark civil rights arguments. Featuring never-before-seen footage and audio recordings, a portrait of Murray’s impact as a non-binary Black luminary: lawyer, activist, poet, and priest who transformed our world. (Documentary)

STREET GANG: HOW WE GOT TO SESAME STREET
Director: Marilyn Agrelo
How did a group of rebels create the world’s most famous street? In 1969 New York, this “gang” of mission-driven artists, writers and educators catalyzed a moment of civil awakening, transforming it into Sesame Street, one of the most influential and impactful television programs in history. (Documentary)

Spotlight

The Spotlight program is a tribute to the cinema we love and presents films that have played throughout the world.

THE WORLD TO COME
Director: Mona Fastvold
Music supervision by WIF Board member Tracy McKnight
Somewhere along the mid-nineteenth century American East Coast frontier, two neighboring couples battle hardship and isolation, witnessed by a splendid yet testing landscape, challenging them both physically and psychologically.

NEXT

Pure, bold works distinguished by an innovative, forward-thinking approach to storytelling populate this program. Digital technology paired with unfettered creativity promises that the films in this section will shape a greater next wave in American cinema.

THE BLAZING WORLD
Director and Screenwriter: Carlson Young
Decades after the accidental drowning of her twin sister, a self-destructive young woman returns to her family home, finding herself drawn to an alternate dimension where her sister may still be alive.

WE’RE ALL GOING TO THE WORLD’S FAIR
Director and Screenwriter: Jane Schoenbrun
A teenage girl becomes immersed in an online role-playing game

MA BELLE, MY BEAUTY (U.S.-France)
Director and Screenwriter: Marion Hill
A surprise reunion in southern France reignites passions and jealousies between two women who were formerly polyamorous lovers.

Midnight

From horror flicks and bizarre comedies to works that defy any genre, these unruly films will keep you wide awake and on the edge of your seat.

CENSOR (U.K.)
Director and Screenwriter: Prano Bailey-Bond
When film censor Enid discovers an eerie horror that speaks directly to her sister’s mysterious disappearance, she resolves to unravel the puzzle behind the film and its enigmatic director – a quest blurring the lines between fiction and reality in terrifying ways.

VIOLATION (Canada)
Directors, Screenwriters and Producers: Madeleine Sims-Fewer, Dusty Mancinelli
A troubled woman on the edge of divorce returns home to her younger sister after years apart. But when her sister and brother-in-law betray her trust, she embarks on a vicious crusade of revenge.

KNOCKING (Sweden)
Director: Frida Kempff
When Molly moves into her new apartment after a tragic accident, a strange noise from upstairs begins to unnerve her. As its intensity grows, she confronts her neighbors – but no one seems to hear what she is hearing.

Indie Series Program

Our Indie Series Program was created specifically for bold stories told in multiple episodes, with an emphasis on independent perspectives and innovative storytelling.

4 FEET HIGH (Argentina-France)
Directors: María Belén Poncio, Rosario Perazolo Masjoan
Juana, a 17-year-old wheelchair user, aims to explore her sexuality but is ashamed of her body. Trying to find her place in a new high school, she will go through failure, friendship, fear and politics until she builds her own pride.

“Would You Rather” (France-Germany)
Creators: Lise Akoka, Romane Guéret
Sixteen-year-olds Shaï, Djeneba, Aladi, and Ismaël grew up in a working-class Paris neighborhood. Together, they watch hours drift by, cracking jokes, and playing their favorite game, “Would you rather?” As the group’s equilibrium suddenly shifts, they have to start making choices – in their lives and their game.

SEEDS OF DECEIT (Netherlands)
Director: Miriam Guttmann
The revelation that Dr. Karbaat clandestinely used his own semen to inseminate more than 65 of his patients shocked the world. A vivid portrayal of how that happened and all the ways it haunts those affected: the emotional trauma of coming to terms with a changed life, a new identity.

Short Films Program

Driven by innovation and experimentation, the Short Films Program calls out filmmaking’s most original voices.

Shorts Program 1

FLEX
Director: Josefin Malmén
He may be god enough, but is he good enough? A slightly surreal comedic exploration of the fine line between a bodybuilder’s self-loathing and self-loving.

BAMBIRAK (Germany)
Director: Zamarin Wahdat
When Kati stows away in her father’s truck, Faruk must juggle his responsibilities as a single dad while holding down his first job in a new country. As their relationship deepens, a brush with covert racism tests their bond.

FIVE TIGER (South Africa)
Director: Nomawonga Khumalo
A God-feating woman in present-day South Africa finds herself in a transactional relationship as she tries to support her sick husband and daughter.

Shorts Program 2

WHITE WEDDING
Director: Melody C. Roscher
Amidst a racially tense Southern wedding, a biracial bride has the chance to confront her estranged Black father after accidentally hiring his wedding band to perform.

LATA (India-U.S.)
Director: Alisha Tejpal
Lata, a 23-year-old domestic worker, navigates her way through an upper-class home in South Mumbai. Doors consistently open and close, giving Lata selective access to the various contending realities that occupy this space.

THE AFFECTED (Norway)
Director: Rikke Gregersen
Minutes before takeoff, a situation occurs, preventing an airplane from departing. In an attempt to prevent the deportation of one passenger, another refuses to sit down—forcing the pilot to take a political stand.

MOUNTAIN CAT (Mongolia-U.K.)
Director: Lkhagvadulam Purev-Ochir
A troubled girl is coerced into seeing a shaman. Trapped by the ancient beliefs that pacify her mother, she finds peace in the physical realm, unleashing her repressed, youthful spirit on the shaman when she realizes his true identity.

Shorts Program 3

WIGGLE ROOM
Directors: Sam Guest, Julia Baylis
Determined to save her wheelchair ramp from repossession, Daisy confronts the shady insurance agent who owes her money.

AVA FROM MY CLASS (U.S.-South Korea)
Director: Youmin Kang
Anna thinks Ava is the best actress in her class.

BLACK BODIES (U.S.-Canada)
Director and Screenwriter: Kelly Fyffe-Marshall
A Black man comes face-to-face with the realities of being Black in the twenty-first century.

Shorts Program 4

LIKE THE ONES I USED TO KNOW (France)
Director: Annie St-Pierre
December 24, 1984, 10:50 p.m.: Julie and her cousins ate too much sugar, and Santa Claus is late. Denis, alone in his car, is anxious about setting foot in his former in-laws’ house to pick up his children.

YOU WOULDN’T UNDERSTAND
Director: Trish Harnetiaux
An idyllic picnic of one is upended after the arrival of a stranger.

DOUBLESPEAK
Director: Hazel McKibbin
A young woman grapples with the aftermath of reporting sexual harassment in the workplace.

Animation Spotlight

THE FOURFOLD (Canada)
Director and Screenwriter: Alisi Telengut
An exploration of the Indigenous worldview and wisdom based on ancient shamanistic traditions and animistic beliefs in Siberia and Mongolia. With handcrafted animation, a testament of reclaiming animism for environmental ethics and nonhuman materialities.

GNT
Directors: Sara Hirner, Rosemary Vasquez-Brown
Glenn is a woman on an unwholesome mission, but just how far will she go to conquer the clique—and social media at large?

MISERY LOVES COMPANY
Director: Sasha Lee
As Seolgi is lying on a grass field with friends, a shooting star falls, and dark, intrusive thoughts hit her. Her melancholy blooms into bright and colorful “flower people,” dancing and wishing for a meteorite to end the world.

Documentary Shorts Program 1

THIS IS THE WAY WE RISE
Director: Ciara Lacy
An exploration of the creative process, following native Hawaiian slam poet Jamaica Heolimeleikalani Osorio, as her art is reinvigorated by her calling to protect sacred sites atop Maunakea, Hawai’i.

SNOWY
Directors: Kaitlyn Schwalje, Alex Wolf Lewis
Snowy, a four-inch-long pet turtle, has lived an isolated life in the family basement. With help from a team of experts and his caretaker, Uncle Larry, we ask: Can Snowy be happy, and what would it take?

DEAR PHILADELPHIA
Director: Renee Maria Osubu
With the help of their family, friends, and faith, three fathers unravel the incomparable partnership of forgiveness and community in North Philadelphia.

THE RIFLEMAN
Director: Sierra Pettengill
Told entirely through archival material tracing Harlon Carter, considered the “father of the modern NRA,” across the decades, this short film reveals the links between the National Rifle Association, the U.S. Border Patrol, and gun culture.

TEARS TEACHER (Japan)
Director: Noémie Nakai
Yoshida is a self-proclaimed “tears teacher.” A firm believer that regular crying promotes healthier living, he’s made it his mission to make more people weep.

Documentary Shorts Program 2

THE FIELD TRIP
Directors: Meghan O’Hara, Mike Attie, Rodrigo Ojeda-Beck
A group of fifth graders learns what it takes to get ahead in the modern American workplace.

TO KNOW HER
Director: Natalie A. Chao
A poetic exploration of the camera’s gaze and a family’s relationship with the filmmaker’s mother.

SPIRITS AND ROCKS: AN AZOREAN MYTH (Belgium-Hungary-Switzerland-Portugal)
Director: Aylin Gökmen
On a volcanic island, inhabitants are caught in an unending cycle: The threat of impending eruptions and the burden of past traumas loom over them. Some draw upon myth and religious beliefs to interpret their precarious situation; others demonstrate resilience.

New Frontier

“According to Sundance, of the 32 artists in the New Frontier lineup, 44% identify as women, 9% as non-binary, 44% as BIPOC, and 22% as LGBTQ+.” [Variety]

4 FEET HIGH VR (Argentina-France)
Lead Artists: María Belén Poncio, Rosario Perazolo Masjoan, Damian Turkieh, Ezequiel Lenardón
Juana, a 17-year-old wheelchair user, aims to explore her sexuality but is ashamed of her body. Trying to find her place in a new high school, she will go through failure, friendship, fear and politics until she builds her own pride.

“The Changing Same: Episode 1” (U.S.)
Lead Artists: WIF Film Finishing Fund grantee Michèle Stephenson, Joe Brewster, Yasmin Elayat
An immersive, episodic VR experience where the participant travels through time and space to witness the connected historical experiences of racial injustice in America. A respectful, haunting story infused with magical realism and Afrofuturism about the uninterrupted cycle of the 400-year history of racial terror — past and present.

“Prison X — Chapter 1: The Devil and The Sun” (Australia, Bolivia, India)
Lead Artists: Violeta Ayala, Alap Parikh, Maria Corvera Vargas, Roly Elias
Heavy doors open and you are swept into an infamous Bolivian jail, where you live among devils, saints, wicked characters, corrupt prison guards and even a Western filmmaker. In Prison X, inhabit the dreams and nightmares of the Neo-Andean underworld.

SECRET GARDEN (U.S.)
Lead Artist: Stephanie Dinkins
An immersive web experience and installation, illuminating the power and resilience in Black women’s stories. Interactive audio vignettes generate a multi-generational narrative that collapses past, present, and future.

TRAVELING THE INTERSTITIUM WITH OCTAVIA BUTLER (U.S.)
Lead Artists: Sophia Nahli Allison, idris brewster, Stephanie Dinkins, Ari Melenciano, Terence Nance
Inspired by the ideas of Octavia Butler, voyaging into the interstitium: a liminal space, a cultural memory, containing the remnants of our ancestors, a place of refuge, a place of recentering, a portal into an alternate dimension.

BEYOND THE BREAKDOWN (U.S.)
Lead Artists: Tony Patrick, Lauren Lee McCarthy, WIF Film Finishing Fund grantee Grace Lee
Imagines alternate narratives for our near-future reality inside a browser designed to hack our normal online behaviors and cultivate collaborative spaces for self-reflection and renewal.

NIGHTSSS (Poland)
Lead Artists: Weronika Lewandowska, Sandra Frydrysiak
A virtual erotic poem created in artistic animation with ASMR and interactive elements, immersing the viewer in the sensual experience of poetry and dance.

RICH KIDS: A HISTORY OF SHOPPING MALLS IN TEHRAN (U.K.-Iran)
Lead Artists: Javaad Alipoor, Kirsty Housley
A darkly comedic, urgent new play about entitlement, consumption and digital technology, exploring the ubiquitous feeling that our societies are falling apart through the story of two young members of the Iranian elite, asking what their deaths tell us about climate change, social collapse and Instagram.

TO MISS THE ENDING (U.K.)
Lead Artists: Anna West, David Callanan
A VR cubicle of cardboard boxes begins to glitch, revealing an empty dark space in front of you ― until something glimmers in the distance, a wave of blue flooding towards you. A chorus of real memories and imagined futures expands, until only the largest memories are left.

WEIRDO NIGHT (U.S.)
Lead Artists: Jibz Cameron, Mariah Garnett
A filmed edition, hosted by Dynasty Handbag, of the wildly popular, underground, eponymous live performance and comedy event that, until COVID-19, was held monthly in Los Angeles.

2020–2021 Film Awards and Nominees

The following women have received awards or nominations for their work in cinema throughout the 2020–2021 awards season. List updated regularly.

April 25, 2021: 93rd Academy Awards NOMINATIONS

  • Best Picture
    • Mank – Ceán Chaffin, Producer
    • Minari – Christina Oh, Producer
    • Nomadland – Frances McDormand, Mollye Asher, Chloé Zhao, Producers
    • Promising Young Woman – Ashley Fox, Emerald Fennell, Producers
  • Directing
    • Nomadland – Chloé Zhao
    • Promising Young Woman – Emerald Fennell
  • Film Editing
    • Nomadland – Chloé Zhao
  • Actress in a Leading Role
    • Viola Davis – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
    • Andra Day – The United States vs. Billie Holiday
    • Vanessa Kirby – Pieces of a Woman
    • Frances McDormand – Nomadland
    • Carey Mulligan – Promising Young Woman
  • Actress in a Supporting Role
    • Maria Bakalova – Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
    • Glenn Close – Hillbilly Elegy
    • Olivia Colman – The Father
    • Amanda Seyfried – Mank
    • Yuh-Jung Youn – Minari
  • Original Screenplay
    • Promising Young Woman – Written by Emerald Fennell
  • Adapted Screenplay
    • Borat Subsequent Moviefilm – Screenplay by Erica Rivinoja & Jena Friedman; Story by Nina Pedrad
    • Nomadland – Written for the screen by Chloé Zhao
  • Documentary Feature
    • Collective – Bianca Oana
    • Crip Camp – Nicole Newnham, Sara Bolder
    • The Mole Agent – Maite Alberdi, Marcela Santibáñez
    • My Octopus Teacher – Pippa Ehrlich
    • Time – Garrett Bradley, Lauren Domino
  • International Feature
    • The Man Who Sold His Skin (Tunisia) – Directed by Kaouther Ben Hania
    • Quo Vadis, Aida? (Bosnia and Herzegovina) – Directed by Jasmila Žbanić
  • Animated Feature
    • Onward – Kori Rae
    • Over the Moon – Gennie Rim, Peilin Chou
    • Soul – Dana Murray
  • Live Action Short
    • Feeling Through – Susan Ruzenski
    • The Letter Room – Elvira Lind, Sofia Sondervan
    • The Present – Farah Nabulsi
    • White Eye – Shira Hochman
  • Documentary Short
    • Colette – Alice Doyard
    • Do Not Split – Charlotte Cook
    • A Love Song for Latasha – Sophia Nahli Allison, Janice Duncan
  • Animated Short
    • Burrow – Madeline Sharafian
  • Production Design
    • The Father – Cathy Featherstone
    • Mank – Jan Pascale
    • Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom – Karen O’Hara, Diana Stoughton
    • News of the World – Elizabeth Keenan
    • Tenet – Kathy Lucas
  • Costume Design
    • Emma. – Alexandra Byrne
    • Mank – Trish Summerville
    • Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom – Ann Roth
    • Mulan – Bina Daigeler
  • Makeup and Hairstyling
    • Emma. – Marese Langan, Laura Allen, Claudia Stolze
    • Hillbilly Elegy – Eryn Krueger Mekash, Patricia Dehaney
    • Mank – Gigi Williams, Kimberley Spiteri, Colleen LaBaff
    • Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom – Mia Neal, Jamika Wilson
    • Pinocchio – Dalia Colli
  • Visual Effects
    • Love and Monsters – Genevieve Camilleri
  • Sound
    • Soul – Coya Elliott
    • Sound of Metal – Michelle Couttolenc
  • Original Song
    • “Fight for You” from Judas and the Black Messiah – H.E.R., Tiara Thomas
    • “Hear My Voice” from The Trial of the Chicago 7 – Celeste Waite
    • “Io Sì (Seen)” from The Life Ahead – Diane Warren, Laura Pausini

April 22, 2021: Film Independent Spirit Awards NOMINATIONS

  • Best Feature
    • First Cow, Kelly Reichardt, director
    • Minari, Dede Gardner, Christina Oh, producers
    • Never Rarely Sometimes Always, Eliza Hittman, director; Sara Murphy, Adele Romanski, producers
    • Nomadland, Chloé Zhao, director/producer; Mollye Asher, Frances McDorman, producers
  • Best First Feature
    • The Forty-Year-Old Version, Radha Blank, director/producer; Inuka Bacote-Capiga, Jennifer Semler, Lena Waithe, producers
    • I Carry You With Me, Heidi Ewing, director/producer; Mynete Louie, Gabriela Maire, producers
    • Miss Juneteenth, Channing Godfrey Peoples, director; Jeanie Igoe, Theresa Steele Page, producers
    • Nine Days, Mette-Marie Kongsved, Laura Tunstall, producers
    • Sound of Metal, Kathy Benz, producer
  • John Cassavetes Award for the best feature made for under $500,000
    • La Leyenda Negra, Patricia Vidal Delgado, writer/director; Alicia Herder, producer
    • Lingua Franca, Isabel Sandoval, writer/director/producer; Darlene Catly Malimas, producer
    • Saint Frances, Kelly O’Sullivan, writer
  • Best Director
    • Emerald Fennell, Promising Young Woman
    • Eliza Hittman, Never Rarely Sometimes Always
    • Kelly Reichardt, First Cow
    • Chloé Zhao, Nomadland
  • Best Screenplay
    • Emerald Fennell, Promising Young Woman
    • Eliza Hittman, Never Rarely Sometimes Always
    • Alice Wu, The Half of It
  • Best First Screenplay
    • Kitty Green, The Assistant
    • Channing Godfrey Peoples, Miss Juneteenth
  • Best Female Lead
    • Nicole Beharie, Miss Juneteenth
    • Viola Davis, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
    • Sidney Flanigan, Never Rarely Sometimes Always
    • Julia Garner, The Assistant
    • Frances McDorman, Nomadland
    • Carey Mulligan, Promising Young Woman
  • Best Documentary
    • Collective, Hanka Kastelicová, Biana Oana, producers
    • Crip Camp, Nicole Newnham, director/producer; Sara Bolder
    • Dick Johnson is Dead, Kirsten Johnson, director/producer; Katy Chevigny, Marilyn Ness, producers
    • The Mole Agent, Maite Alberdi, director; Marcela Santibáñez, producer
    • Time, Garrett Bradley, director/producer; Lauren Domino, Kellen Quinn, producers
  • Best Supporting Female
    • Alexis Chikaeze, Miss Juneteenth
    • Yeri Han, Minari
    • Valerie Mahaffey, French Exit
    • Talia Ryder, Never Rarely Sometimes Always
    • Yuh-Jung Youn, Minari
  • Best International Film
    • Preparations to Be Together for an Unknown Period of Time, Lili Horvát, director (Hungary)
    • Quo Vadis, Aida?, Jasmila Žbanić, director (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
  • Best Editing
    • Chloé Zhao, Nomadland
  • Best Cinematography
    • Hélène Louvart, Never Rarely Sometimes Always
  • Robert Altman Award (WINNER): One Night in Miami, Regina Kind, director; Kimberly R. Hardin, casting director
  • Someone to Watch Award: Ekwa Msangi

[Full list of nominees, including for television categories, available here.]

April 18, 2021: 35th American Society of Cinematographers ASC Outstanding Achievement Awards NOMINATIONS

  • Feature Film: no women nominated
  • Spotlight
    • Katelin Arizmendi, Swallow

[Full list of nominees, including for television categories, available here.]

April 17, 2021: 57th Cinema Audio Society Awards NOMINATIONS

  • Live Action
    • Mank, ADR Mixer Charleen Richards-Steeves
    • Sound of Metal, Re-Recording Mixer Michelle Couttolenc

[Full list of nominees, including for television categories, available here.]

April 16, 2021: 48th Annie Awards NOMINATIONS

  • Best Feature
    • Onward, Kori Rae, producer
    • Soul, Dana Murray, producer
    • The Willoughbys, Brenda Gilbert, producer
    • Trolls World Tour, Gina Shay, producer
  • Best Indie Feature
    • Calamity Jane, Claire La Combe, producer
    • Ride Your Wave, Yuka Okayasu, producer
    • Wolfwalkers, Nora Twomey, producer
  • Best Short Subject
    • Filles bleues, peur blanche, Lola Halifa-Legrand, Marie Jacotey, directors
  • Best FX for Feature
    • Over the Moon, Jennifer Lasrado
    • Soul, Kylie Wijsmuller
    • Wolfwalkers, Kim Kelly, Leena Lecklin, Almu Redondo, Nicole Storck
  • Best Music – Feature
    • Over the Moon, Marjorie Duffield, Helen Park
    • The Willoughbys, Alessia Cara
  • Best Production Design – Feature
    • Onward, Sharon Calahan
    • Soul, Bryn Imagire
    • Trolls World Tour, Kendal Cronkhire Shaindlin
    • Wolfwalkers, María Pareja
  • Best Voice Acting – Feature
    • Earwig and the Witch, Vanessa Marshall
    • Wolfwalkers, Eva Whittaker
  • Best Writing – Feature
    • Over the Moon, Audrey Wells

[Full list of nominees, including for television categories, available here.]

April 13, 2021: 23rd Costume Designers Guild Awards NOMINATIONS

  • Excellence in Sci-Fi/Fantasy Film
    • Dolittle, Jenny Beavan
    • Mulan, Bina Daigeler
    • Wonder Woman 1984, Lindy Hemming
  • Excellence in Contemporary Film
    • Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar, Trayce Gigi Field
    • Birds of Prey, Erin Benach
    • Da 5 Bloods, Donna Berwick
    • Promising Young Woman, Nancy Steiner
  • Excellence in Period Film
    • Emma., Alexandra Byrne
    • Judas and the Black Messiah, Charlese Antoinette Jones
    • Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Ann Roth
    • Mank, Trish Summerville
    • One Night in Miami…, Francine Jamison-Tanchuck

[Full list of nominees, including for television categories, available here.]

April 11, 2021: 11th Guild of Music Supervisors Awards

  • Best Music Supervision for Film Budgeted Under $25 Million: Dawn Sutter Madell, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
  • Best Music Supervision for Film Budgeted Under $10 Million: Susan Jacobs, Promising Young Woman
  • Best Music Supervision for Film Budgeted Under $5 Million: Dondrea Erauw, The Cuban
  • Best Song Written and/or Recorded for a Film: Celeste Waite, Alison Litton, “Hear My Voice” from The Trial of the Chicago 7

[Full list of winners, including for television and advertising categories, available here.]

April 10–11, 2021: British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards

  • Best Film: Nomadland, Mollye Asher, Frances McDormand, Chloé Zhao
  • Outstanding British Film: Promising Young Woman, Emerald Fennell, Ashley Fox, Josey McNamara
  • Film Not in the English Language: Another Round, Sisse Graum Jørgensen
  • Documentary: My Octopus Teacher, Pippa Ehrlich
  • Animated Film: Soul, Dana Murray
  • Director: Nomadland, Chloé Zhao
  • Original Screenplay: Promising Young Woman, Emerald Fennell
  • Leading Actress: Frances McDormand, Nomadland
  • Supporting Actress: Yuh-Jung Youn, Minari
  • Casting: Rocks, Lucy Pardee
  • Production Design: Mank, Jan Pascale
  • Costume Design: Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Ann Roth
  • Makeup & Hair: Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Matiki Anoff, Mia Neal
  • Sound: Sound of Metal, Michelle Couttolenc
  • British Short Animation: The Owl and the Pussycat, Laura Duncalf

April 10, 2021: 73rd Directors Guild of America Awards

  • Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Theatrical Feature Film: Chloé Zhao, Nomadland
    • Unit Production Manager, First Assistant Director: Mary Kerrigan
  • Outstanding Directorial Achievement of a First-Time Feature Film Director: Sound of Metal
    • Unit Production Manager: Amy Greene

[Full list of winners, including for television and commercial categories, available here.]

April 10, 2021: 25th Art Directors Guild Awards

No women winners in the film categories. Full list of winners, including for television categories, available here.

April 8, 2021: 32nd GLAAD Media Awards

  • Outstanding Film – Wide Release: Happiest Season, Clea DuVall, director/writer
  • Outstanding Film – Limited Release: The Boys in the Band, Alexis Martin Woodall, producer
  • Outstanding Documentary: Disclosure, Amy Scholder, producer

[Full list of winners, including for television, music, journalism, and Spanish-language categories, available here.]

April 7, 2021: 12th African American Film Critics Association Awards

  • Innovator Award: Mariah Carey
  • Icon Award: Viola Davis
  • Best Director: Regina King, One Night in Miami…
  • Best Actress: Andra Day, The United States vs. Billie Holiday
  • Best Supporting Actress: Dominique Fishback, Judas and the Black Messiah
  • Best Documentary: All In: The Fight for Democracy, Lisa Cortes & Liz Garbus (directors/producers), Stacey Abrams, producer
  • Best Animation: Soul, Dana Murray, producer
  • Breakout Performance: Radha Blank

April 6, 2021: 19th Visual Effects Society Awards

  • Outstanding Visual Effects in an Animated Feature: Soul, Dana Murray
  • Outstanding Animated Character in a Photoreal Feature: The One and Only Ivan (Ivan), Valentina Rosselli
  • Outstanding Created Environment in an Animated Feature: Soul (You Seminar), Sungyeon Joh
  • Outstanding Effects Simulations in a Photoreal Feature: Project Power, Michelle Lee
  • Outstanding Effects Simulations in an Animated Feature: Soul, Aimei Kutt, Melissa Tseng
  • Outstanding Visual Effects in a Student Project: Migrants, Zoé Devise

[Full list of winners, including for television, game, and commercial categories, available here.]

April 4, 2021: 27th Screen Actors Guild Awards

  • Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role: Viola Davis, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
  • Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role: Yuh-Jung Youn, Minari

[Full list of winners, including for television categories, available here.]

March 27, 2021: 52nd NAACP Image Awards

  • Social Justice Impact: Stacey Abrams
  • Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture: Viola Davis, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
  • Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture: Phylicia Rashad, Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey
  • Outstanding International Motion Picture: Night of the Kings, Delphine Jaquet, producer
  • Outstanding Breakthrough Performance in a Motion Picture: Madalen Mills, Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey
  • Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture: Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Viola Davis
  • Outstanding Animated Motion Picture: Soul, Dana Murray, producer
  • Outstanding Short Form (Live Action): Black Boy Joy, Martina Mossell Lee, director; Jhanvi Motla, producer
  • Outstanding Short Form (Animated): Canvas, Paige Johnstone, producer
  • Outstanding Breakthrough Creative: Nadia Hallgren, Becoming
  • Outstanding Documentary Film: John Lewis: Good Trouble, Dawn Porter, director/producer; Erika Alexander, Laura Michalchyshyn, producers
  • Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture: Radha Blank, The Forty-Year-Old Version
  • Outstanding Writing in a Documentary: Melissa Haizlip, Mr. Soul!
  • Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture: Gina Prince-Bythewood, The Old Guard

[Full list of winners, including for television, recording, and literary categories, available here.]

March 24, 2021: 32nd Producers Guild of America Awards

  • Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures: Nomadland, Mollye Asher, Frances McDormand, Chloé Zhao
  • Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures: Soul, Dana Murray

[Full list of winners, including for television categories, available here.]

March 21, 2021: Writers Guild Awards

  • Original Screenplay: Promising Young Woman, Emerald Fennell
  • Adapted Screenplay: Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, Screenply by Erica Rivinoja & Jena Friedman; Story by Nina Pedrad

[Full list of winners, including for television categories, available here.]

March 12, 2021: César Awards

  • Best Actress: Laure Calamy, Antoinette Dans Les Cévennes
  • Best Supporting Actress: Emilie Dequenne, Les Choses Qu’On Dir, Les Choses Qu’On Fait
  • Best Editing: Tina Baz, Adolescentes
  • Best Costume Design: Madeline Fontaine, La Bonne Épouse
  • Best Sound: Adolescentes, Yolande Decarsin, Jeanne Delplanco, Fanny Martin
  • Best Animated Short: L’Heure De L’Ours, dir: Agnès Patron
  • Best Short Film: Qu’Importe Si Les Bêtes Meurent, dir: Sofia Alaoui
  • Best Female Newcomer: Fathia Youssouf, Cuties

March 7, 2021: 26th Critics Choice Awards

  • Best Picture: Nomadland, Frances McDormand, Mollye Asher, Chloé Zhao
  • Best Actress: Carey Mulligan, Promising Young Woman
  • Best Supporting Actress: Maria Bakalova, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
  • Best Director: Chloé Zhao, Nomadland
  • Best Original Screenplay: Emerald Fennell, Promising Young Woman
  • Best Adapted Screenplay: Chloé Zhao, Nomadland
  • Best Production Design: Mank, Jan Pascale
  • Best Costume Design: Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Ann Roth
  • Best Hair and Makeup: Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Matiki Anoff, Mia Neal, Sian Richards, Deidra Dixon, Jamika Wilson
  • Best Comedy: Palm Springs, Becky Sloviter
  • Best Foreign Language Film: Minari, Dede Gardner, Christina Oh

[Full list of winners, including for television categories, available here.]

February 28, 2021: Golden Globe Awards

  • Best Motion Picture – Drama: Nomadland, Chloé Zhao, director/writer/producer/editor; Mollye Asher, Frances McDormand, producers
  • Best Motion Picture – Comedy: Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, Monica Levinson, producer
  • Best Director: Chloé Zhao, Nomadland
  • Best Actress – Motion Picture – Drama: Andra Day, The United States vs. Billie Holiday
  • Best Actress – Motion Picture – Musical/Comedy: Anya Taylor-Joy, Emma.
  • Best Supporting Actress: Jodie Foster, The Mauritanian
  • Best Picture – Animated: Soul, Dana Murray, producer
  • Best Picture – Foreign Language: Minari (USA), Dede Gardner, Christina Oh, producers
  • Best Song: “Io Sì (Seen)” from The Life Ahead
  • Cecil B. deMille Award: Jane Fonda

[Full list of winners, including for television categories, available here.]

February 13, 2021: AMPAS Scientific & Technical Awards

  • Technical Achievement Awards
    • Hayley Iben, for the Taz Hair Simulation System
    • Kelly Ward Hammel and Maryann Simmons, for the Walt Disney Animation Studios Hair Simulation System

January 26, 2021: National Board of Review Awards

  • Best Film: Da 5 Bloods, Beatriz Levin, producer
  • Best Actress: Carey Mulligan, Promising Young Woman
  • Best Supporting Actress; Youn Yuh-Jung, Minari
  • Breakthrough Performance: Sidney Flanigan, Never Rarely Sometimes Always
  • Best Directorial Debut: Channing Godfrey Peoples, Miss Juneteenth
  • Best Animated Feature: Soul, Dana Murray, producer
  • Best Documentary: Time, Garrett Bradley, director/producer; Lauren Domino, Kellen Quinn, producers
  • NBR Freedom of Expression Award: One Night in Miami, Regina King, director; Jess Wu Calder, producer
  • NBR Spotlight Award: Radha Blank for writing, directing, producing, and starring in The Forty-Year-Old Version
  • Top Films (in alphabetical order)
    • First Cow, Kelly Reichardt, director/writer/editor
    • The Forty-Year-Old Version, Radha Blank, director/writer/producer; Inuka Bacote-Capiga, Jennifer Semler, Lena Waithe, producers
    • Minari, Dede Gardner, Christina Oh, producers
    • News of the World, Gail Mutrux, producer
    • Nomadland, Chloé Zhao, director/writer/producer/editor; Mollye Asher, Frances McDormand, producers
    • Promising Young Woman, Emerald Fennell, director/writer/producer; Ashley Fox, Josey McNamara, Margot Robbie, producers
    • Soul, Dana Murray, producer
    • Sound of Metal, Kathy Benz, producer
  • Top 5 Foreign Language Films (in alphabetical order)
    • Collective (Romania), Hanka Kastelicová, Bianca Oana, producers
    • The Mole Agent (Chile), Maite Alberdi, director/writer; Marcela Santibanez, producer
    • Night of the Kings (Ivory Coast), Delphine Jaquet, producer
  • Top 5 Documentaries (in alphabetical order)
    • All In: The Fight for Democracy, Lisa Cortes, Liz Garbus, directors/producers; Stacey Abrams, producer
    • Boys State, Amanda McBaine, co-director/producer
    • Dick Johnson Is Dead, Kirsten Johnson, director/writer/producer; Katy Chevigny, Marilyn Ness, producers
    • Miss Americana, Lana Wilson, director; Christine O’Malley, Caitrin Rogers, producers
  • Top 10 Independent Films (in alphabetical order)
    • Driveways, Celine Rattray, producer
    • Farewell Amor, Ekwa Msangi, director/writer/producer; Huriyyah Muhammad, producer
    • Miss Juneteenth, Channing Godfrey Peoples, director/writer; Jeanie Igoe, Theresa Steele Page, producers
    • The Nest, Rose Garnett, Amy Jackson, Christina Piovesan, Derrin Schlesinger, producers
    • Never Rarely Sometimes Always, Eliza Hittman, director/writer; Lia Buman, Rose Garnett, Sara Murphy, Elika Portnoy, Adele Romanski, producers
    • Relic, Natalie Erika James, director/writer; Riva Marker, Anna McLeish, Sarah Shaw, producers
    • Wolfwalkers, Nora Twomey, producer

January 16, 2021: 36th IDA Documentary Awards

  • Best Feature: Crip Camp, Nicole Newnham, director/producer; Sara Bolder, producer
  • Best Music Documentary: Universe, Esther Dere, Leah Natasha Thomas, producers
  • Best Writing: Kirsten Johnson, Dick Johnson is Dead
  • Pare Lorentz Award: My Octopus Teacher, Pippa Ehrlich, director
    • Honorable Mention: Crip Camp, Nicole Newnham, director/producer; Sara Bolder, producer
  • ABC News VideoSource Award: Crip Camp, Nicole Newnham, director/producer; Sara Bolder, producer
  • Honorary Awards:
    • Amicus Award: Regina S. Scully
    • Courage Under Fire Award, Olga Baranova and the filmmakers and activists from Welcome to Chechnya
    • Truth to Power Award: Maria Ressa

[Full list of winners, including for television categories, available here.]

January 11, 2021: 30th IFP Gotham Awards

  • Best Feature: Nomadland, Chloé Zhao, director; Frances McDormand, Mollye Asher, Chloé Zhao, producers
  • Best Documentary (TIE):
    • A Thousand Cuts: Ramona S. Diaz, director; Ramona S. Diaz, Leah Marino, Julie Goldman, Carolyn Hepburn, producers
    • Time: Garrett Bradley, director/producer; Lauren Domino, Kellen Quinn, producers
  • Best International Feature: Identifying Features, Fernanda Valadez, director; Astrid Rondero, producer
  • Best Screenplay (TIED): The Forty-Year-Old Version, Radha Blank
  • Best Actress: Nicole Beharie, Miss Juneteenth
  • Actress Tribute: Viola Davis
  • Ensemble Tribute: The cast of The Trial of the Chicago 7, including Caitlin Fitzgerald and Alice Kremelberg
  • Gotham Audience Award: Nomadland, Chloé Zhao, director; Frances McDormand, Mollye Asher, Chloé Zhao, producers

[Full list of winners, including for television categories, available here.]

January 10, 2021: Inaugural Critics Choice Super Awards

  • Best Action Movie: Da 5 Bloods, Beatriz Levin, producer
  • Best Actress in an Action Movie: Betty Gilpin, The Hunt
  • Best Animated Movie: Soul, Dana Murray, producer
  • Best Voice Actress in an Animated Movie: Tina Fey, Soul
  • Best Superhero Movie: The Old Guard, Gina Prince-Bythewood, director; Dana Goldberg, Beth Kono, Charlize Theron, producers
  • Best Actress in a Superhero Movie: Margot Robbie, Birds of Prey
  • Best Horror Movie: The Invisible Man, Kylie Du Fresne, producer
  • Best Actress in a Horror Movie: Elisabeth Moss, The Invisible Man
  • Best Science Fiction/Fantasy Movie: Palm Springs, Becky Sloviter, producer
  • Best Actress in a Science Fiction/Fantasy Movie: Cristin Milioti, Palm Springs

[Full list of winners, including for television categories, available here.]

January 9, 2021: 55th National Society of Film Critics Awards

  • Best Picture: Nomadland: Chloé Zhao, director, Frances McDormand, Mollye Asher, Chloé Zhao, producers
    • Runner-up: First Cow, Kelly Reichardt, director
    • Runner-up: Never Rarely Sometimes Always, Eliza Hittman, director; Adele Romanski, Sara Murphy, producers
  • Best Director: Chloé Zhao, Nomadland
    • Runner-up: Kelly Reichardt, First Cow
  • Best Actress: Frances McDormand, Nomadland
    • Runner-up: Viola Davis, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
    • Runner-up: Sidney Flanigan, Never Rarely Sometimes Always
  • Best Supporting Actress: Maria Bakalova, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
    • Runner-up: Amanda Seyfried, Mank
    • Runner-up: Youn Yuh-jung, Minari
  • Best Screenplay: Eliza Hittman, Never Rarely Sometimes Always
    • Runner-up: Kelly Reichardt, First Cow
  • Best Foreign-Language Film: Collective, Hanka Kastelicová, Biana Oana, producers
    • Runner-up: Bacurau, Emilie Lesclaux, producer
    • Runner-up: Beanpole, Natalia Gorina, Ellen Rodnianski, producers
  • Best Non-Fiction Film: Time, Garrett Bradley, director/producer; Lauren Domino, Kellen Quinn, producers
    • Runner-up: City Hall, Karen Konicek, producer
    • Runner-up: Collective, Hanka Kastelicová, Biana Oana, producers

December 20, 2020: 46th Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards

  • Best Picture
    • Runner-up: Nomadland, Chloé Zhao, director; Frances McDormand, Mollye Asher, Chloé Zhao, producers
  • Best Director: Chloé Zhao, Nomadland
  • Best Actress: Carey Mulligan, Promising Young Woman
    • Runner-up: Viola Davis, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
  • Best Supporting Actress: Youn Yuh-Jung, Minari
    • Runner-up: Amanda Seyfried, Mank
  • Best Screenplay: Emerald Fennell, Promising Young Woman
    • Runner-up: Eliza Hittman, Never Rarely Sometimes Always
  • Best Documentary/Nonfiction Film: Time, director/producer Garret Bradley; producer: Lauren Domino
    • Runner-up: Collective, producers: Bianca Oana, Hanka Kastelicová; writer: Antoaneta Opris
  • Best Animation: Wolfwalkers, producer: Nora Twomey
    • Runner-up: Soul, producer: Dana Leigh Murray
  • New Generation Award: Radha Blank, The 40-Year-Old Version

December 18, 2020: New York Film Critics Circle Awards

  • Best Picture: First Cow, directed and written by Kelly Reichardt
  • Best Director: Chloé Zhao, Nomadland
  • Best Screenplay: Eliza Hittman, Never Rarely Sometimes Always
  • Best Actress: Sidney Flanigan, Never Rarely Sometimes Always
  • Best Supporting Actress: Maria Bakalova, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
  • Best Animated Film: Wolfwalkers, produced by Nora Twomey
  • Best Non-Fiction Film (Documentary): Time, directed/produced by Garrett Bradley; produced by Lauren Domino
  • Best First Film: Radha Blank, The 40-Year-Old Version

December 12, 2020: European Film Awards

  • European Discovery – Prix Fipresci: Sole, written by Giulia Moriggi
  • European Documentary: One Night in Miami, written by Antoaneta Opris
  • European Actress: Paula Beer, Undine
  • European Editing: Maria Fantastica Valmori, Once More Unto the Breach / Il Varco
  • European Production Design: Cristina Casali, The Personal History of David Copperfield
  • European Costume Design: Ursula Patzak, Hidden Away / Volevo Nascondermi
  • European Make-Up & Hair: Yolanda Piña, The Endless Trench / La Trinchera Infinita
  • European Original Score: Dascha Dauenhauer, Berlin Alexanderplatz
  • European Sound: Yolande Decarsin, Little Girl / Petite Fille
  • European University Film Award: Saudi Runway, directed & written by Susanne Regina Meures

December 9, 2020: SFFILM Awards

  • SFFILM Award for Acting: Glenn Close, Hillbilly Elegy
  • Irving M. Levin Award for Film Direction: Chloé Zhao, Nomadland

September 20, 2020: 45th Toronto International Film Festival Awards

  • People’s Choice Award: Nomadland, Chloé Zhao
    • People’s Choice Award, First Runner Up: One Night in Miami, Regina King
    • People’s Choice Award, Second Runner Up: Beans, Tracey Deer
    • People’s Choice Award, Documentaries: Inconvenient Indian, Michelle Latimer
    • People’s Choice Award, Midnight Madness: Shadow in the Cloud, Roseanne Liang
  • Best Canadian Feature Film: Inconvenient Indian, Michelle Latimer
  • Best International Short Film: Dustin, Naïla Guiguet
  • FIPRESCI Award: Beginning (Dasatskisi), Dea Kulumbegashvili
  • Changemaker Award: Black Bodies, Kelly Fyffe-Marshall
  • Share Her Journey: Sing Me a Lullaby, Tiffany Hsiung
  • TIFF Tribute Awards: Chloé Zhao, Mira Nair, and Kate Winslet

September 12, 2020: 77th Venice International Film Festival Awards

  • Golden Lion: Nomadland, Chloé Zhao
  • Volpi Cup for Best Actress: Vanessa Kirby for Pieces of a Woman
  • Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement: Ann Hui and Tilda Swinton

Reflecting on a Year Like No Other

December 16, 2020

It’s hard to believe that we are coming to the end of 2020. We have lived through so much over these difficult months, yet time and time again we have been given cause for gratitude. It’s in this spirit that we want to look back on what 2020 has shown us as an organization working to change culture.

In times of isolation, we have been able to connect, through summer Happy Hour Hangs and mission-critical programs like the Black Member Forum, Black Member Support Space, and a Covid-19 support group. In times of unpredictability, many have been able to receive guidance through the Help Line which continues to offer support for those experiencing harassment, discrimination, and misconduct, and offers programming and resources to support overall wellness for our community during trying times. When our industry faced unproven changes, our programs adapted so that fellows could continue to workshop, receive mentorship, and form vital bonds.

Thank you for joining us for screenings, panels, and interviews. You kept the conversation going, and you can still watch online if you missed our chats with Gina Prince-Bythewood, Julie Taymor, Cheryl Dunye, Elle Fanning, and so many more. Thank you for celebrating our annual fundraiser with us as we never had, watching the Make It Work! special on The CW as our message of equality in the workplace was shared with the world by women like Hillary Clinton, Jane Fonda, Alfre Woodard, and Rita Moreno (to name a few).

Thank you for your commitment to the WIF community, as we launched our new membership model and code of conduct last month, and are so excited to see how the WIF family is growing. We encourage all members at Storyteller level and above to invite someone into the fold by purchasing a reduced-price gift membership for a rising talent in your life.

Thank you for prioritizing yourself by taking part in our career programs and grants. We have been delighted by the response to the NEW Emerging Producers Program, and for those who need some financial support to get through the next few months, please apply to the Hire Her Back Fund. If your stability has been impacted by the pandemic, the Fund is for you.

Despite all we’ve accomplished together, WIF (like so many nonprofits) faces unprecedented challenges. We could not do this critical work without the support of the organizations and individuals like you that value our mission. If you would like to see this community grow and continue to thrive in an unpredictable 2021, donate now to the WIF Annual Fund. Any donations that you can make before the end of the year will make a huge difference for us and the women that benefit from our work. Thank you for your generosity.

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The WIF 14th Annual Oscar® Nominees Toast

Presented by Jane Walker by Johnnie Walker

Every year since 2007, WIF has gathered together the women nominated for Academy Awards® at a celebration that offers an opportunity for networking in a way that has historically been reserved for the men in the film industry. When we first held this event, there were only 40 women nominated; this year, we honor 72 women who are up for awards at next month’s Oscars ceremony.

While this year we had to gather virtually, more than 50 nominees (pictured below in our yearly “class photo”) joined us for a private event on Sunday morning, March 28, 2021, to get to know each other and share a toast presented by Jane Walker by Johnnie Walker. The event was hosted by Oscar, Emmy®, and Tony® winner Viola Davis, who is nominated this year for Leading Actress in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, and Oscar-winning producer and WIF Board President Emerita Cathy Schulman. Nominees “zoomed” in from seven U.S. states and eleven countries across five continents.

Row 1 (L to R): Maite Alberdi, Laura Allen, Sophia Nahli Allison, Mollye Asher, Maria Bakalova, Kaouther Ben Hania, Sara Bolder, Alexandra Byrne, Ceán Chaffin
Row 2 (L to R): Glenn Close, Dalia Colli, Charlotte Cook, Michelle Couttolenc, Bina Daigeler, Viola Davis, Andra Day, Lauren Domino, Alice Doyard
Row 3 (L to R): Janice Duncan, Pippa Ehrlich, Coya Elliott, Cathy Featherstone, Emerald Fennell, Ashley Fox, Jena Friedman, H.E.R., Shira Hochman
Row 4 (L to R): Elizabeth Keenan, Vanessa Kirby, Elvira Lind, Eryn Krueger Mekash, Dana Murray, Farah Nabulsi, Mia Neal, Christina Oh, Karen O’Hara
Row 5 (L to R); Jan Pascale, Laura Pausini, Nina Pedrad, Kori Rae, Susan Ruzenski, Madeline Sharafian, Sofia Sondervan, Claudia Stolze, Diana Stoughton
Row 6 (L to R): Trish Summerville, Tiara Thomas, Diane Warren, Gigi Williams, Jamika Wilson, Yuh-Jung Youn, Jasmila Žbanić
Learn More about the WIF #VoteForWomen Campaign and Ballot

Nominees in attendance were:

  • Maite Alberdi, Documentary Feature – The Mole Agent
  • Laura Allen, Makeup and Hairstyling – Emma.
  • Sophia Nahli Allison, Documentary Short – A Love Song for Latasha
  • Mollye Asher, Picture – Nomadland
  • Maria Bakalova, Supporting Actress – Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
  • Kaouther Ben Hania, International Feature – The Man Who Sold His Skin (Tunisia)
  • Sara Bolder, Documentary Feature – Crip Camp
  • Alexandra Byrne, Costume Design – Emma.
  • Ceán Chaffin, Picture – Mank
  • Glenn Close, Supporting Actress – Hillbilly Elegy
  • Dalia Colli, Makeup and Hairstyling – Pinocchio
  • Charlotte Cook, Documentary Short – Do Not Split
  • Michelle Couttolenc, Sound – Sound of Metal
  • Bina Daigeler, Costume Design – Mulan
  • Viola Davis, Leading Actress – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
  • Andra Day, Leading Actress – The United States vs. Billie Holiday
  • Lauren Domino, Documentary Feature – Time
  • Alice Doyard, Documentary Short – Colette
  • Janice Duncan, Documentary Short – A Love Song for Latasha
  • Pippa Ehrlich, Documentary Feature – My Octopus Teacher
  • Coya Elliott, Sound – Soul
  • Cathy Featherstone, Production Design – The Father
  • Emerald Fennell, Picture, Director, Original Screenplay – Promising Young Woman
  • Ashley Fox, Picture – Promising Young Woman
  • Jena Friedman, Adapted Screenplay – Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
  • H.E.R., Original Song – Judas and the Black Messiah
  • Shira Hochman, Live Action Short – White Eye
  • Elizabeth Keenan, Production Design – News of the World
  • Vanessa Kirby, Leading Actress – Pieces of a Woman
  • Elvira Lind, Live Action Short – The Letter Room
  • Eryn Krueger Mekash, Makeup and Hairstyling – Hillbilly Elegy
  • Dana Murray, Animated Feature – Soul
  • Farah Nabulsi, Live Action Short – The Present
  • Mia Neal, Makeup and Hairstyling – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
  • Christina Oh, Picture – Minari
  • Karen O’Hara, Production Design – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
  • Jan Pascale, Production Design – Mank
  • Laura Pausini, Original Song – The Life Ahead
  • Nina Pedrad, Adapted Screenplay – Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
  • Kori Rae, Animated Feature – Onward
  • Susan Ruzenski, Live Action Short – Feeling Through
  • Madeline Sharafian, Animated Short – Burrow
  • Sofia Sondervan, Live Action Short – The Letter Room
  • Claudia Stolze, Makeup and Hairstyling – Emma.
  • Diana Stoughton, Production Design – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
  • Trish Summerville, Costume Design – Mank
  • Tiara Thomas, Original Song – Judas and the Black Messiah
  • Diane Warren, Original Song – The Life Ahead
  • Gigi Williams, Makeup and Hairstyling – Mank
  • Jamika Wilson, Makeup and Hairstyling – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
  • Yuh-Jung Youn, Supporting Actress – Minari
  • Jasmila Žbanić, International Feature – Quo Vadis, Aida? (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
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Full List of 2021 Female Oscar Nominees
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