Register

    Women in Film celebrate Oscar nominees, call for equality

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments1974 Views
    Alicia Vikander arrives at the 9th Annual Women in Film Pre-Oscar Cocktail Party at Hyde Sunset Kitchen + Cocktails on Friday, Feb. 26, 2016, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Rich Fury/Invision/AP)

    By Sandy Cohen, Entertainment Writer

    WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (AP) --

    The president of Women in Film is done talking about diversity and wage equality.

    It's time for action, said Cathy Schulman, Oscar-winning producer of "Crash."

    "No more talking about it. No more dealing with it as only philanthropy," Schulman told guests Friday at Women in Film's ninth annual pre-Oscars cocktail party. "This is a business issue. Movies and television for women and girls make money."

    More than a dozen women nominated for Academy Awards this year attended the private event at Hyde Sunset Kitchen + Cocktails in West Hollywood, California, where Patricia Arquette and Jennifer Lawrence renewed their call for wage equality for women.

    Besides Lawrence, other Oscar nominees in attendance included supporting-actress favorite Alicia Vikander ("The Danish Girl") and Jennifer Jason Leigh ("The Hateful Eight"), screenwriters Emma Donoghue ("Room") and Andrea Berloff ("Straight Outta Compton"), songwriter Diane Warren and costume designer Sandy Powell ("Carol" and "Cinderella"), who wore flame-red hair, silver platform sneakers and a tuxedo tailcoat over a T-shirt that read, "Straight Outta Brixton."

    Arquette, who raised the issue of equal pay for women during last year's Oscar show when she accepted the supporting actress award, also announced the launch of a new change.org petition (www.change.org/era ) to support an equal-rights amendment to the Constitution.

    "Be careful of your lawmakers," she said, "because your rights depend on who's in office at any given time, unless you have a constitutional amendment."

    Lawrence, who penned an essay about wage equality for Lena Dunham's online newsletter last fall, pledged Friday to sign the petition.

    "I love that she stood up," Lawrence said. "We're starting a conversation. We're getting a dialogue going … Equal pay for women!"

    Tags:Women in Film



    India’s legendary filmmaker Shyam Benegal dies at age 90

    Tuesday, December 24, 2024
    Indian film directors Shyam Benegal, right, is seen during a discussion on Indian Cinema in Hyderabad, India, Monday, Feb. 18, 2008. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A, File)

    Shyam Benegal, a renowned Indian filmmaker known for pioneering a new wave cinema movement that tackled social issues in the 1970s, has died after suffering from chronic kidney disease. He was 90.

    His contribution to cinema was recognized as a director, editor and screenwriter. He was also credited with a new genre of filmmaking.

    Benegal passed away on Monday at Mumbai's Wockhardt Hospital, and his cremation will take place on Tuesday, the Press Trust of India news agency reported, citing his daughter Piya.

    "Benegal had been suffering from chronic kidney disease for several years but it had gotten very bad. That's the reason for his death," Piya said.

    Many paid tribute to the legendary filmmaker on social media platform X.

    Filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt wrote that Benegal told stories without pretense. "They were raw and real, about the struggles of ordinary people. His films had craft and conviction."

    "Deeply saddened by the passing of Shyam Benegal, whose storytelling had a profound impact on Indian cinema. His works will continue to be admired by people from different walks of life," India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted.

    He was a mentor to top Indian actors, including Shabana Azmi, Smita Patil, Naseeruddin Shah, and Om Puri who made their mark in Bollywood's popular cinema as well.

    "I have lost my foster father, a man to whom I owe more than I can say," posted Naseeruddin Shah.

    "Shyam Benegal was not just a legend; he was a visionary who redefined storytelling and inspired generations," said actor Manoj Bajpayee.

    Benegal came into the limelight in the 1970s, with a series of films that challenged mainstream Bollywood. His films Ankur (1974), Nishant (1975), Manthan (1976), and Bhumika (1977)... Read More

    MySHOOT Profiles


    Add A Comment