Currently Browsing: Nikoleta N. Morales
Although the list of nominees for Best Director at the 2020 Oscars was entirely male, 14 women were awarded Oscar gold at the 92nd Annual Academy Awards on February 9 at the Dolby Theatre. According to the Women’s Media Center, only 30 percent of all non-acting Oscar nominations went to women this year. Of the […]
For the second year in a row, I covered the 92nd Academy Awards for FF2 Media. What made it more special, this year, is that I was wearing a red dress especially designed for me for the event by Mario and Jorge Designs, and I wore a red pin to go with it, saying, “Support […]
As the controversial topic about women directors and film remains ongoing (see: Rebel Wilson’s commentary on the all-male directors nominated at the BAFTAs), Hollywood is opening the doors to more female directors who will direct films ranging from animation, to documentaries to horror. Here are the most-anticipated studio films for 2020 (followed by individual studios): […]
This year’s Sundance Film Festival featured 48 percent of films (in competition) made by women, from features to shorts to documentaries. The Perfect Candidate directed by Haifaa Al-Mansour, follows Maryam, a young Saudi doctor, who runs for city council after the male incumbent repeatedly ignores her request to fix the muddy road leading to her […]
Earlier in October, I entered the Chicago Journalists Association (CJA) Annual Awards competition for the first time. Right off the bat, knocking a hundred entries out in mid-November, I was named a finalist in the Sarah Brown Boyden Awards Arts category, winning Second Place for my piece, “Perma Red: The True Story of Missing Indigenous […]
The Second Annual Chaz and Roger Ebert Symposium took place on Friday, Sept. 27, where panelists discussed important issues and solutions for diversity in film, including Keynote Speaker Dr. Stacy Smith who gave a presentation on extensive film analysis research. Founder & Director of the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative (AII), Dr. Smith’s research showed that, […]
The Second Annual Chaz & Roger Ebert Symposium will take place this Friday, Sept. 27 at the iHotel and Conference Center in Champaign. The event is free and open to the public and everyone is encouraged to attend. This year’s symposium is titled “Creating an Inclusive Media and Cinema Ecosystem” and will feature speakers from […]
There are many great films to see at Chicago’s European Union Film Festival (CEUFF), which takes place March 8 through April 4 at the Gene Siskel Film Center. This is the largest festival in North America that shows films from various parts of Europe. There are a total of 60 films this year. What amazes […]
My dream has always been to go to the Oscars and walk the red carpet. This February, my dream came true – I was accepted to attend and cover the Oscars for the first time in FF2 Media’s history. When I arrived in Hollywood, the streets were packed with gift shops, small restaurants, tourists and […]
Women won a record of 15 Oscars this year at the 91st Academy Awards, which makes history for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. FF2 Media contributor Nikoleta Morales was backstage in the press room, hearing first-hand how the female winners continue to support other women and spoke about a much-needed change. Read […]
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) hosted a much-needed panel at this year’s Sundance Film Festival in front of an eager and excited crowd. Women Breaking Barriers: Where Are We Now? took place on Jan 26 at the Packed Sundance TV Lounge, moderated by HFPA members Elisabeth Sereda and Silvia Bizio, including award-winning producer Cassian […]
This year’s Sundance Film Festival is a breakthrough for women in film. More and more female directors, writers and producers are accepted into the festival and audiences are able to see and experience a great collection of female-made films. In addition to exceptional films, the opening days of the festival included many panels focused on […]
This year’s Sundance Film Festival (Park City/Salt Lake City, Utah) will be different. What makes it different is the presence of female-directed movies – close to 42 percent, according to Women and Hollywood report. With a four percent overall increase from last year, female-directed films will be featured in various categories, including large percentages in […]
Swedish author Astrid Lindgren is mostly remembered for Pippi Longstocking and Karlsson-on-the-Roof book series. Her numerous titles have been translated into 85 languages and published in more than 100 countries. Now, everyone will have a chance to see what teenage Astrid’s life was before she became this literary giant – Becoming Astrid opened November 23 in LA and NY. The film was directed by female writer-director Pernille Fischer Christensen.
Film reporter and author Alicia Malone highlights 52 female-directed films in her new book, “The Female Gaze.” She argues that the male lens and perspective is objectifying women in film rather than showing women as they are.
For the first time, the SWAN torch was passed on to StateraArts who will continue the movement under their umbrella. Many of the original SWAN organizers were there to witness this historical event – Christine Young from University of San Francisco, Sophie Doolan from Kenya, Jennifer Hill from Connecticut, Vanessa Gondron from Prague, and many others.
The historic International SWAN Day gathering took place in Milwaukee at the Statera Arts Conference (Oct. 4-7) where women from all over the world met to discuss the future of SWAN Day and witness “the swan” being passed on to Statera Arts (read more here).
WomenArts will sponsor a gathering of SWAN Day (Support Women Artists Now Day) organizers as part of the Statera Foundation’s Third National Conference for women in theatre on Thursday, October 4 in Milwaukee. As part of the three-day conference, the historic gathering will transition SWAN Day from WomenArts to the Statera Foundation.
The creative force behind that movement was Jan Lisa Huttner whose goal was to increase the power for women in movies and theater, and help them get their voices heard.
This year, the the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences invited 928 new members, 49 percent are female filmmakers from all over the world (up from last year’s 683 invitees).
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) has invited 928 new members; 49 percent are women. According to Variety, this class will bring the total AMPAS membership to 31 percent female, up from 25 percent in 2015. This year there is a very diverse and international female representation of filmmakers from around the world.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) has invited 928 new members; 49 percent are women. According to Variety, this class will bring the total AMPAS membership to 31 percent female, up from 25 percent in 2015.
Writer, director and actress Sonja O’Hara is a filmmaker to watch – at least according to Independent Magazine. Born in Nova Scotia, Canada and pursuing an acting career by age 17, she has created work that is bold, original, provocative and meant to change the way Hollywood and audiences see films.
Director Abbie Reese, an Illinois native and dual citizen of Luxembourg, documents Rockford’s Corpus Christi Monastery in her debut film Chosen: Custody of the Eye. The film unveils the hidden lives of the monastery nuns and their sacrifice, purity, divine life and commitment to God.
