Michele Dagle

Created by and starring Rebel Wilson, ABC’s upcoming sitcom Super Fun Night looks like a winner. Wilson plays one of three friends who spend their Friday nights “always together! always inside!” — until they’re motivated to take the party outside, diving into the craziness that is New York nightlife. — MICHELE DAGLE

Illusion short film trailer from Jessica Hester.

Pleased to see: that public pressure forced Disney to back down on its glam, sexy makeover of Brave’s Princess Merida. This over-sexualization of girl and woman characters in children’s media has a negative effect on both girls and boys.

Giving a shout out to: Jessica Hester and her award-winning short film, Illusion. Recently featured in an article by Laura Sheldon on GalTime.com, Illusion can be seen on opening night of VisionFest, June 26, 8 pm, at Tribeca Cinemas.

Looking forward to: the opening night of Another Experiment by Women Film Festival. Filmmaker Coleen Fitzgibbon will present the world premiere of her new experimental videos on Monday, May 27 at the Anthology Film Archives at 7 pm. 

Countdown to Designing Women 2013! Only three days until the big event, but you can still buy tickets.

I was lucky enough to chat with the honorees for Designing Women 2013, to be held on Thursday, May 23, at The McGraw Hill Building in NYC. Here’s what I learned:

Makeup artist Andrea Miller moved from Jamaica to NYC when she was seven. Evidence that Miller she picked the right career is apparent in the praise she got from Former President Bill Clinton, whom she’d made up for an interview on the NBC Nightly News. “She’s a surgeon,” Clinton told Tom Brokaw during a commercial break; Brokaw agreed. As Andrea relates, still with amazement, “they spent four minutes talking about me!”

She moved to film when, after making what she says was a “proper nuisance” of herself, she was hired as an intern on a Spike Lee movie. 

Miller will receive her Designing Women award from Julianna Margulies, whose makeup she’s been doing for the entire run of CBS’s The Good Wife. 

Hair stylist Mandy Lyons’ talent was evident early — her first show was in Paris, with Karl Lagerfeld. She made the move to film when Sarah Jessica Parker was looking for a hair stylist and stayed with her through two seasons of Sex and the City and the subsequent movies.

She has worked on many other famous heads, including Tilda Swinton, Jennifer Lopez, and Norah Jones, who will be presenting her with the Designing Women award. Actors, says Lyons, “are most interested in finding the best person for what they want to look like as a character.” She obviously fits that bill.

Costumer designer Deborah Scott won an Academy Award for her work on Titanic, an experience she says was surreal. But for her, it wasn’t just about winning the Oscar. Her continuing satisfaction comes from being part of a movie beloved worldwide.

Her current project is the new Spider-Man filming in New York. She says every project presents a challenge to make the story come alive and the characters become people. Her research doesn’t just include what the fashions of the movie’s period were, but also the etiquette of the time to understand how people lived in their clothes. 

Scott will receive her Designing Women award from Titanic producer Jon Landau.

The entire creative team of FX’s The Americans will receive the ensemble award from Variety Ensemble Award for their work recreating the look of the early 1980s. Costume designer Jenny Gering, head of makeup Lori Hicks and hair department head Peg Schierholz will accept the award from actor Richard Thomas. — MIMI SPILLANE

Buy your Designing Women 2013 tickets today!

On Friday, May 31, who better to get back in the Power Player groove with than producer Christine Vachon of New York City’s very own Killer Films. With too many powerhouse and award-winning projects to name them all, let’s just start with a few, including indie classic Boys Don’t Cry, recent festival favorite Kill Your Darlings, and the TV miniseries Mildred Pierce. 

Vachon is a wealth of knowledge. She wrote the book Shooting to Kill: How an Independent Producer Blasts Through Barriers to Make Movies that Matter. Don’t miss this opportunity to sit down with her and learn what it takes to make it the tough world of independent film and play with the big boys in Hollywood while maintaining a high standard for craftsmanship and subject matter.

Learn more about the Power Player Breakfast with Christine Vachon on Friday, May 31, 8:30 am, and order tickets here.

May is only halfway over — don’t forget NYWIFT’s other amazing events coming up:
- Tuesday, May 21: Writing Fiction for Transmedia & Cross-Platform Entertainment
- Wednesday, May 29: A Conversation With Rachel Haot, NYC’s Chief Digital Officer
- And of course, 2013 Designing Women Awards on Thursday, May 23

For the full calendar of events for May and June, please check here.

The panelists from Fox — Dante Di Loreto, Zola B. Mashariki, Shana C. Waterman, and Seth Yanklewitz — had much to contribute on the subject of diversity in casting, offering forward-thinking, creative solutions.

The conversation, moderated by Keli Goff, was centered on, but not limited to race; topics of gender, age, and disabilities were also discussed. The panelists addressed the fact that it’s a business imperative to cast a wide net and that ultimately talent drives casting. They also talked about diversity behind the scenes and how essential it is to a strong, healthy industry.

The success of Glee and Scandal, with the first African American female lead in 40 years, are showing us where the future of television is going. Change may be slower than we would like it to be, but there are creative minds at work challenging the status quo. — JENNIFER SILVERMAN

Photo credit: Daily News.

After 35+ years, she’s leaving. 

“Well, she’s too Asian,” NYWIFT Muse Award honoree Lucy Liu on racism. 

Lena, there’s a new It girl on your heels. 

Rodham is the hottest script in Hollywood. Hillary always wins!

Only 1 female director? Cannes you believe this?!

From “the block” to CCO, Jennifer Lopez is moving in the right direction.

R.I.P., Dr. Joyce Brothers

— KELLY GLOVER

She’s a five-time Billboard Magazine Award winner known for her unprecedented success holding the No.1 on-air position in the New York radio market.

Now, Valerie Smaldone can add emcee of NYWIFT’s Designing Women Awards to her long list of accomplishments. We’re thrilled to welcome her to our May 23 event.

As a media personality, Smaldone has handled many prestigious events, including the Clinton Global Initiative, New York Emmy Awards, and GLAAD Media Awards. Her nationally syndicated programs have featured in-depth interviews with top recording artists, such as Paul McCartney, Celine Dion, Rod Stewart, and Mariah Carey. 

Most recently, Smaldone launched an Internet radio show, Valerie’s New York (weekdays, 6-7 pm), where she dishes about food, theater, and other lifestyle topics.

While her professional responsibilities — which include writing a book on her transition from traditional to new media — are more than enough to fill anyone’s day, Smaldone still makes time to help the causes important to her.

“We are all part of a community, and volunteering time or money or resources is always a wonderful way to make a difference in the world,” she says. — MIMI SPILLANE

Designing Women 2013 will be held at The McGraw Hill Building (1221 Avenue of the Americas) on May 23 at 7 pm, followed by a reception. Member price is $75, nonmembers $150. Proceeds from ticket sales go to NYWIFT’s nonprofit educational programs. Buy tickets.

Photo via The Guardian. 

Oscar-winning ‘Brave’ Director/Writer Brenda Chapman is slamming Disney for sexualizing the animated film’s hero, Merida, for an upcoming toy line. With a cinched waist, low-cut gown, and sans bow and arrows, the once-realistic role model now looks like every other “perfect” princess in the Disney lineup. 

“I think it’s atrocious what they have done to Merida,” Chapman fumed. “When little girls say they like it because it’s more sparkly, that’s all fine and good but, subconsciously, they are soaking in the sexy ‘come hither’ look and the skinny aspect of the new version. It’s horrible! Merida was created to break that mold — to give young girls a better, stronger role model, a more attainable role model, something of substance, not just a pretty face that waits around for romance.”

Are you as fired-up as we are? Add your name to the 100,000-plus on the Change.org petition. — MICHELE DAGLE

Recently enjoyed: The Girls in the Band, playing this week at the Elinor Bunin Monroe Film Center at Lincoln Center. Great music and a great story about women in jazz in the past and in the present. Hold the date for a special NYWIFT screening with a panel of women jazz musicians on Thursday, May 16, at 7 pm. Buy tickets here.

Hats off to: The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences for what I think is a very good move to help level the playing field for documentary shorts and foreign language films. Voting members will now be provided with DVDs of the nominated films in five Oscar categories: Foreign Language Film, Documentary Feature, Documentary Short Subject, Animated Short Film, and Live Action Short Film, allowing the entire membership to vote. In the past, the expense of providing members with the opportunity two see these films was borne by the filmmakers.

Stop in: Mist Harlem, a cool new venue for film and music, with a restaurant and bar, located at 46 West 116th Street. A series on Haiti, curated by Michelle Materre, is being shown there May 15-16 and June 21-23.

Designing Women 2012 presenter Tina Fey (center) with honorees Jenn Jorge Nelson (left) and Julie Teel. (Photo credit: Eileen Miller)

“The inspired work done by each honoree bringing to life unforgettable characters on the big and small screen serves as a shining example of the incredible creative vision of women in the entertainment industry.” 

That quote, from NYWIFT’s executive director Terry Lawler, was the driving philosophy that launched NYWIFT’s Designing Women Awards in 2000.

It was a busy year for New York Women in Film & Television. Thirteen hundred people attended NYWIFT’s other big event celebrating women in entertainment: the Muse Awards, which honored actor Annette Bening, former Lifetime president/CEO Carole Black, actor/writer Madhur Jaffrey, and composer Rachel Portman. That same year, NYWIFT also began implementing its strategic plan, including advocating on the behalf of women in the industry.

Designing Women sprung from the idea to host a panel series on costume, hair, and makeup careers in entertainment. Muriel (Mike) Peters, former NYWIFT VP of Programming, brought her idea to NYWIFT’s Board. “I felt these professions were under-appreciated,” Peters says. 

The Board responded with enthusiasm and the idea shifted into something bigger: the Designing Women Awards. “Needless to say, I’m delighted with the way in which the event has grown over the years,” she adds.

“We started Designing Women to honor below-the-line professionals,” says Marcie Setlow, former NYWIFT board president (2000-2003). “It gives us the opportunity to recognize a broader range of women whose work is demanding, important, and creative, but perhaps not as high-profile as it should be.” — MIMI SPILLANE

Designing Women 2013 will be held at The McGraw Hill Building (1221 Avenue of the Americas) on May 23 at 7 pm, followed by a reception. Member price is $75, nonmembers $150. Proceeds from ticket sales go to NYWIFT’s nonprofit educational programs. Buy tickets.

An ode to complex mother-daughter relationships, Mermaids stars Cher as an offbeat, fun-loving mother to serious teen Winona Ryder and 9-year-old Christina Ricci.

Cher recently celebrated her own amazing mother with Dear Mom, Love Cher on Lifetime. — MICHELE DAGLE

Photo courtesy of Simone Pero.

On May 6, NYWIFT Documentary Committee head Marcia Rock, led a discussion with the movers and shakers behind the Girl Rising documentary on how the film secured strategic partnerships, engaged the community, and gained momentum to launch a global campaign. 

Girl Rising is an inspiring documentary that spotlights deeply moving stories about the hopes and dreams of nine girls from across the globe, and demonstrates the power of education to change a girl — and the world. It is the centerpiece of 10x10, a global campaign to educate and empower girls. It is a great case study to highlight the power of documentary film, engagement, and education. 

The panelists included Tom Yellin, Co-Founder/President, the Documentary Group; Holly Gordon, Executive Producer, Girl Rising and Executive Director, 10x10; Holly Bourne, Lead Marketing Strategist, Intel; and Sumathi (Su) Balasubramanian, Program Officer, United Nations Foundation. They openly discussed their process for partnership outreach and engagement. They shared great advice and insights on creating real social impact with a documentary film.

Key Highlights:

• The key to powerful partnerships is to focus on one to two companies or organizations, and develop meaningful relationships with them.
  
• Leverage partnerships to expand your film’s network and to increase demand for screenings and other engagement efforts.
  
• Be ready for a lot of “give and take” with partners, with changes along the way.
  
• Some objectives for documentary partnerships are to raise awareness, drive funding to partner organizations and create opportunity for your film to change lives, mindset and policy.
  
• Intel corporate partnership initiatives focus on technology and education. The Girl Rising story and the impact of education was key to securing Intel’s participation.
  
• There is a correlation between world poverty and lack of education for girls. Education transforms lives.
  
• Decide the focus of your effort for social change; for Girl Rising, they developed and emphasized the overall campaign as the larger effort, with the film used to illustrate the message rather than starting with the film and then building a campaign afterwards.
  

The Q&A led to a frank conversation on how difficult outreach can be without having the right connections and access to partners. Panelists agreed its tough, but advised the audience to focus on building relationships with companies that have an interest and synergy with your film.

It was a very informative panel on the potential of strategic partnerships to build a social change movement. — ROZ MURPHY

Amy Poehler is a serious Hollywood player now.

“There’s an actual bar in Apple stores?” Aww, we’ve missed you Winona.   

Costume Designer Sophie De Rakoff on characters & wardrobe choices. 

Only three women made this list of “highest paid.” *sigh*

She’s the first female Director in 118 years. Congratulations Marin Alsop!

R.I.P. Jeanne Cooper (The Young & The Restless)

Girl, let it go…

-KELLY GLOVER

Julia Roberts and Lyndell Quiyou. Photograph by Victoria Medina.

From its beginning in 2000, NYWIFT’s Designing Women awards have honored women who have made some of the biggest stars look great through their hair, makeup, and costume design. Their work has been seen in award-winning TV shows and blockbuster films, such as Sex and the City, Law and Order, The Devil Wears Prada, Damages, Boardwalk Empire, Capote, Chocolat, and Mad Men.

Designing Women 2006 was no exception. The honorees included makeup artist Nicki Ledermann, costume designer Ellen Lutter, and hair stylist Lyndell Quiyou. 

The evening was hosted by Jeannie Park, executive editor of People, and the presenters included actress Gretchen Mol, director Tom DiCillo, and Julia Roberts. You can learn more about past NYWIFT Designing Women award ceremonies here.

The 2013 Designing Women will be held at The McGraw Hill Building, 1221 Avenue of the Americas (entrance on 49th St.) on Thursday, May 23, at 7 pm. Doors open 6:30. Price for members is $75, nonmembers $150. Tickets and registration available here. A reception follows the awards event. Proceeds from ticket sales go to NYWIFT’s nonprofit educational programs. — MIMI SPILLANE

Eden is a harrowing look at the sex trafficking industry here in the United States. Directed by Megan Griffiths, Eden won Griffiths the 2012 Chicken & Egg Emergent Narrative Director Award at SXSW Film Festival.

Recently watched: Susanne Bier’s Love is All You Need. A lighter and more fun film than her brilliant Brothers, the stunning shots of the Italian countryside and shore make it a treat for the eyes as well.

Go check out: Rainforest Alliance, not only one of our generous in-kind donors for Designing Women but their organizations work is important to our planet. I’ve watched their Earth Day video a few times now, you should too!

Love reading: Tom and Lorenzo’s Mad Style posts. I am a big fan of the costumes in Mad Men, and this season’s no exception — we honored the show’s costume designer Katherine Jane Bryant two years ago at Designing Women. Mad Style’s good for people like me who want to consider all of the nuances of the show’s costumes.

Mad Men sequence via Tom and Lorenzo.

Terry Lawler is the Executive Director of NYWIFT. Tune in every Tuesday for her picks of the week.

Chocolate lovers should be rushing to buy tickets for NYWIFT’s Designing Women awards. Tea lovers and Chelsea Piers fans should be planning their outfits. Writers should be making hair appointments at their favorite salon. They will each be rewarded for their efforts at the 13th annual event this upcoming night May 23, honoring the women of the film and television industries who work behind the cameras to make the people in front of the cameras shine. 

This year’s Designing Women award honorees include makeup artist Andrea Miller (The Good Wife, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, Saturday Night Live), hairstylist Mandy Lyons (Moonrise Kingdom, The Wrestler, Sex and the City), and costume designer Deborah Scott (Titanic, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Avatar). The Variety Ensemble Award will be presented to the costume, makeup, and hair design team of The Americans.

Honoring these talented women is reason enough to be at what’s become a must attend evening in the who’s who New York social calendar.  Getting rewards donated by true friends of NYWIFT, friends like Gotham’s Writer’s Workshop, Guylian Artisanal Belgian Chocolate, Chelsea Piers, and Harney and Sons Fine Teas is, well, just icing on the cake.

But if you need another reason to attend, here is the list of who will be presenting the awards, all sensational stars in their own right: Julianna Margulies, star of CBS’s The Good Wife, chart-topping singer Norah Jones, Avatar and Titanic producer Jon Landau, and The Americans star Richard Thomas, who long-played the America’s wholesome heartthrob “John-Boy” on The Waltons. 

Stars, treats, and a chance to congratulate women on achieving a high level of excellence in their fields — all good reasons to put on your best party outfit and come to NYWIFT’s 2013 Designing Women Awards. I look forward to seeing you at this wonderful event!

A reception follows the award event. Proceeds from ticket sales go to NYWIFT’s nonprofit educational programs. Keep an eye on nywift.org, Variety, Twitter and right here on the NYWIFT Tumblr for updates on presenters and other important news about Designing Women. Tickets and registration are available here. 

Designing Women will be held at The McGraw Hill Building, 1221 Avenue of the Americas (entrance on 49th St.) on Thursday, May 23, at 7 pm. Doors open 6:30. Price for members is $75, nonmembers $150. — MIMI SPILLANE

On April 30, NYWIFT partnered with the International Documentary Association (IDA) at Tribeca Film Center to present a lively panel discussion with filmmakers discussing how they funded their films. 

Photograph by Jennifer Silverman.

The amazing panel included Mary Dore, Nancy Kennedy, Susan MacLaury, Megan Smith-Harris, John T. Trigonis, and moderator Savanna Washington. They all had great tips for filmmakers up against fundraising challenges.

The panel discussed crowdfunding and gave helpful advice to maximize donations, included the importance of original and personal perks, and spreading the word by frequent and unique tweets and Facebook posts. The panel also agreed that making sure your funders were properly thanked was essential to successful fundraising. Grant writing, personal donations, and corporate donations were also topics covered by the panel.

The filmmakers had unique challenges and victories funding their films, but they all agreed that being passionate and persistent were essential to making it happen. — JENNIFER SILVERMAN

If enjoy The Killing, currently on AMC, then the Top of The Lake, an original mini-series that aired recently on the Sundance Channel should be at the top of your list. Currently on Netflix, the series is written and directed by Jane Campion and features hypnotically, spectacular cinematography by Adam Arkapaw.

Taking a break from Madison Avenue’s Peggy on Mad Men, Elisabeth Moss shows her range and atypical screen presence as lead character Robin Griffin, a cop who has come back home to the New Zealand back country to sort out her past, spend time with her terminally ill mother and mull over an engagement decision.  

Robin takes on the case of Tui, a pregnant 12-year-old girl who goes missing when Robin tries to investigate the baby’s paternity. While Campion sketches this nuanced portrait of small town life from a decidedly female point of view, her vision of the natural landscape as a suspect behind Tui’s mysterious disappearance, is also reminiscent of David Lynch’s Twin Peaks.

Campion’s ace up her sleeve is also the masterful, not-to-be-missed performance of Holly Hunter, who plays the guru/therapist/leader of a group of unmoored and previously abused women.

I highly recommend this excellent series for weekend bingeing. — MICHELE ST. JOHN

“Women do not do any of the creative work” — 1938 Disney rejection letter

Are any female written/directed films playing near you?

Sara St. Onge takes little credit for directing her big film, Molly Maxwell.

Ladies, what’s our media status in 2013? 

Creator Theresa Rebeck makes it clear, she did not ruin “Smash.” 

Bad mothers? VP Candidates? Julianne Moore can do it! 

R.I.P. Deanna Durbin 

— KELLY GLOVER