Amid All the Oscar Controversies, Women in Film Toasts Excellence

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WIF President Cathy Schulman leads a toast to the 2016 Oscar nominees

WIF President Cathy Schulman leads a toast to the 2016 Oscar nominees

While it obviously wasn’t a great year for diversity at the Oscars– for the second year in a row – women actually made some gains.

 

So it was through that lens that the 51 female nominees for the 88th annual Academy Awards–out of a list of more than 200 and up from 44 last year—were feted at the Ninth Annual Women In Film Pre-Oscar Cocktail Party.

 

Presented by MaxMara, BMW, Tiffany & Co., M·A·C Cosmetics and Perrier-Jouët– more than 30 women up for an Oscar came to the party, along with several hundred other VIP guests.

 

WIF president Cathy Schulman played hostess for the soirée, which was held at the swanky Hyde Sunset Kitchen + Cocktails in Los Angeles on Friday night before the Academy Awards.

 

Despite all the intense issues, feelings and debates at the forefront leading up to the Oscars, Schulman promised she wouldn’t be “Debbie Downer,” that despite a few serious words, the point of the evening was to celebrate.

 

The serious words came from Patricia Arquette, who made an impassioned plea for gender equality and equal pay, a cause she famously championed last year during her acceptance speech winning the Academy Award.

 

“Pay inequality affects women so drastically in America,” Arquette told the crowd. “Yes, in our business, but really in 98% of all businesses. What we end up with is this–33 million women and kids who are living in poverty, who would not be, if they were paid their full dollar.”

 

Jennifer Lawrence— who also has previously made remarks regarding equal pay compared to her male colleagues – also came up to the stage for a few impromptu words on the subject.

 

Lawrence, a two-time Oscar winner, echoed Arquette’s equal pay sentiments with a triumphant, “Equal pay for women!”

 

Schulman then called for a champagne toast for all of the nominees who were present. Many of them got on stage for a group picture.

If you didn’t know their faces, you could tell by the white flower corsages they were wearing– and the big smiles.

 

Oscar nominees in attendance included Alicia Vikander (Actress in a Supporting Role, The Danish Girl), Amy Hobby (Documentary – Feature, What Happened, Miss Simone?), Andrea Berloff (Writing – Original Screenplay, Straight Outta Compton), Blye Pagon Faust (Best Picture, Spotlight), Charlotte Rampling (Actress in a Leading Role, 45 Years), Courtney Marsh (Documentary – Short Subject, Chau, Beyond The Lines), Dee Hibbert-Jones (Documentary – Short Subject, Last Day of Freedom), Diane Warren (Music – Original Song, “Till It Happens To You” from The Hunting Ground), Emma Donoghue (Writing – Adapted Screenplay, Room), Eva Von Bahr (Makeup and Hairstyling, The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out The Window And Disappeared), Eve Stewart (Production Design, The Danish Girl), Finola Dwyer (Best Picture, Brooklyn), Imogen Sutton (Short Film – Animated, Prologue), Jacqueline West (Costume Design, The Revenant), Jennifer Jason Leigh (Actress in a Supporting Role, The Hateful Eight), Jennifer Lawrence (Actress in a Leading Role, Joy), Jeremy Kleiner (Best Picture, The Big Short), Love Larson (Makeup and Hairstyling, The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out The Window And Disappeared), Mary Parent (Best Picture, The Revenant), Maryann Brandon (Film Editing, Star Wars: The Force Awakens), Meg LeFauve (Writing – Original Screenplay, Inside Out), Nicole Grindle (Short Film – Animated, Sanjay’s Super Team), Nicole Rocklin (Best Picture, Spotlight), Nomi Talisman (Documentary – Short Subject, Last Day of Freedom), Phyllis Nagy (Writing – Adapted Screenplay, Carol), Rena DeAngelo (Production Design, Bridge of Spies), Sandy Powell (Costume Design, Carol and Cinderella), Serena Armitage (Short Film – Live Action, Stutterer), and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy (Documentary – Short Subject, A Girl In The River: The Price Of Forgiveness).

 

Others partaking in the celebration included Adepero Oduye (The Big Short), Alicia Silverstone (King Cobra), Alysia Reiner (Orange Is The New Black), Amy Landecker (Transparent), Carrie Preston (Crowded, The Good Wife), Christa Campbell (Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom, EP), Erinn Hayes (Childrens Hospital), Frances Fisher (Outlaws and Angels), Jimmy Jean-Louis (Joy), Josh Gad (The Angry Birds Movie), Kamala Lopez (Equal Means Equal), Kate Walsh (Actress), Lake Bell (WIF Board of Directors, No Escape), Karen Buglisi Weiler (M∙A∙C Cosmetics Global Brand President), La La Anthony (Unforgettable), Lati Grobman (Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom, EP), Lauren Bowles (True Blood), Liz Carey (Bleed For This), Maria Bello (Trial), Michelle Monaghan (The Path), Mickey Sumner (Two For One), Mira Nair (Queen of Katwe, Director), Mya Taylor (Tangerine), Patricia Arquette (CSI: Cyber, Equal Means Equal), Sasha Alexander (Shameless), Sophia Amoruso (#Girlboss) and Tom Hooper (The Danish Girl, Director/Producer).

As a parting gift, guests received a M·A·C Cosmetics box with eyeshadow, mascara and lip gloss curated by Global Brand President Karen Buglisi Weiler.

 

 

 

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Author: Hillary Atkin

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