TheWIFTS FOUNDATION INTERNATIONAL VISIONARY AWARDS 2013
HONORS WOMEN IN FILM AND TELEVISION, BUSINESS, THE ARTS AND HUMANITIES
6th Annual Event Celebrates Women from New Zealand, South Africa, Mexico, India, Hong Kong, Germany, Great Britain,
Canada and USA
LOS ANGELES – (December 2, 2013) – The Women’s International Film Television Showcase (TheWIFTS), and TheWIFTS
Foundation International Visionary Awards is pleased to announce the Honorees of its Sixth Annual 2013 event celebrating
the work of women from the global community in the fields of Film and Television, Business, The Arts and Humanities.
‘Women as Individuals’ is the mission cornerstone of The Women’s International Film & Television Showcase and TheWIFTS Foundation International Visionary Awards.
The 2013 Event celebrates twenty five women from five continents.
FILM AND TELEVISION AWARDS:
• Antonia Prebble (New Zealand) – The Barbara Tipple Best Actress Award – for Antonia’s performance in White Lies
as Rebecca, a privileged European woman who seeks the help of Maori Medicine Woman Paraiti to hide a secret that can
destroy her position in New Zealand settler society,
• Dana Rotberg (New Zealand) – TheWIFTS Best Director Award – Director and screenwriter of White Lies, Dana is
honored for demonstrating through her skill in directing the simple truth that choosing creation over destruction and
tolerance instead of oppression is the only possible way to redemption. White Lies is New Zealand’s entry for
consideration by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for Best Foreign Language Film.
• Amma Asante (UK) – The Adrianne Fancey Best Film Award – An accomplished actress and screenwriter, Amma is
honored for her work as director on her second feature length film Belle. The film, set in the 18th century, is based on
the life of Dido Elizabeth Belle, daughter of a British Naval officer and an African Caribbean woman, whose life story
inspired a landmark decision by Britain’s Supreme Court to put an end to slavery.
• Shilpa Ranade (India) – Inaugural Animation Award – The World of Goopi and Bagha - Illustrator and animator
Shilpa Ranade is the recipient of the foundation’s inaugural Animation Award for her feature length presentation of the
classic and colorful Indian children’s story The World of Goopi and Bagha.
• Analeine Cal y Mayor (Mexico) – Screenwriters Award – for her coming of age teen comedy The Boy Who Smells Like
Fish. Ms. Cal y Mayor is also the film’s director.
• Flora Lau (Hong Kong) – Jury Award – Director Flora Lau is honored Bends, a deeply moving drama of loneliness
and crossing boundaries. Ms. Lau is also the film’s screenwriter.
• Susan R. Rodgers – (USA) – Producer Award – for her extraordinary and immense body of work as a producer in
numerous sectors of the film and television industry.
• Jordan Canning – (Canada) – Best Short Film Award – for her diverse body of work in the Short Film Genre.
DOCUMENTARY AWARDS:
TheWIFTS Foundation International Visionary Documentary Awards honor those filmmakers whose stories reflect social and
political change, family values, an awareness to protect the environment and cultural shifts in today’s ever changing
world.
• Alex Warren (USA) - Producer, writer and director Alex Warren is honored for Losing The West, a vivid portrait
of the diminishing effects of overpopulation on the landscape and people of the American West.
• Sarah McCarthy (UK) is honored for The Dark Matter of Love, a deft examination of parent child bonding and the
significant impact of conditioning on human emotional development.
• Kristy Guevara Flanagan (USA) is honored for Wonder Women: The Untold Story of American Super Heroines which
traces the influence on society and the evolution of the comic book character created by William Moulton Marston.
• Producers Elkin Antoniou, writer/producer and Caroline McGraw, producer, (USA) are honored for Never A
Neverland, an enlightening expose of the dramatic effects of the AIDS Virus on the dwindling population of Africa’s last
remaining monarchy, the Kingdom of Swaziland.
• Documentary filmmaker Alanis Obamsawin (Canada) - Lifetime Achievement Award in Filmmaking – for her dedication
to documenting the lives and concerns of First Nations people in Canada.
TECHNICAL AWARDS:
TheWIFTS Foundation International Visionary Awards Technical Awards are chosen on the basis of the continued excellence
in a given field.
• Cristina Aragon (UK) – Inaugural Best Sound Award – London based Cristina Aragon is recognized with the
inaugural Best Sound Award for her contributions in post production technology to the process of sound to picture and in
engineering sound into a vision on the big and small screen.
• Birgit Gudjonsdottir (Germany) – Cinematographer Award – for her consummate understanding of how cinematography
illustrates nuances of a story beyond spoken dialogue and as an educator in the field of contemporary cinematography.
• Diane Cilliers (South Africa) – Costume designer Diane Cilliers is honored for her mastery of the impact costume
design imparts to a film's character development as exhibited in her extensive filmography which includes Mandela: Long
Walk To Freedom and District 9.
• Penka Kouvena (USA) - Los Angeles based composer Penka Kouvena is the recipient of this year’s Music Award for
her compositions and orchestrations for feature films which includes Elysium and Enders Game. As a lead orchestrator and
score producer, Penka has been instrumental in nurturing the careers of many rising talents. She is renowned in
Hollywood for mentoring many young composers and creating career opportunities for talented musicians.
BUSINESS AWARDS:
TheWIFTS Foundation honors the work of women in the business field whose acumen and innovative practices bring about
dynamic change in the corporate world of business.
• Annie Roney (USA) – Career Achievement Award – Founder and CEO of ro* co films and its four divisions, Annie
Roney has been chosen for her success in distributing and financing documentary films in the worldwide marketplace and
advancing audience appreciation of the documentary film genre.
• Hannah Brown (USA) – Lifetime Achievement Award for Business – for her lifelong business accomplishments and her
contributions to community advocacy.
• Inga Ellzey (USA) – Elizabeth Grant Entrepreneur Award – in recognition of the excellence and success Inga has
manifested in her business career and her equally successful foray into the dramatically different world of fiction
writing with her debut novel The Exchange.
THE ARTS AND HUMANITIES AWARDS:
TheWIFTS Foundation acknowledges a talented and diverse group of individuals who have demonstrated outstanding
commitment and creative skills in the arts and humanities.
• Jane F. Barry (USA) – Humanitarian Award – for her passionate activism in support of human rights, peace,
security and gender related issues.
• Lisa Kristine (USA) – Visionary Award - Photographer Lisa Kristine, dedicated to raising awareness of social
causes, has been chosen for her purpose-driven interactions with diverse cultures, her passionate sensitivity about the
human condition, and her finely-tuned craft producing truthful, profound images of the beauty, suffering, compassion –
and above all – the dignity of men, women and children around our world.
• Ta’Kaiya Blaney (Canada) – IT Award – From the Sliammon Nation of British Columbia, Ta’Kaiya’s passion from an
early age has contributed to support Canada's First Nation people through the media of tv, radio and the Internet and
for championing respect for and judicious use of Mother Earth's gifts, the betterment of the environment and the
preservation of marine and coastal life.
• Quinn Simpson (UK) – Arts Advocate Award – for her dedicated work in Ghana, Israel, Mexico and Mongolia, with
Akosia the not for profit organization which involves artistic professionals – filmmakers, musicians, writers, artists –
and teachers in its projects to build an environment in which the children and women are guided through a creative
process while being encouraged to respond to their own initiatives and ideas.
An exclusive Honoree Luncheon Event to celebrate the outstanding accomplishments of the 2013 honorees will be held in
West Hollywood, Los Angeles on December 6, 2013.
TheWIFTS Foundation produces TheWIFTS Foundation International Visionary Awards, The Women’s International Film & Television Showcase (TheWIFTS), The Women’s International Feature Documentary Showcase (TheWIFDS) and The Women’s
International Short Film Showcase (TheWIFSS). It is the mission of TheWIFTS Showcase to recognize & promote innovative women filmmakers and keep the ideals of equality flowing by fostering the promotion of women in all
sectors of society through the Art form of Film, the visual communicator of the 21st century.
Sponsors for this year’s event include Elizabeth Grant, Inc.(Canada), sponsor of the Elizabeth Grant Entrepreneur Award;
Barbara Tipple(UK), sponsor of The Barbara Tipple Best Actress Award; Adrianne Fancey,(1933 -2013) sponsor of the
Adrianne Fancey Best Film Award; Patrick Moulin (Bourges, France); M.Mitcallef (Grasse, France); Sylvie Nissan
Galleries, (Cannes, France); Jennifer Miller Studios (USA); Paradigm Shift Worldwide (USA); Theatre for Humans (USA);
The Business of Film (UK); LeParc Suites Hotel West Hollywood; TheWIFTS Foundation is honored that TheWIFTS awards are
produced and sponsored by Pillivuyt, the oldest and most highly regarded House of porcelain in France. TheWIFTS Awards,
unique in the award world by virtue of the fact that they are crafted in porcelain, were designed by Patrick Moulin from
a concept by Elspeth Tavares.
For more information about TheWIFTS and the 2013 Honorees visit: http://www.thewifts.com/