Lands’ End Partners with The Weather Channel and One Warm Coat for 3rd Annual One Warm Coat Day

Lands’ End continues to give back, providing free warm coats to those in need

(PRNewsfoto/Lands’ End, Inc.)

Lands’ End has partnered with The Weather Channel television network and One Warm Coat for the 3rd Annual One Warm Coat Day. On October 3rd on One Warm Coat Day, a national day of awareness, activation, and support, if you visit LandsEnd.com and purchase a Lands’ End signature Squall Coat or Jacket, the brand will donate one new outerwear item to One Warm Coat. It doesn’t end there; from October 3rd – October 9th, if you visit a Lands’ End retail store and bring in a new or gently worn coat or jacket to donate, you’ll receive 40% off one in-store outerwear item.

Lands’ End, known for its expansive outerwear offering, aims to give back and share the warmth as we near the colder months. Entering its second year as the Official Outfitter of The Weather Channel television network, both Lands’ End and The Weather Channel will promote the partnership with One Warm Coat across all platforms.

“At Lands’ End we are always looking for ways to give back to the community. One Warm Coat and The Weather Channel give us the platform and opportunity to allow our employees and customers to participate and give back to those in need across the country,” said Claudia Mazo, SVP Retail, Lands’ End. “What a great way to kick off the fall and holiday season!“

One Warm Coat logo

“With winter right around the corner, now is the time to prepare,” said Nora Zimmett, EVP and Chief Content Officer at The Weather Channel television network. “That’s why we are teaming up with Lands’ End and One Warm Coat to help raise awareness for One Warm Coat Day and help get warm coats to those in need.”

The Weather Channel logo

“One Warm Coat is thrilled to be working with Lands’ End and The Weather Channel to ensure no one goes cold this winter! The integrated campaign the two companies are launching will create heightened awareness of the tremendous need for warm coats. We hope this will inspire individuals and organizations across the country to help spread warmth to people in need,” said Beth W. Amodio, President & CEO of One Warm Coat.

Holy Halloween! Hollywood, DIY And Social Media Popular Inspirations For Costume Choice, According To Savers® Annual Halloween Survey

This year, the perfect costume is less about perfectionism and more about personalization

Americans love Halloween and a unique costume is a must-have for a Hallowinning celebration. But dressing up for Halloween this year involves more than just looking good; there are a number of personal considerations including customization and value that come into play when creating the perfect costume. So, it’s no surprise that of those surveyed nearly 90 percent of shoppers admired unique costumes put together with second-hand items, and 74 percent said they’d shop thrift if second-hand stores have a Halloween section, according to new research by the Savers® family of thrift stores (Savers®, Value Village™ and Unique®).

Savers logo (PRNewsfoto/Savers)

Trends to Watch in 2019:

• Disney, Marvel & HBO-Inspired Costumes: Ninety-two percent of Americans believe movies and TV shows will be the top inspirations for Halloween costumes this year, with Avengers, The Lion King, Game of Thrones, Captain Marvel and Toy Story topping the charts.
• Gen Zs Want to Stand Out, In Person & Online: Seventy percent of Gen Zs want to stand out with their costume choice and the majority (76 percent) plan to post their Halloween experiences on social media.
• DIY and Customization Reigns: A “cool” costume needs to be creative, original and homemade, according to survey respondents, and 61 percent claim they’d like to wear a costume that no one else will have. More than ever before, Americans are enjoying the experience of DIY-ing their costumes, using a mix of previously owned and brand-new items. Sixty-four percent plan on customizing their costume with personal touches to “make it their own,” with merely a quarter planning on buying a new, as-is packaged costume.
• You, or Your Alter Ego? The jury is out. Sixty-eight percent of Americans use their creative freedom to showcase bits of their personality, while 59 percent match their costume to their alter ego.

Keeping costs down is also important for Halloween shoppers this year. A whopping 80 percent of those surveyed spend $50 or less on a costume, while 52 percent spend less than $25, so choosing secondhand is ideal for those who still want a creative, original costume, at a price point that works for them.

“As the one-stop Halloween destination, Savers® offers a variety of brand new and pre-owned Halloween merchandise,” said Kristine Hung, Head of Marketing & Merchandising at Savers. “Shopping second-hand during Halloween is a smart, sustainable choice, considering today’s consumer cares about unique style, the planet and their wallet.”

At Savers®, enthusiastic Halloween shoppers can find a lot more than just something to wear:

• More Than Just Second Hand: Want to let out your alter ego, or pull together an imaginative look this Halloween? Every year, Savers® offers an exclusive line of brand-new Halloween costumes called “Alterego®,” wigs, makeup and accessories – perfect to combine with the reused clothing and accessories that already fill the aisles.
• Costume Consultants: Need some help getting creative? In-store costume consultants and look books at Savers® can help you create a unique look with DIY Halloween costumes, tips and tricks.
• It’s All About the Décor: Going all out for Halloween means more than just dressing up. Savers® loads its shelves with new and pre-loved Halloween décor to help decorate homes inside and out – whether that means creating a haunted house for trick-or-treaters or sticking to simple décor for a party.
• Halloween Hub: Savers.com provides a store locator tool, costume inspiration and instructions for Halloween DIY costumes and home décor.
• Social Media: More than 75 percent of Gen Zs plan to post their Halloween experiences on social media and the same percentage of Millennials plan on posting their kids’ Halloween experiences. Join in on the fun by engaging with Savers® on social platforms via the #Hallowinning hashtag on Facebook.com/Savers, @SaversVVillage on Twitter and @Savers_thrift on Instagram.

Savers® believe good style is more than how you put together your closet and home – it’s being able to do good while looking good – for yourself, your neighborhood and your planet. As a for-profit, purpose-driven retailer, the Savers® family of thrift stores provide a wide selection of must-have secondhand clothing, accessories and household goods at an affordable price and keeps more than 700 million pounds of reusable goods from reaching landfills each year. Learn more at www.savers.com

*Methodology Note: The Savers® Halloween Shopping Survey was conducted by Edelman Intelligence during the summer of 2019 and polled 2,000 nationally representative consumers aged 18 and older in the United States and Canada.

The Academy of Motion Pictures and Sciences Presents The 2019 Careers In Film Summit In Los Angeles

Panel discussions with Hannah Beachler, Kris Bowers, Terry Crews, Kevin Smith, Diane Warren, and more, live-streamed on Oscars.org

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will present its 5th annual Careers in Film Summit on Saturday, October 5, at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills. The day-long event will provide high school and college students the opportunity to learn about careers in the motion picture industry from Academy members, Oscar®-winning and nominated filmmakers, and other industry professionals. The summit’s five panel discussions also will be live-streamed on Oscars.org.

The program schedule is as follows:

9:15 – 10:45 a.m.
Working Above the Line
Casting director Deborah Aquila, “The Spy Who Dumped Me”
Director-producer-writer Steven Caple, Jr., “Creed II”
Actress-producer Bronwyn Cornelius, “Clemency”
Actor Terry Crews, “Sorry to Bother You”
Actor-producer-director-writer Kevin Smith, “Jay and Silent Bob Reboot”
Writer-producer Virgil Williams, “Mudbound”
Moderator: Mike Muse, host of Sirius XM’s “The Mike Muse Show”

11:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
Lights, Camera, Action!
Production designer Hannah Beachler, “Black Panther”
Makeup department head Howard Berger, “Alita Battle Angel”
Cinematographer Julio Macat, “After the Wedding”
Makeup effects supervisor John Rosengrant, “The Shape of Water”
Film editor Terilyn Shropshire, “When They See Us”
Costume designer Mitchell Travers, “Hustlers”
Sound mixer Mark Ulano, “Once upon a Time in Hollywood”
Moderator: Bianca Rae, anchor, Spectrum News 1

12:30 – 1:30 p.m.
Roll Credits: Other Important Jobs in the Industry
Assistant director William Paul Clark
SVP, Brand Marketing, Endeavor Justina Omokhua
Film critic Claudia Puig
Publicist Ivette Rodriguez
Line producer-unit production manager Alex G. Scott
Moderator: Gil Robertson, President, AAFCA

2:30 – 3:45 p.m.
All Things Animation
Writer Rob Edwards, “The Princess and the Frog”
Film editor, Disney Animation, Robert Fisher, Jr., “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”
Technical director Jerry Huynh, “Jing Hua”
Director of Cinematography, Lighting, Disney Animation, Mohit Kallianpur, “Frozen 2”
Animator Floyd Norman, “An Animated Life”
Producer Arianne Sutner, “Missing Link”
Moderator: Randy Haberkamp, Managing Director, Preservation and Foundation Programs, Academy

3:45 p.m.
Performance by London-based singer-songwriter Samm Henshaw, who has toured with such musicians as James Bay and Chance the Rapper.

4:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Music in Film: Evoking Emotion
Composer Michael Abels, “Us”
Composer Kris Bowers, “Green Book”
Songwriter Diane Warren, “Marshall”
Moderator: Mike Muse, host of Sirius XM’s “The Mike Muse Show”

Tickets for the Los Angeles event are free, but must be reserved in advance. Entrance is on a first come first served basis. For more information and to obtain tickets, click here.

High Museum Of Art And Dallas Museum Of Art To Present Pioneering Design Exhibition Exploring The Spectrum Of Sensory Experience

Debut of New Works by International Designers Ini Archibong, Matt Checkowski, Misha Kahn, the Ladd Brothers Laurie Haycock Makela, and Yuri Suzuki

speechless: different by design Opens at the Dallas Museum of Art in November 2019, Travels to the High Museum of Art in April 2020

The High Museum of Art (High) (Atlanta, Ga.) and the Dallas Museum of Art (DMA) (Dallas, Texas) announced the co-organization of speechless: different by design, an exhibition that merges research, aesthetics, and innovative new design to explore the vast spectrum of sensory experiences and new approaches to accessibility and modes of communication in the museum setting. Speechless will debut new work by six leading and emerging international designers and design teams—Ini Archibong, Matt Checkowski, Misha Kahn, Steven and William Ladd, Laurie Haycock Makela, and Yuri Suzuki—whose projects were informed by conversations with specialists from prominent academic and medical institutions. Their site-specific installations and new commissions will create participatory environments and distinct situations in which senses merge or are substituted for one another.

The High Museum of Art, Atlanta logo

Curated by Sarah Schleuning, The Margot B. Perot Senior Curator of Decorative Arts and Design and Interim Chief Curator at the DMA, speechless will open at the DMA on November 10, 2019, and remain on view through February 23, 2020. The exhibition is presented in Dallas by Texas Instruments. The High will present the exhibition in Atlanta from April 25 through September 6, 2020.

“This exhibition is about blurring the boundaries between senses, media, disciplines, and environments to encourage visitors to interact and communicate through design,” said Schleuning. “speechless is about what makes us as individuals unique—the challenges we experience through ourselves and others—ultimately defining the interconnections among all of us. Our perceptions, experiences, and differences should unite us instead of divide us, heightening our understandings and creating a greater sense of empathy in ourselves and our community.”

“Sarah Schleuning began to develop this important project while serving as our curator of decorative arts and design, so it feels very fitting, and full circle, to co-organize this exhibition with our esteemed colleagues at the DMA,” said Rand Suffolk, Nancy and Holcombe T. Green, Jr., Director of the High. “This exhibition dovetails perfectly with our ongoing and evolving commitment to access. Consequently, we’re excited to welcome audiences with wide-ranging abilities to experience these unique and immersive installations. We hope to learn something important about how such a diverse group of visitors interacts with these works as well as engages with each other within the spaces.”

“The DMA is committed to offering our audiences opportunities for discovery and for learning about different perspectives and cultures through our exhibitions and collections, and the intersections between them,” said Agustín Arteaga, the DMA’s Eugene McDermott Director. “In line with this approach, Sarah’s work on this groundbreaking project—involving years of cross-disciplinary study and collaboration with designers, scholars, and scientists at the forefront of innovation in art and accessibility—is truly pioneering within our field and creates an incredible opportunity to provide a truly distinct museum experience to our audiences. We are pleased to partner with the High in presenting speechless, an exhibition that creates meaningful experiences for visitors of all backgrounds and abilities, and also contributes important scholarship and insight about how museums can innovate with everything from installation to the visitor experience.”

About the Artists

Ini Archibong. Photo Frank Juerey.

Ini Archibong was born and raised in Pasadena, California, where he graduated from the Art Center College of Design. After a period living and working in Singapore and traveling widely, he moved to Switzerland, where he is currently based, to pursue further studies in luxury design and craftsmanship and received a master’s degree from École cantonale d’art de Lausanne (ECAL). He has designed furniture for such luxury brands as Hermès, de Sede, Bernhardt Design, Ruinart, Christofle and Vacheron Constantin. He is currently collaborating with the Friedman Benda Gallery in New York and Sé Collections in London, with whom he released the second installment of the Below the Heavens during this year’s Salone del Mobile in Milan.

Matt Checkowski. Photo: Shawn Michienzi.

Matt Checkowski is a designer and filmmaker based in Los Angeles. He has served as the creative force behind the dream sequences in Steven Spielberg’s Minority Report; The Sensorium, a first-of-its-kind interactive perfume museum in New York; and the digital media content for a science fiction opera at l’Opera de Monte Carlo; and he was the co-director of Lies & Alibis, a feature film starring Steve Coogan, Sam Elliott, James Marsden, and Rebecca Romijn. In 2006 Checkowski established the Department of the 4th Dimension, a multi-disciplinary studio working at the intersection of storytelling, technology, and branding with clients that include the Walker Art Center, MIT, Victoria’s Secret, Sephora, Unilever, Electrolux, and the University of California. His work has been profiled in the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the Wall Street Journal, Wired, and Popular Science, among others.

Misha Kahn. Photo: Courtesy of Friedman Benda and Misha Kahn, Photography by Dan Kukla.

Misha Kahn was born in Duluth, Minnesota, and graduated from the Rhode Island school of Design with a BFA in furniture design in 2011. His work exists at the intersection of design and sculpture, exploring a wide variety of media and scales from mouse to house. Kahn’s approach melds an array of processes, from casting, carving, welding, and weaving, to imaginative and singular modes of production. According to former president of the Rhode Island School of Design John Maeda, “Misha creates work for a parallel wonderland, where traditional perception of material and structure is pushed to the edges of the room to make space for one big party.” His work has been exhibited internationally and is in the permanent collection of numerous museums and public collections, including the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston and the Corning Museum of Glass.

Steven and William Ladd in Scroll Space. Photo: Nick Lee.

Brothers Steven and William Ladd have created multi–disciplinary works combining sculpture, performance, design, and social activism since they began collaborating in 2000. They have exhibited at the Musée des arts décoratifs and had solo exhibitions at numerous American institutions, including their hometown institution the Saint Louis Art Museum. Their work is labor-intensive and has varied from large three-dimensional murals to book bindings. Through their Scrollathon® they have worked with over 7,000 people, including children, hospital patients, and special needs individuals. Their work is in the collections of the Musée des arts décoratifs at the Louvre, the Honolulu Museum of Art, the Corning Museum of Glass, and Mingei International Museum.

Laurie Haycock Makela. Photo: Carmela Makela.

Laurie Haycock Makela has been a recognized voice of experimental graphic and trans-disciplinary design practice and education for over 30 years in the United States and Europe. She has taught at prestigious institutions in Sweden, Germany, and Los Angeles. She was designer-in-residence and co-chair of the department of 2-D design at the Cranbrook Academy of Art, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, from 1996 to 2001 with the late P. Scott Makela. Their studio, Words and Pictures for Business and Culture, produced print and new media for clients such as NIKE, MTV and Warner Bros. She was awarded the AIGA (American Institute of Graphic Arts) Medal, the profession’s highest honor, in 2000.  Most recently, she became the first designer-in-residence at USC’s Roski School of Art and Design.

Atelier Swarovski – Design Miami Basel – Wattens Visit – December 2015 (Yuri Suzuki. Photo © Mark Cocksedge.)

Yuri Suzuki is a sound artist, designer, and electronic musician who explores the realms of sound through exquisitely designed pieces. His work looks into the way people experience sound, and how music and sound affect their minds. His sound, art, and installations have been internationally exhibited and he has work in several permanent collections across the world. He began his own design studio in 2013, working alongside Disney, Google, and Yamaha, among others.  

Ini Archibong and Hideki Yoshimoto. Photo: Matt Checkowski.

Harnessing the power and impact of design, speechless offers audiences unconventional multisensory experiences that foster understanding of the varied ways in which we experience the world through our senses. The exhibition presents opportunities for new modes of communicating ideas beyond speech and words. Organized in five major sections, the exhibition is connected by a central introductory space and sensory de-escalation area, through which visitors must pass to move between sections. Six contemporary designers will create spaces that fuse multiple sensory experiences—for instance, rendering sound visible or language tactile. The works include:

• The Oracle, designed and engineered by California-born, Switzerland-based multi-disciplinary designer Ini Archibong, will explore non-traditional ways of experiencing sound. The space occupied by Archibong’s work will be infused with a soothing, harmonious soundscape created by a custom synthesizer, which removes discordant sound and produces pure sound waves. The installation will feature an array of interactive elements designed to illustrate sound through movement, shape, light, and color, including a pool with an obelisk that visitors can rotate to tune the sound to various bass tones, thereby changing the shape and movement of the water as well; and brass pedestals holding handblown glass shapes that pivot to initiate shifts in light and color. Visitors can turn every element throughout the room to communally alter the sound in the space.

• Glyph, by designer and filmmaker Matt Checkowski, will explore the creativity behind each designer’s work in speechless and the role of empathy that informs it through a series of narrative and intimate short film portraits of each artist. He is developing a method of word and image translation whereby the filmed speech of each artist will be transformed live into images, offering a new, universal visual language for the ideas conveyed by the creative minds involved with this project.
• Brooklyn-based designer and artist Misha Kahn will create a meandering coral garden composed of vibrant, dynamic inflatables that will move in multiple ways, inflating and deflating over the course of each day. Visitors can touch, sit, squeeze, and otherwise interact with the inflatable forms, both observing the landscape change around them and themselves participating in the alteration.
• Scroll Space, presented by New York–based brothers and artists Steven and William Ladd, will be a vibrant and tactile room created entirely of tens of thousands of hand-rolled textile “scrolls.” These scrolls will be made in collaboration with 2,000 community members in Dallas and Atlanta through the Ladd Brothers’ community engagement program Scrollathon®, which brings the arts to underserved populations through hands-on creative workshops. The Dallas program will include participants from the Center for BrainHealth and the Callier Center for Communication Disorders at the University of Texas at Dallas.
• The exhibition’s graphic identity and corresponding publication speechless: Beyond Sense  is created by Laurie Haycock Makela, a leader in the field of experimental, transdisciplinary graphic design. Playing with the multiple meanings of the word “speechless,” the publication will explore the evolution of the project, document the installations, and feature conversations between the designers and the curator. Both innovative and accessible, her work contributes to the foundation of total inclusive and interactive experience of the project.
• Sound Of The Earth Chapter 2, a sound installation by London-based sound artist and designer Yuri Suzuki, will integrate audio crowdsourced from around the world. The work will take the form of a spherical sculpture with which visitors can interact by placing their ears against the surface. Each spot on the sphere represents a different area of the world and will “whisper” back a corresponding sound sourced from that region, enabling visitors to experience the globe in a fresh way, beyond text and words. Anyone around the world can submit audio via the DMA’s website at earthsounds.dma.org.

Misha Kahn. New work for Speechless, computer generated rendering, 2019. Courtesy of Misha Kahn.

speechless is organized by the Dallas Museum of Art and the High Museum of Art, Atlanta. The exhibition in Dallas is presented by Texas Instruments.

Support for the exhibition in Atlanta is provided by wish foundation. This exhibition in Atlanta is made possible by Exhibition Series Sponsors Delta Air Lines, Inc., Northside Hospital, and WarnerMedia; Premier Exhibition Series Supporters the Antinori Foundation, Sarah and Jim Kennedy, and Louise Sams and Jerome Grilhot; Benefactor Exhibition Series Supporter Anne Cox Chambers Foundation; Ambassador Exhibition Series Supporters Tom and Susan Wardell, and Rod Westmoreland; and Contributing Exhibition Series Supporters Lucinda W. Bunnen, Marcia and John Donnell, W. Daniel Ebersole and Sarah Eby-Ebersole, Peggy Foreman, Robin and Hilton Howell, Mr. and Mrs. Baxter Jones, Margot and Danny McCaul, Joel Knox and Joan Marmo, and The Ron and Lisa Brill Family Charitable Trust.

Steven and William Ladd, Scroll Space, 2019. Photo: Nick Lee.

Generous support is also provided by the Alfred and Adele Davis Exhibition Endowment Fund, Anne Cox Chambers Exhibition Fund, Barbara Stewart Exhibition Fund, Dorothy Smith Hopkins Exhibition Endowment Fund, Eleanor McDonald Storza Exhibition Endowment Fund, The Fay and Barrett Howell Exhibition Fund, Forward Arts Foundation Exhibition Endowment Fund, Helen S. Lanier Endowment Fund, Isobel Anne Fraser–Nancy Fraser Parker Exhibition Endowment Fund, John H. and Wilhelmina D. Harland Exhibition Endowment Fund, Katherine Murphy Riley Special Exhibition Endowment Fund, Margaretta Taylor Exhibition Fund, and the RJR Nabisco Exhibition Endowment Fund.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Women’s Initiative Events In New York And London Support Emerging Female Filmmakers

Academy Partners With E! Entertainment For New York Event With Laura Dern, Greta Gerwig, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy And Amy Pascal

Swarovski Returns As Global Partner Of “Action: The Academy Women’s Initiative”

Photo Credit: Lars Niki / Getty Images / AMPAS

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, in partnership with E! Entertainment and Swarovski, hosted a luncheon in New York today (October 2), beginning the second year of its global initiative to support emerging female filmmakers with the presentation of an Academy Gold Fellowship for Women.

The luncheon at the Rainbow Room brought together women from all facets of the filmmaking community, including Annabelle Attanasio, Cynthia Erivo, Julie Hagerty, Alma Har’el, Laura Karpman, Barbara Kopple, Jodi Long, Jennifer Nettles, Katherine Oliver, Laura Poitras, Andrea Riseborough, Jane Rosenthal, Meg Ryan, Mary Stuart Masterson and Constance Wu. The afternoon featured an onstage conversation with writer-director Greta Gerwig and producer Amy Pascal, moderated by actress Laura Dern. Oscar®-winning documentary filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, whose work highlights inequality and human rights abuses of women around the world, delivered the keynote presentation.

The Academy Gold Fellowship for Women, a $35,000 grant, was awarded to filmmaker Eliana Pipes. Pipes, an alumna of the inaugural class of the Academy Gold diversity internship enhancement program, is a graduate of Columbia University and has written her first feature film, a comedy entitled “Fauxricua.”

Constance Wu attends the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences’ Women’s Initiative New York luncheon, in partnership with E! Entertainment and with the support of Swarovski on October 02, 2019 in New York City. Credit: Lars Niki / Getty Images / AMPAS

The Academy Gold Fellowship for Women is a one-year fellowship designed for female filmmakers or executives. The fellowship combines direct financial support with personalized mentorship and networking opportunities, creating a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for an emerging female filmmaker or industry executive. The US recipient is selected from the alumnae of one of the Academy Foundation’s key educational initiatives: Academy Gold Talent Development and Inclusion program, Student Academy Awards and the Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting. The fellowship in the UK is awarded to an emerging female talent working on either their first or second feature film or short film.

(L-R) Dawn Hudson, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, Greta Gerwig and Laura Dern attend the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences’ Women’s Initiative New York luncheon, in partnership with E! Entertainment and with the support of Swarovski on October 02, 2019 in New York City.

The Academy will also hold a similar luncheon in London on October 4. The London event will mark the third year the Academy and Swarovski have hosted a gathering of female filmmakers in the UK. As a global multi-year partner of the initiative, Swarovski’s support extends across both the New York and London events, as well as a luncheon in Paris earlier this year, and makes possible the Gold Fellowship grants presented. Northern Ireland-based filmmaker Aislinn Clarke will receive the Academy Gold Fellowship for Women. Clarke wrote and directed her first feature, a horror film entitled “The Devil’s Doorway,” last year.

The fellowship program is a global effort, part of Action: The Academy Women’s Initiative, designed to create opportunities for female filmmakers and executives to connect, share their stories and celebrate inclusion. To date five fellowships have been awarded.

Cynthia Erivo attends the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences’ Women’s Initiative New York luncheon, in partnership with E! Entertainment and with the support of Swarovski on October 02, 2019 in New York City.

Action: The Academy Women’s Initiative is intended to make Hollywood a more inclusive place by empowering women in the film community. The initiative includes the Academy Gold Fellowship for Women, Academy Directory, and global events designed to connect women across all corners of the filmmaking industry and enable them to share their stories and celebrate inclusion.

“In just two years, the Academy Women’s Initiative has granted five fellowships to aspiring female filmmakers in NY, LA, London and Paris,” said Academy CEO Dawn Hudson. “With the support of our partners E! Entertainment and Swarovski, we will continue to expand this program globally, empowering more women in film, and creating a more inclusive industry.”

“E! is proud to once again partner with the Academy for this powerful initiative that brings women together, celebrates inclusion, and supports female filmmakers,” said Jen Neal, General Manager, E! News, Live Events and Lifestyle Digital, NBCUniversal. “It is exciting to join so many creative, inspiring and courageous women at today’s event as we unite in our commitment to driving positive change.”

Swarovski has a long history of partnership with the Academy, having illuminated the Academy Awards® stage with more than 45 million crystals over the past twelve years. As part of Swarovski’s drive to promote women’s empowerment, it is proud to support the Academy in celebrating women in film and encouraging gender equality across the industry. Swarovski has played a supporting role in the entertainment industry for nearly 100 years, having collaborated with Hollywood’s finest costume and set designers, most recently for Rocketman and The Greatest Showman..

Nadja Swarovski commented: “Swarovski is delighted to partner with the Academy on the 2019 Gold Fellowship for Women as part its Action: The Academy Women’s Initiative. As a company we are committed to empowering women and to providing emerging creative talent with the support it needs to develop and thrive, so we are pleased to congratulate Eliana Pipes and Aislinn Clarke and we look forward to watching all the young Academy Gold Fellowship award winners share their work with the world.”

Swarovski creates a more sparkling world and delivers a diverse portfolio of unmatched quality, craftsmanship, and creativity. Founded in 1895 in Austria, the company designs, manufactures and sells the world’s highest quality crystal, genuine gemstones, Swarovski Created Diamonds and zirconia, finished products such as jewelry and accessories, as well as interior design and lighting solutions. The Swarovski Crystal Business is run by the fifth generation of family members and has a global reach with approximately 3,000 stores in around 170 countries, more than 29,000 employees, and revenue of about 2.7 billion euros in 2018.

E! is the only global, multi-platform brand for all things pop culture. The network is currently available to 91 million cable and satellite subscribers in the U.S and 161 countries globally. E! programming includes popular series “Keeping Up with the Kardashians,” “Very Cavallari,” “Total Divas,” “Total Bellas,” “Botched,” and “Dating #NoFilter;” topical series “Nightly Pop,” and the return of the “E! True Hollywood Story.” “E! News” airs nightly on the network and is the leading multi-platform publisher delivering breaking entertainment news and pop culture coverage 24/7 across EOnline.com and all digital and social media. The brand’s robust digital programming slate includes “E! News’ The Rundown,” “Face Forward” and “What The Fashion” on Snapchat. E!’s “Live from the Red Carpet” signature events keep fans connected to their favorite stars on pop culture’s biggest nights and E! is also home to the “E! People’s Choice Awards,” the only award show for the people, by the people. E! is a network of NBCUniversal Entertainment & Lifestyle Group, a division of NBCUniversal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news and information to a global audience. For more corporate information, visit www.nbcuniversal.com.