The seventh annual Athena Film Festival (AFF) announced their 2017 female awardees from the entertainment industry.
AFF celebrates women, leadership trailblazers, and those who have broken boundaries. The festival will also screen films about real, courageous women who have transpired change. AFF seeks to empower these women to share their stories and inspire the next generation of filmmakers and change-seekers.
The festival will take place at Barnard College in New York from February 9 – February 12, 2017 at the Athena Center for Leadership Studies.
The honorees include: Tony Award®-winning playwright, activist, performer and author Eve Ensler; producer and screenwriter Patricia Riggen; and Emmy Award®-winning producer, media activist and social entrepreneur Regina K. Scully.
This year the festival will also award a male figure who has fought for gender equality, empowered, and supported women to the best they can be.
Co-founder of the Athena Film Festival Kathryn Kolbert and Director of the Athena Center for Leadership Studies at Barnard College Constance Hess Williams ‘66 share, “We are grateful to be giving our second Athena Leading Man Award to David Oyelowo. We feel it is crucial to highlight the men who support women in the industry.”
Previously the Athena Film Festival has award actresses Jodie Foster, Ava DuVernay (who is also a co-chair of the festival), Diablo Cody, author and producer Mira Nair, among others.
If you’d like passes to the whole festival or would like to purchase an individual ticket, the complete announcement of AFF’s lineup will take place in early January 2017, and you can purchase tickets and follow updates by visiting athenafilmfestival.com.