“Let Her Run”–a compelling film created by the Africa agency and produced by Santería Filmes for SporTV to bring attention to unfair and damaging restrictions placed on women by athletic federations–has won the inaugural SeeHer Lens Award in the New York Festivals International Advertising Awards competition. The winning entry illustrates the dramatic real-life sex testing in the 1960s, called “nude parades,” that many female athletes went through to prove that they were really women.
The SeeHer Lens Award honors best-in-class creative film work submitted to the 2021 competition that exemplifies gender equality and accurate portrayals of women and girls in advertising.
The SeeHer Lens Award is a partnership between NYF, The Female Quotient (The FQ), and the ANA. This award sets the standards for creative media, celebrates advertisers who are driving change via the accurate representation of women and girls and brings visibility to content that is committed to the ideals of the SeeHer movement.
“See Her Run” addresses a major issue. Since May 2019, World Athletics, formerly known as the International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF), had set new limits of testosterone levels in female athletes. That’s a hormone naturally produced by both men and women. World Athletics decreased the limits from 10 nmol/L to 5 nmol/L. Officials had decided that many women no longer qualify as female athletes. And that those girls should be on medication to compete. Sex testing has had many faces since the 1930s, and it continues to cause psychological damages to girls that just want to run.
“We have a great responsibility to drive change. To inspire people. Equality is not inevitable, but a result of a tireless, relentless, and fearless hard work. This award is another step towards a better and equal world we all must fight for,” said Nicholas Bergantin, creative director, Africa.
“It’s such an honor to be awarded in the very first edition of the SeeHer Lens Award. We really hope this award brings the changes to our society and industry that are needed,” said Felipe Luchi, partner at film production company, Santería Filmes.
Shelley Zalis, CEO, The Female Quotient, and co-founder, SeeHer. stated, “We are inspired by the entries from all over the world and it’s clear that we are becoming a more conscious creative community. The ‘Let Her Run’ creative powerfully amplifies SeeHer’s mission around the need for more accurate representation of women and girls in advertising and entertainment, including sports. By sharing these messages on a global level, together we will create change.”
“Congratulations to the team that worked on this important creative,” added Bob Liodice, ANA CEO. “We are so proud to be part of this festival, this new award and use this platform to share the important message for equality through superb storytelling in advertising.”
New York Festivals film entries were reviewed by over 100 members of the New York Festivals Grand Jury. Entries were judged by the SeeHer jury panel using the SeeHer Gender Equality Measure, (GEM®), the global industry standard for measuring gender bias (total and multi-cultural) in ads and programming. GEM® is used in 14 major markets around the world, representing 87% of total global ad spend, to create bias-free ads, content, media buys and media plans.
“It is no longer enough to only create an ad; we must create change. As an industry that shapes perception, we have the responsibility to play an active role in making the world a better and more equal place for women. Thanks to The SeeHer Lens initiative for fueling this long overdue change in how women are represented in ads,” said SeeHer Grand Jury member, Mona Hassanie, Strategy Director, Wunderman UAE.
“The See Her Lens Award by the NYF has shown us what usually goes unnoticed. And our role as creatives should be to balance this equation and get women better represented in the ads.” noted Marc Storino, sr. creative art director, Havas London
New York Festivals collaborated with graphic artist Rowan Shalit to create the 2021 NYFA “SeeHer Lens” Award logo graphic.
Local school staple “Lost on a Mountain in Maine” from 1939 hits the big screen nationwide
Most Maine schoolchildren know about the boy lost for more than a week in 1939 after climbing the state's tallest mountain. Now the rest of the U.S. is getting in on the story.
Opening in 650 movie theaters on Friday, "Lost on a Mountain in Maine" tells the harrowing tale of 12-year-old Donn Fendler, who spent nine days on Mount Katahdin and the surrounding wilderness before being rescued. The gripping story of survival commanded the nation's attention in the days before World War II and the boy's grit earned an award from the president.
For decades, Fendler and Joseph B. Egan's book, published the same year as the rescue, has been required reading in many Maine classrooms, like third-grade teacher Kimberly Nielsen's.
"I love that the overarching theme is that Donn never gave up. He just never quits. He goes and goes," said Nielsen, a teacher at Crooked River Elementary School in Casco, who also read the book multiple times with her own kids.
Separated from his hiking group in bad weather atop Mount Katahdin, Fendler used techniques learned as a Boy Scout to survive. He made his way through the woods to the east branch of the Penobscot River, where he was found more than 30 miles (48 kilometers) from where he started. Bruised and cut, starved and without pants or shoes, he survived nine days by eating berries and lost 15 pounds (7 kilograms).
The boy's peril sparked a massive search and was the focus of newspaper headlines and nightly radio broadcasts. Hundreds of volunteers streamed into the region to help.
The movie builds on the children's book, as told by Fendler to Egan, by drawing upon additional interviews and archival footage to reinforce the importance of family, faith and community during difficult times,... Read More