Festivals - Athena Film Festival 2018 : A women in the film industry celebration

By Mulder, New York, 26 february 2018

The 2018 Athena Film Festival Awards ceremony on Friday February 23rd celebrated individuals whose daring, bold work has advanced women in the film industry.

The Inaugural Athena Breakthrough Award was awarded to Bridget Everett, a world-renowned cabaret artist, comedian, musician and actress whose film Patti Cake$ was screened at the Athena Film Festival. Her live television special Bridget Everett - Gynecological Wonder premiered on Comedy Central, and she can be seen in Netflix's Lady Dynamite. In her hilarious acceptance speech, she referenced the over-the-top costumes made for her by her friend Larry including “titty tops” and “the pussy dress”, which she can be seen performing in at Joe’s Pub in New York. She poignantly closed her speech with, “...I feel like I’m just getting started and I’m grateful for my New York family that’s help made my dreams come true.”

The Athena Award was given to Amma Asante, MBE, a director and screenwriter who was the first black female director to win a BAFTA Award as well as the first black female director to open the BFI Film Festival in London. Her films A Way of Life, Belle, A United Kingdom, and her upcoming Where Hands Touch demonstrate her commitment to exploring the challenging topics of race, gender and class. In her acceptance speech, she reflected on her journey: “I look back now on that young woman who was too afraid to be who she was because she didn’t think her voice had value, and she didn’t think her voice would be listened to, and I realize how important it is for me to be the reminder to young women who are emerging today that actually you do have value, and you do have worth”.

The Athena List winners, sponsored by Amazon Studios, comprise a list of screenplays with female protagonists that have not yet been produced. The Athena List Winners included Saving Esperanza by Betty Sullivan; Throw Like a Girl by Lori Bell Leahy; True North by Katherine Ruppe; and WHITE by A. Sayeeda Moreno.

The Athena Leading Man Award was awarded to renowned writer, director, producer, and founder of Bad Robot Productions, J.J. Abrams. In Abrams' career, which has included co-creating the Golden Globe-nominated television with Felicity, and also created the series Alias. Abrams has worked to create content featuring powerful women and to champion narratives by and about women. Girls creator Lena Dunham presented the award to J.J. Abrams, saying of him, “...it is such an honor to support and recognize a man who has used his power and prestige to support and advocate for women in the entertainment industry.” She later noted, “J.J. and his wife Katie McGrath, co-CEO of Bad Robot and total certified badass to worship, have been key organizers of Time’s Up, the Hollywood initiative aimed at ending sexual harassment and abuse.”

In Abrams’ speech, he spoke of the backlash to the #Metoo movement, saying “...that somehow the fight for what is fair is somehow an assault against them, instead of an opportunity creatively and professionally to be challenged to do better…”. He said of our current moment that “All of us, not just the women, should be thrilled about it, not just for the creative and economic opportunity, but because who among us in 2018 doesn’t want to fight for what is fair and what is right?”

The 2018 Laura Siskin Lifetime Achievement Award was given to Barbara Kopple, a two-time Academy Award-winning filmmaker known for her commitment to uncovering and telling the truth. Her film, Miss Sharon Jones!, screened in the 2018 Athena Film Festival. In presenting the award to Kopple, director and producer Kristi Jacobson spoke of Kopple’s commitment to mentorship of other women in the film industry, and the ways in which she helped Jacobson in her career. She noted of Kopple: “She prioritizes humanity always.” In her acceptance speech, Kopple spoke of legendary producer Lucy Jarvis, now age 100: “This is not a woman to tangle with. She has courage, she has passion, she was the first woman to ever get into the Kremlin.”

Lastly, a surprise award was given to festival co-founder Kathryn Kolbert for her work as a courageous and audacious woman leader. Festival co-founder Melissa Silverstein presented the award to Kolbert, saying “...thank you for blazing the trail, for persevering, and for all your work. Your seemingly inexhaustible determination, drive and resilience are in large part what has propelled this festival and The Athena Center into what they are today, programs that are building new generations of women leaders and inspiring thousands.” She noted her as a “mentor, friend and fearless leader”. Kolbert, in her speech, said of the festival “I’m so glad actually that it’s here at Barnard because the one piece of Barnard that I love more than anything is the young women that I get to work with every day.”

Written by Kate Herzlin
Photos: Kate Herzlin