The Voice of a Woman
| Voice of a Woman | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2009 |
| Founder | Maureen A. Bryan |
| Activity | Platform for the works of women filmmakers, artists and thought leaders internationally |
| Website | thevoiceofawoman |
The Voice of a Woman (VOW) is an organization founded by Maureen A. Bryan in 2009, as a platform for exhibiting the works of women filmmakers, artists and leaders across varying fields internationally. The Voice of a Woman Festival, Awards, Talks and Masterclasses are presented each year in London, New York and Cannes.[1][2]
History
Maureen A. Bryan, founder and chief executive officer of The Voice of a Woman (VOW), earned a master's degree in directing from The Actors Studio in New York (1994) under its President (actor) Paul Newman and later (Ellen Burstyn, Al Pacino, Harvey Keitel and Arthur Penn).
Through the years VOW has not only featured the works of women in the arts but has also used its platform "to help build a greater awareness of human rights issues globally".[3]
In 2012 The Voice of a Woman Awards was launched in London at the National Portrait Gallery.[4]
The festival has featured a curated program of talks and film screenings, as well as contemporary art exhibitions, sponsored by or in collaboration with various organizations including HBO, Kodak, Getty Images, the Associated Press and various international NGO’s such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and others.[5]
Since 2016, VOW has held its annual film festival in New York City[2] sponsored by HBO.
In November 2018, the Voice of a Woman Festival, sponsored by Miu Miu, HBO and Kodak, was held at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City, featuring the work of film directors, photographers, artists, and filmmakers such as Agnès Varda, Ava DuVernay, So Yong Kim, Elizabeth Columba, Crystal Moselle, Zoe Cassavetes, Chloë Sevigny, Naomi Kawase, Haifaa Al Mansour, Dakota Fanning, Hiam Abbass, Miranda July, Massy Tadjedin, Giada Colagrande, Lucrecia Martel, Alice Rohrwacher, Ming Smith, Lynn Hershman Leeson, and Adepero Oduye.[6][7]
The Voice of a Woman Awards
The Voice of a Woman Awards (VOW Awards) were first presented in 2012 and recipients in the UK, US and France have included: Ming Smith, Shirin Neshat, Grace Jones, Dr. Scilla Elworthy, Deeyah Khan, Bethanne Hardison, Zoë Wanamaker CBE, Sylvia Syms OBE, Alison Owen, Kim Longinotto, Darnell Martin, Shola Lynch, So Yong Kim, Chloe Sevigny, and others.[8]
Since 2017 VOW has presented the work of women directors of commercials at the Cannes Palais d'Festivals, during Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, screening a selection of the best short films – commercials, branded content, and art/experimental films – created by women internationally.[9][10]
VOW talks
As part of an international traveling series VOW has featured live talk events, which has featured: Nina Menkes, Shirin Neshat, Kim Longinotto, Germaine Greer, Darnell Martin, Grace Jones, Ming Smith, Elizabeth Columba, Deeyah Khan, Dr. Scilla Elworthy PhD,[1] and others.
International Projects
VOW also engages in projects that deliver mentoring and training internationally. Over the years VOW has collaborated with UNICEF, UN WOMEN, Amnesty International and other NGOs on international projects. VOW has also worked with grassroots organisations, schools, universities and communities in South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Jamaica, the UK and the US.[1]
References
- ^ a b c "About", The Voice of a Woman.
- ^ a b Casey Cipriani, "Voice of a Woman Film Festival Hits NYC", Women and Hollywood, 3 November 2016.
- ^ "Maureen A. Bryan", Disruptor Awards.
- ^ Kim Rix, "Voice of a Woman at The National Portrait Gallery", 7 August 2012.
- ^ Carolyn Cooper, "Is Jamaica Ready For Grace Jones?", The Jamaica Gleaner, 28 January 2018.
- ^ "The Voice of a Woman Festival 2018", Evensi.
- ^ "Fest Program", VOW.
- ^ "The VOW Awards", VOW.
- ^ "VOWSS Showcase launches to put women's amazing creative work in the spotlight", Great Guns, 15 June 2017.
- ^ VOWSS website.