Each tear since 1988, films have been inducted into the National Film Registry at the Library of Congress reflecting their cultural, historic and artistic importance.
December 2020 Newsletter – Costume Designers
Debbie Reynolds collected costumes from the film industry and advocated for preserving and exhibiting costumes from the Golden Age of Cinema for many decades.
November 2020 Newsletter – Inventions and Patents
Inventions – and, in many cases, associated patents – have been key to the maturation of the film industry. Women have contributed in this areas, just like they have contributed in every other area of the movie business.
October 2020 Newsletter – Stuntwomen
The documentary Stuntwomen: The Untold Hollywood Story came out recently in 2020. It profiles the often invisible women who do daring and dangerous stunts in lieu of the actress they are standing in for – so-called stunt doubles.
September 2020 Newsletter – Ava DuVernay Wins the Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize
The Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize was established in 1994 and is given annually to “a man or woman who has made an outstanding contribution to the beauty of the world and to mankind’s enjoyment and understanding of life.”
August 2020 Newsletter – Gone with the Wind
The press surrounding the recent passing of Olivia de Havilland (age 104) constantly evokes the 1939 blockbuster Gone with the Wind (GWTW) for which she received a nomination for the Best Supporting Actress Oscar.
July 2020 Newsletter – Honoring Women of Color in the Silent Film Era
A quote good enough to repeat from last month’s newsletter is from Oscar-winner Viola Davis, “The only thing that separates women of color from anyone else is opportunity.” In this newsletter, we profile women of color during the silent film era whose contributions to the movie industry were hard-earned and the obstacles that they encountered underappreciated. They took whatever opportunities … Read More
June 2020 Newsletter – Honoring African Americans and the Oscars
In the current environment, as the U.S. is confronting the issue of racism, we want to acknowledge the African-American women who were the firsts in receiving Oscar nods for acting.
May 2020 Newsletter – Helping Us Through Hard Times
During the Great Depression, a significant escape for many people was the movies. Shirley Temple danced and sang her way into hearts around the country.
April 2020 Newsletter – Contagion
Contagion has become one of the most-watched movies around with a plot line that is in some ways eerily similar to the current COVID-19 pandemic.