Congratulations to the six WMM filmmakers who took home awards at the recent BFI London Film Festival, Mill Valley, and Woodstock Film Festivals.
At the BFI London Film Festival 2024, two films supported by WMM’s Production Assistance Program were honored:
- MOTHER VERA (dir. Cecile Embleton, Alys Tomlinson) – Grierson Award for Best Documentary
- THE SHADOW SCHOLARS (dir. Eloise King) – Special Mention
Great news from Woodstock, NY!
TROLL STORM (dir. Eunice Lau), made with the support of our Production Assistance Program, has been honored with a Maverick Award at the 2024 Woodstock Festival. The film received the NWIFT Award for Excellence in Directing a Documentary Film.
The film, which tells the gripping story of a successful realtor and soccer mom whose life is turned upside down when Neo-Nazis launch a troll storm against her family, explores how she fights back in the face of growing American fascism and files a landmark First Amendment case that could shape the nation’s future.
In addition, Production Assistance alum Pamela Yates and her filmmaking partner Paco De Onis were awarded the Inaugural Art of Activism Award for their significant contributions to global cinema and human rights activism.
We are also excited to share that two films from our Production Assistance Program have been honored with awards at the Mill Valley Film Festival.
THE DAY ICELAND STOOD STILL (dir. Pamela J. Hogan), a film exploring the 1975 march and strike of Icelandic women, won the Mind The Gap Documentary Audience Award. The film features interviews with women who were part of the 90% of Icelandic women who walked out of their homes and workplaces, bringing the nation to a standstill and paving the way for Iceland’s status as a global leader in gender equality.
FAMILIAR TOUCH (dir. Sarah Friedland), a poignant film following an octogenarian woman’s transition to assisted living as she navigates conflicting desires and self-narratives amidst her shifting identity and memory, won the Mind The Gap Creative Prize.
In other festival news, Production Assistance Program films INTERCEPTED (dir. Oksana Karpovych) and REAS (dir. Lola Arias) will screen at AFI Fest along with DAHOMEY, directed by program alum Mati Diop. And WMM Executive Director Debra Zimmerman will be speaking on a panel at the upcoming Cine por Mujeres (Films by Women) festival in Madrid.
Congratulations to all the filmmakers!
