alliance of women film journalists Tagged Articles at Cinematical

"Can it really be awards season already?" Our own Eric D. Snider asked that question when reporting that IFP (Independent Feature Project) announced the nominees for the Gotham Awards, honoring the best of indie films in 2007. And now the Alliance of Women Film Journalists (AWFJ) has announced their awards categories. AWFJ has two types of categories: the traditional "Best of" awards (film, director, actress, actor, etc.) are presented annually, but the "Special Mention" awards categories are "subject to change each year, depending on the list of films released during the year," according to their site. The awards aim to recognize "the amazing work done by and about women -- both in front and behind the camera."

Most of the categories from last year are back -- AWFJ Hall Of Shame Award(s), Actress(es) Most in Need Of A New Agent, Best Of The Fests, Movies You Wanted To Love But Just Couldn't, Best Depiction Of Nudity or Sexuality -- but seven additional categories have been added for this year's awards. Three of them sound generic: Unforgettable Moment , Cultural Crossover, Bravest Performance. Actually, "Unforgettable Moment" could be cool if it recognizes an isolated scene of genius in an otherwise horrible film, but what constitutes a "Bravest Performance"? Acting without make-up? Risking your life to do a stunt, a la Zoe Bell in Death Proof?

I really love the other four new categories, though: Sequel That Shouldn't Have Been Made (there are so many candidates, how will the AWFJ narrow them down?), Best Leap from Actress to Director (I'm looking at you, Sarah Polley!), Best Seduction and Most Egregious Age Difference Between The Leading Man and The Love Interest. Not to play the sexist card, but the latter two categories -- especially the "Age Difference" one -- would never be considered by a male-dominated critical group. Here's hoping the awards will call attention to lesser-known, quality films and the women that make them.

Carrie Rickey wrote an interesting piece for the Alliance of Women Film Journalists' site summarizing the stats of women in film in 2006. The stats she writes about include:

60% of Oscar nominated documentary features are directed by women,
40% of Oscar nominated foreign-films are directed by women,
25% of Sundance 2007 features and shorts are directed by women
10% of best-picture Oscar nominees are directed by women (although Little Miss Sunshine is co-directed by Valerie Faris)
6.25 % of top-250 domestic box office grossers in 2006 are directed by women
1.8 % of top-1000 domestic box office grossers in 2006 are directed by women.

Rickey doesn't posit anything based on these stats; she simply presents them as they are and then asks the question: what do we think those stats mean? Several of my fellow AWFJ members have responded with their own astute observations, so I thought I'd toss my own two cents on the subject into the pot.

The Alliance of Women Film Journalists is a new organization founded just this year, but it's not too young to join in the awards season fun. The group, which counts our own Kim Voynar in its membership, isn't like most critics circles when it comes to end of year honors. The AWFJ's awards, the EDAs (an acronym for "Excellent Dynamic Activism" and namesake of actress Eda Reiss Merin, mother of AWFJ co-founder Jennifer Merin), are primarily focused on women in film.

There are a few categories that aren't woman-specific, such as Best Film and Best Ensemble and, my favorite, Movies You Wanted to Love But Just Couldn't. But you'll notice that there are few awards given to men, as actors or directors or anything else. For a man to be recognized, he has to have made a film about women or played a part supporting a woman protagonist. Considering that outside of the actress categories of most awards women aren't well represented, the EDAs give us a nudge to pay attention to the wonderful contributions that women are making behind the camera. Oh, and they also have a category for Best Depiction of Nudity or Sexuality, which is stirring some debate.

So far the AWFJ has only announced the nominations for the EDAs; the winners will come later this month. Some of the final picks I'm looking forward to include the winners of the following categories: Actress Most in Need of a New Agent (it's important just to be nominated); Don't Stick Your Head in the Sand (I think it spotlights daunting films); and, of course, Movies You Wanted to Love But Just Couldn't (will it go to the movie you most wanted to love but really couldn't?).

Go to the AWFJ website to see all the nominations. I would write them all out here, but there's a lot, and it is more important for people to visit the organization's site anyway.