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The WIFV Women of Vision Awards Gala 2012
Mayflower Renaissance Hotel in Washington, DC
Thursday, November 29, 6:30 p.m.                  

Writer:  Vicki Warren, Women in Film & Video DC Member, Producer/Journalist

Ginny Durrin, former WIFV president, holds up the first ever WIFV tee-shirt–printed when WIFV was founded in 1979. Durable AND fashionable apparel? Just one of the many wonderful things WIFV has to offer.

It was a shared love of filmmaking and an opportunity to celebrate four remarkable women that brought guests to the 19th Annual Women of Vision Awards Gala.   The honorees included Shirin Ghareeb,  Deputy Director of Filmfest DC  and founder of the Arabian Sights Film Festival; Agnieszka Holland, acclaimed writer and director;  Peggy Parsons, Curator of the Department of Film Programs at the National Gallery of Art and Chris Weber, Vice President of Production for Specials at the Discovery Channel.    The four women visionaries were recognized for creating their own body of work and for serving as trailblazers and mentors to others.     And those whose lives they touched were there at the Gala in full force sharing stories and laughter and a great deal of joy at just being together. Many had worked on the video vignettes celebrating the honorees.  Tony Gittens, director of Filmfest DC,  had a starring role in two of the video tributes–one celebrating Shirin Ghareeb and one portraying the work of Peggy Parsons.  In that vignette, Gittens got a chance to serenade Parsons with his rendition of Peggy Sue.   “In spite of the fact,” he said, “Her middle name isn’t Sue and I’m not Buddy Holly.”    Each of the video tributes captured the essence of the person being celebrated.  The one honoring Parsons, produced by Sandy Cannon-Brown, Immediate Past President of WIFV DC, was in black and white with subtitles exhibiting a great deal of humor.  Part of Parsons’ job is bringing visitors to the National Gallery of Art to see newly restored films and in her speech she voiced her appreciation that the video about her was in black and white.  It was fitting that the video vignette honoring Chris Weber, whose able hand has guided so many filmmakers, was produced by an almost brand-new producer, Elizabeth Ventura.   Weber said in her remarks that when she started out as a filmmaker she lacked a clear vision, but that now she has one.   That vision, she said, “Is that the film community can make films that change the world. “  And to her, the vision is clearer and the product better when everyone involved with the project treats each other with respect.  Her words brought cheers from the audience, many of whom had worked with Weber over the years.  The video tribute to Shirin Ghareeb, produced by Randi Cohen Coblenz and Catherine Wyler, showed the diversity Ghareeb has brought to the film landscape in Washington over the years, both as the Director of the Arabian Sights Film Festival and Deputy Director of Filmfest DC.  Ghareeb told the crowd she came to work at Filmfest DC in 1990 for a job she was told would last three months and 23 years later she is still there and still finding a way to bring new work to the city.  Oscar-nominated director, Agnieszka Holland, has had work featured on both the big screen and network television.  She credited her success to being named Agnes.  Her hero growing up was the French director Agnes Varda.  “So,” she said, “The best thing to do to be a great director is to have the first name Agnes.”  Not having the name Agnes has not stopped WIFV member Aviva Kempner, who produced the tribute to Holland.  The video brought to life the scope and the variety of projects Holland has worked on.  Among those featured in the vignette was the creator of The Wire, David Simon who said about Holland, “I know she has a vision because she sees right through me.”  While most of the evening was devoted to honoring Ghareeb, Parsons, Weber and Holland, WIFV founder Ginny Durrin was also celebrated and received the WIFV President’s Award for her outstanding service to the organization.  Regina Reese’s passion for creating art and her moving way of describing her own vision as a young filmmaker earned her a scholarship from Carolyn’s First Decade Fund in honor of WIFV member and filmmaker Carolyn Projansky.   WIFV presented Kimberly Merritt with a scholarship from the Randy Goldman Fund.  The evening was emceed by WTTG FOX 5 Emmy-award-winning broadcaster, Gwen Tolbart, and brought home for the 19th year in a row how vital WIFV is to the Washington DC area film community.  WIFV Advisory Committee member, Michal Carr, said it best when she remarked, “WIFV has defined the film industry in Washington.”  Defined it, supported it, embraced it and provided an opportunity for all who have a passion for creativity and filmmaking to share that passion.

About the Writer:  Vicki Warren, Women in Film & Video DC Member 

Vicki Warren is an award-winning Producer and Journalist.  She is most proud of her work as a part of the Here is New York: Voices of 911 project,  an audiovisual archive of the stories of 9/11.

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Need Funding?

WIFTI Summit 2012
University of California Washington Center in Washington, DC
November 30, 2012 4:15-5:45 pm

Writer: Faith DeVeaux, Writer/Producer/Director, WIFV DC Member

Maryanne Culpepper, Woman of Vision 2011, President, National Geographic

Do you need funding? Of course! Maryanne Culpepper,
President of National Geographic Television, and Nina Seavey, Director of the Documentary Center at George Washington University, gave insights on this subject, and noted that this session was important because funding allows us to make a living at this craft, instead of it being a hobby. Both television and independent film funding options were discussed. Cable network commission opportunities are wide open, but producers must be sure to be familiar with network and the demographics
of those networks. The networks will determine the budgets and have editing control. Independent filmmakers have a tougher road for financing, but greater creative control. Dealing with investors requires legal advice. Independent filmmakers also have the option of crowdfunding sites and grants. Independent films picked up by networks  are usually acquisitions. International co-productions were highly recommended, and was described as being easier to put together as may seem. It is recommended that producers put together a one page pitch, a sizzle reel trailer of two to two and a half minutes that covers the story and key characters, and any extra material that reveal the characters, as well as a target budget and a target delivery date before making  presentations.

About the Writer: Faith DeVeaux, Writer/Producer/Director, Member of WIFV DC

Faith DeVeaux is the author of When Duty Calls, and the  Writer/Producer/Director of the short films The Visit and Life and  Time.  She is currently in post-production with her WWII documentary Double Victory: Two Warriors in the Fight for Civil Rights During WWII.

WTTG Fox5 Live Interviews about Women of Vision, WIFTI Summit and ScriptDC

Women in Film & Video is ramping up for an amazing weekend that starts with Women of Vision Awards on Thursday, and continues with the WIFTI Summit 2012 and ScriptDC, and people are taking notice!  WTTG Fox5 in Washington, DC, will interview WIFV President, Mary May and Chief of Afghanistan Services for Voice of America (VOA) Beth Mendelson at 9:15 AM Tuesday, Nov. 27.  If you can’t turn on the TV, log on to www.foxdc.com for live streaming at 9:15 AM tomorrow morning.

Mary May’s vision for Women in Film & Video DC has taken the organization on a global journey this year — from four Women of Vision 2012 honorees who come from around the world to the international WIFTI Summit which draws media makers from New Orleans to Denmark to DC — her strategic plan for this year will make it one to remember.  Don’t miss this chance to hear more about why these events are important not only to our local community, but to our global view of film and media.

Mary May, President of WIFV and VP Operations, Womin Media

Mary May is VP of Operations for Womin Media, a company which specializes in designing and executing revenue generating strategies that target women audiences across multiple media platforms. Before joining Womin Media, Mary May was instrumental in implementing new systems and procedures during the five years  she was employed at Interface Media Group (IMG). Her work at IMG spanned accounting, HR, management and sales administration during a time of corporate, market and economic transition and helped position the company for continued success.  Prior to working at IMG, Mary worked at Callaway Golf Company for 11 years in Human Resources and IT.  Her work at Callaway Golf prepared her to tackle the challenges faced by IMG, WIFV and Womin Media.While working at IMG, Mary developed a deep respect for the people creating media in the DC market and became involved with WIFV to support them and their work.  She currently serves as President of WIFV and is always looking for new ways to support, engage, and promote the vibrant media community in DC.  This year, WIFV is hosting the Women in Film and Television International Summit 2012 to provide media makers with valuable information and access.Mary’s talents cover the spectrum in the media world, but her expertise is in strategic thinking, corporate direction and organization management. She loves to work in a creative environment and offers the business mind that creative companies often need. Mary’s leadership and organizational ability allows her to stay behind the scenes managing operations and enables the creative folks at Womin Media to do their creating.

As an active person, Mary loves to exercise and stay fit. She loves to travel and find new and interesting places to go.  She also prioritizes service and strives to leave people and places better for having been there.

Joining Mary at Fox5 tomorrow morning is Beth Mendelson, a past Woman of Vision honoree who has makes an international impact in her role as Chief of Afghanistan Service at Voice of America in Washington, DC.

Beth Mendelson, Chief of Afghanistan Service at Voice of America and past Women of Vision Honoree.

For the past 25 years, Beth Mendelson has worked for the US Government, the White House, NGO’s, and several foundations as a widely sought after media specialist. Currently, she is the Chief of the Afghanistan Service at Voice of America (VOA). In September, she launched two daily newscasts to Afghanistan called “TV Ashna”. Her portfolio includes broadcast, radio, and the Web. She is in production on a documentary for VOA about drug trafficking in Afghanistan.WIFV DC is proud to be associated with these very real women of change!  Go to wifv.org/wov to find out more about the Women of Vision Awards this coming Thursday, and browse our pages about the WIFTI Summit 2012 and ScriptDC to find out about these global conferences. All events are open to the general public, but reservations are required.

Excitement is Brewing for Women of Vision 2012

Yolanda R. Arrington, Co-Chair, Women of Vision 2012 and WIFV DC Board Member

Posted by Yolanda R. Arrington
Co-Chair, Women of Vision 2012

Next week, Women in Film & Video will honor four trailblazing women who have made their mark on the film industry when the organization hands out its annual Women of Vision Awards. From television to film and beyond, our distinguished honorees are moving mountains.

Take Shirin Ghareeb, who brings diversity to the landscape as the Director of the Arabian Sights Film Festival and Deputy Director of Filmfest DC. Margaret “Peggy” Parsons curates the film program at the National Gallery of Art. She brings a bit of culture to a city often mired in politics. And then there’s Christine Weber, who serves as the Vice President of Production for Specials at Discovery Channel. She’s responsible for keeping you glued to your television screens and educating you at the same time. And last, but not least, Agnieszka Holland is an Oscar-nominated director who’s mastered the big screen and network TV. Her vision helped bring the gritty streets of Baltimore to life on HBO’s “The Wire.”  She’ll be staying in town to kick off the WIFTI Summit and ScriptDC conferences with a film screening of Europa, Europa at the DCJCC on Friday evening.

To help you start your weekend early, we’re hosting the Women of Vision Awards at the grand Mayflower Renaissance Hotel in Washington, DC. This is a big weekend for us and what better place to mark an historic moment than at the Mayflower. WTTG/Fox 5 Weather Anchor Gwen Tolbart will be our emcee for the evening and there’s still time to grab a seat at our table. Visit wifv.org/wov for information. We’ll see you there.

Paige Gold, Co-Chair of Women of Vision 2012, is joined by Yolanda R. Arrington as a Co-Chair this year.  Both women are on the Board of Directors for WIFV DC.  The WIFV Women of Vision Awards celebrate women’s creative and technical achievements in media. WIFV Executive Members nominate women for these awards annually. 

Indiewire’s Women And Hollywood Blog Praises WIFV’s Women of Vision Awards

Women and Hollywood’s Guest Blogger Marian Evans, who blogs as Wellywood Woman, highlighted WIFV’s Women of Vision Awards as an example of film awards that are globally thinking and celebrate women’s achievements in a gender-biased industry, and Agnieszka Holland in particular.  Read the excerpt of Marian’s blog below, and go to Women and Hollywood to read the full post.  WIFV loves to get mentions!

Because of the gender bias in the European Film Award nominations, it’s especially satisfying to see Agnieszka Holland in the list of recipients of Women in Film and Video’s (WIFV) annual Women of Vision Awards, also just  announced.  WIFV is based in Washington DC, a local rather than a national or international organization, so it’s excellent to see that it’s thinking globally. A Polish director, Agnieszka Holland’s had an extraordinary career. She’s made twenty-eight films, directed television, including episodes of The Wire, The Killing, and Treme. She won the International Critics Prize at Cannes way back in 1978 for Provincial Actors (Aktorzy prowincjonalni) was an Academy Award nominee for her screenplay for Europa Europa, which she also directed. She has twice had a film nominated for the Academy Award for the Best Foreign Language Film, most recently this year for In Darkness. In the interview below she comes across as a human being who’s full of heart and complexity and as a filmmaker with a lot of wisdom to share. The other WIFV awards are regional and honor women for a variety of film-related activities: Shirin Ghareebthe director of the Arabian Sights Film Festival and deputy director of Filmfest DC, director Agnieszka Holland, Margaret Parsons, curator at the Department of Film Programs, National Gallery of Art; and Christine Weber, Vice President of Production for Specials at Discovery Channel. They’ll be presented at the end of the month.

— Marian Evans, Guest Blog for Women and Hollywood, November 8, 2012.

WIFTI Summit 2012: Radio Prequel! Tune in for discussions with four Summit panelists as a warm up to the big event!

Get the inside scoop on working in media from some of the industry’s most successful women producers, writers, and filmmakers on nationally syndicated radio show “Let’s Just Talk!”  this Saturday, Nov. 17 at 11 AM on www.w4CY.com and Sunday, Nov. 18 at  6 PM Eastern on www.1100kfnx.com.

Lauren Verself, Founder of Lucky Monkey Pictures

Join WIFV charter member Lauren Versel of Lucky Monkey Pictures (Vamps, City Island, Arbitrage) as she shares her experience as a producer in Hollywood, and

Pamela Yates, American Documentary Filmmaker

Pamela Yates (When the Mountains Tremble, Takeover, Granito), an award-winning documentary maker based in New York City.  These Summit panelists will engage in a bi-coastal discussion with radio host Kathryn Raaker about women in film.  Listeners can call in to 561-623-9429 or log on to www.w4cy.com this Saturday, Nov. 17 at 11 a.m. EST.

Chris Nee, Creator and Executive Producer “Doc McStuffins”

Tune in again on Sunday, Nov. 18 at 6 PM EST to hear Chris Nee, Creator / Executive Producer of Disney Jr.’s Doc McStuffins, talk about the personal impact of the “We Are Doc McStuffins” movement, and

Mary Jane Skalski, Independent Film Producer

Mary Jane Skalski (The Station Agent, Win Win, The Visitor), shares her insights from the opening night Sundance Film Festival screening of her film Hello / Must Be Going.  Go to www.1100kfnx.com to connect with this online radio show.

These women join many other successful speakers who will be sharing their expertise to help you further your career at the WIFTI Summit Nov. 30 – Dec. 2.  Registration deadline is Nov. 19!  Go to http://wifv.ticketleap.com/wiftisummit to register today.  If you can’t attend the full weekend, Day Passes are available ($145 Members; $195 Non-Members) and Workshop-Only Passes are a bargain ($50 Members; $75 Non-Members).  Hotel rooms are still available at an unbeatable rate.  Contact the WIFV Office at 202-429-9438 for details.

WIFTI Summit 2012: Radio Prequel!

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Check out the latest Press about the WIFTI Summit
Washington, DC (PRWEB) October 26, 2012

Sarah Wallendjack, President      Women in Children’s Media (WiCM)/Children’s Media Association (CMA) to speak at the WIFTI Summit

Hosted by WIFV DC, the Women in Film and Television International (WIFTI) Summit
will run concurrent with the premier writers’ and filmmakers’ conference in the
mid-Atlantic, ScriptDC. Summit pass holders receive access to ScriptDC. Space is
limited; general public can register. RSVP by November 16 at http://wifv.ticketleap.com/wiftisummit.

An Evening with Agnieszka Holland

AN EVENING WITH AGNIESZKA HOLLAND
Repost from the DCJCC website at http://washingtondcjcc.org/center-for-arts/film/wjff-year-round-/film-pages/an-evening-with-agnieszka.html

Screening of Europa Europa followed by on stage discussion with Agnieszka Holland and Aviva Kempner. Preceded by Shabbat Dinner with the filmmaker (optional, separate ticket) at the DCJCC.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30 at 7:30 pm (Shabbat Dinner at 6:00pm)

Co-Sponsored by Women in Film and Video and The Ciesla Foundation
Co-presented by EntryPointDC

Best recognized for her highly politicized contributions to Polish New Wave cinema, Agnieszka Holland ranks as one of Poland’s most prominent filmmakers. Director Andrzej Wajda served as her mentor during her early career, and the two collaborated on a number of scripts. Her 1985 feature Bitter Harvest, an examination of the relationship between a gentile farmer and the Jewish woman he conceals during World War II, was nominated for an Academy award for Best Foreign Language Film. Six years later, Holland earned even greater international acclaim and a score of awards, including a Golden Globe, for Europa, Europa (1991).

Last year, her latest work, the critically heralded In Darkness was also nominated for the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. Select highlights of Holland’s impressive catalog include Washington Square, The Secret Garden, Three Colors: Blue (screenplay) and several  TV episodes of The Wire and Treme.

EUROPA EUROPA
Director Agnieszka Holland (113 min, Germany/France/Poland, 1990)
In Polish with English Subtitles

For many years Solomon Perel kept silent about his exceptional wartime experience. Agnieszka Holland brings his story to light, drawing a compassionate portrait of a young German Jew caught in the riptide of history. On the eve of World War II, Solly Perel’s family resettles in Poland. When the Nazi invasion occurs, they move eastward again, only to encounter fleeing Soviet Jews. Amidst the confusion, young Solly begins a Candide-like journey, negotiating the dangerous terrain of totalitarian machinations. Self-preservation becomes a strategy of wits at the expense of his Jewish identity. Interned in a Soviet orphanage, captured by the German “enemy” and, in yet another bizarre and ironic twist of fate, finding himself a “war hero,” Solly must continually reappraise his situation. When sent to a school for the German elite, the boy’s thoroughly convincing charade as a little Nazi threatens his own identity. In the film’s ultimate irony, the one physically undeniable emblem of Solly’s heritage proves his salvation. Keenly sensitive to her protagonist’s dilemma, Holland poses the question: “What is a man in the 20th century? Does our fate depend on us, on our choice of actions or are we playthings of history?”

Following the film there will be an on-stage Q&A with Agnieszka Holland, moderated by WJFF Founder and local filmmaker icon Aviva Kempner (Partisans of Vilna, The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg and Yoo-Hoo Mrs. Goldberg).

SHABBAT DINNER
Please join us for an intimate Shabbat dinner with the filmmaker prior to the screening. Space for the dinner is limited. Please be sure to buy your tickets ahead of time.

BUY TICKETS (Advanced ticket sales end at 4:00pm on the day of the event. NO tickets will be sold at the door).