The 18th annual Women in Film Oscars party honored the accomplishments of the 65 women nominated at the 97th Academy Awards.
Women in Film, an organization advocating for gender equality since 1962, has played a crucial role in supporting industry professionals through the #MeToo movement, the COVID-19 pandemic, union strikes, and, most recently, the devastating wildfires.
This year, WIF CEO Kirsten Schaffer addressed an audience that included Cynthia Erivo, Monica Barbaro, Diane Warren, “Dune 2” producer Tanya LaPointe, and others.
She remarked, “Our industry has taken a beating in the past four years, and that combined with what’s happening to women, to transgender people, to immigrants, to queer people and people of color across this country, means that we need this community more than ever. We need to double down on our efforts for inclusion as a community and not let up.”
The event took place on Friday night at the Wheelhouse in West Hollywood. Among the other nominated attendees were “The Substance” director Coralie Fargeat, Erivo, Barbaro, “Gladiator 2” costume designer Janty Yates, “Sugarcane” director Emily Kassie, Diane Warren, and more.
Schaffer emphasized the significance of community, stating, “Community is the heart of this organization. It’s people working together to change perception, change business practices and culture. Our mission is gender equality, but in order to achieve that, people need to feel safe, physically, emotionally and financially.”
Having personally experienced the impact of the wildfires, Schaffer shared that she was among the 11,500 people who had lost their family home.
She reminded attendees that WIF had partnered with the Entertainment Community Fund and urged, “I know many of you have already given to countless gofundmes, to the Red Cross to firefighters, but this is not over.
The recovery process will take many years and many hands. Please make a donation tonight to the entertainment community fund.”
Concluding her speech, Schaffer praised the women in attendance and encouraged them to “strengthen our bonds. If there ever was a room or a backyard of people who have the tenacity, the courage and the creativity to imagine our way out of this dark time, it is this room.”
She then invited the Oscar-nominated women to the stage, where each introduced themselves before gathering for a group photo.
