The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, in partnership with E! Entertainment and Swarovski, announced Thursday the launch of Action: The Academy Women’s Initiative.
It is comprised of the Academy Gold Fellowship for Women, the Academy Directory and annual events, all designed to create opportunities for female filmmakers to connect, share their stories and celebrate inclusion.
This year’s events will take place on October 15 in London and October 30 in Los Angeles, and will see the announcement of the first two recipients of the Academy Gold Fellowship for Women.
Action is an extension of the Academy’s A2020 initiative, which seeks to support inclusion and increase representation within the Academy and the greater film community.
In partnership with E! Entertainment and with the support of Swarovski, the Los Angeles Women’s Lunch will bring together female filmmakers from across all corners of the filmmaking industry and feature an onstage conversation with comedian Hannah Gadsby and Emmy-Award winning writer, creator, actor, producer Lena Waithe.
In addition to the Academy Gold Fellowship for Women, the event will launch the Academy Directory: a tool for Academy members to identify and connect with each other and build a filmmaker community for guidance, support and hiring opportunities.