By Lindsey Bahr, Film Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) --Women earned a number of barrier-breaking Oscar nominations this year, but overall representation of women in Oscar-nominated behind-the-scenes categories fell two percent according to a report from the Women's Media Center published Monday.
The report, authored by awards blogger Sasha Stone, noted landmark achievements — like how "Jackie" composer Mica Levi became the first women to be nominated for original score, and how Joi McMillon became the first black woman to earn an editing nomination — but bemoaned the decrease in female nominees overall despite efforts by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to expand and diversify membership.
For the seventh year following Kathryn Bigelow's historic win for "The Hurt Locker" in 2009, no women were nominated for best director. Only one woman was nominated in any screenwriting category, Allison Schroeder for "Hidden Figures," down from three last year, and, once again, no women were nominated for cinematography.
Other categories experienced similar drops, save an increase in nominations for women in the Sound Editing and Sound Mixing categories.
The percentage of Oscar nominees was slightly better than overall behind-the-scenes employment numbers for 2016, which the Center for the Study of Women in Television & Film reported was 17 percent for the top 250 domestic grossing films.
"Clearly, women cannot get through the door and if they cannot get through the door, they cannot be recognized — and rewarded — for their excellence and impact," said Julie Burton, president of the Women's Media Center. "We ask the studio and agency executives who are OK with making a bunch of deals that exclude women to 'Be Better.'"
Mike Pierantozzi joins Movers+Shakers as exec creative director
Creative agency Movers+Shakers has appointed Mike Pierantozzi as executive creative director. In this new role, he will help guide the creative direction of Movers+Shakers’ socially-native campaigns. Pierantozzi will report to co-founder and chief creative officer Geoffrey Goldberg.
With nearly two decades of experience as a copywriter, creative director, and multi-platform storyteller, Pierantozzi brings a wealth of knowledge from his work with major brands including Kraft, Unilever, IBM, and Walmart. He has led the creation of award-winning campaigns for agencies like Red Tettemer, Ogilvy, The Brooklyn Brothers, TAXI, Saatchi & Saatchi, and most recently, Vayner, where he spearheaded culturally iconic work for Planters including “Death of Mr. Peanut.” He led the National Down Syndrome Society and Luvs account, whose “First Kid. Second Kid” campaign was awarded by the Effies, ADC, Clios and LIAs.
Outside of the office, Pierantozzi practices what he teaches brands. He’s gone viral multiple times on his own TikTok account, featuring comedic interactions with his son and a trombone. He’s accumulated 15K followers on TikTok.
“Mike brings a rare and awesome combination of deep social and platform experience, a keen eye for excellent storytelling, and a humble and kind approach to leadership,” said Goldberg. “Mike’s got a knack for turning brand stories into cultural movements, making him the perfect fit for Movers+Shakers. He’s got the kind of bold vision and attention to culture that fits perfectly with our mission to push creative boundaries and drive industry firsts. Plus, as a creator himself he has the innate ability to make people stop, laugh, and share--which is exactly what we’re about.”
“I’ve... Read More