Women at the Oscars: Milestones and Looking Forward
Alliance of Women Directors emeritus board member Sacha Smith and Women in Film Deputy Director Maikiko James reflected on the history of women nominees and winners at the Oscars during this panel sponsored by the Academy.
Moderated by Academy Award-nominated songwriter and composer and Chair of the Academy’s Black Caucus Affinity Group, Taura Stinson, the talk covered the significance of women being recognized in male-dominated categories; milestone moments for women at the ceremony; what changes need to be made as the Academy approaches its 100th Oscars ceremony; and more.
Elevating The Frame Mixer & Celebration
Multiple filmmaker groups gathered together during Women’s History Month in support of filmmakers of all marginalized genders to deepen connections and expand their networks. Presented by Canon Burbank with support from event sponsors First Entertainment Credit Union, Profoto, Scriptation and ShotDeck.
Co-hosted by community partners Alliance of Women Directors, Alliance for Women Film Composers, Asian American Documentary Network, Brown Girls Doc Mafia, Chicana Director’s Initiative, Film Fatales, International Community of Female+ Cinematographers, Latino Filmmakers Network, ReFrame, WIF, Women In Media and Women Make Movies.
There was a Canon photo studio activation on site with complimentary digital headshot portraits for all participants. Thanks for joining us! Photos by Denise Tomkinson and Jazmin Aguilar
MíraLA Film Festival AWD Block of films
AWD was happy to partner with the MíraLA Film Festival to have a block of shorts directed by our members screen on Saturday, March 21.
The screening included the following films:
Silicon Valley Girl (Dir. Yeon Jin Lee)
Camping (Dir. Maria Valdez)
72 (Dir. Marissa Chibás)
The Fires We Play With (Dir. Paulina Manseau)
Jules (Tiffany M. Abney)
It concluded with a Q&A moderated by Kylie Eaton.
AWD x Roadmap Writers Pitch Sessions
AWD partnered with Roadmap Writers to host a two-part virtual pitching series featuring standout writers from Roadmap’s Success Stories program. Across both sessions, AWD directing members had the opportunity to hear a diverse range of original projects pitched live, connect with repped screenwriters, and explore potential collaborations.
Hosted by Jaime Kawamoto (Roadmap Writers) and Kylie Eaton (AWD), the series offered a dynamic and accessible way for AWD members to discover new material and build creative partnerships within the community.
AWD South Presents:
Journey to Success with Makeup Artist Carol Rasheed
AWD South hosted Makeup Artist Carol Rasheed for their popular Journey to Success series. Carol discussed how makeup artistry serves as a vital component of storytelling, contributing to character development, emotional depth, and on-screen authenticity.
Participants gained insight into effective cross-department collaboration, particularly how directors can better communicate and partner with the makeup department to support a cohesive creative vision.
The session highlighted key principles for sustaining a long-term career in the industry, including consistency, professionalism, and leadership through respect and mentorship.
Works in Progress Program
March’s Works in Progress Program was held virtually and began with a demo from Storiara, a film coordination platform that turns a script into a complete shoot plan.
The attendees then provided feedback on Monique Sorgen‘s narrative feature, ONE DAY IN SEDONA. Additionally, Monique spoke about making the film, including signing on talent and working with business owners in Sedona. You can read more about it in her Substack post. Members also watched and reviewed Katie Harbin‘s catchy directing reel.
AWD Directing members can request to screen their projects at an upcoming WIP using this form.
Directing the Actor Lab
AWD’s Directing the Actor Lab is a popular annual program taught by AWD Founder and USC Professor Jennifer Warren. The selected Directors meet for monthly sessions to enhance their experience working with actors. Topics covered include in-depth scene breakdowns, rehearsal exercises and techniques, and playable direction and adjustments for actors.
The directors met twice in March. One class consisted of reviewing readings and clips from films. In the other, Maria Valdez and Grace Potter presented rehearsals for feedback from Jennifer and fellow directors.