‘Conclave’ Leads All Film Nominations for the 2024 AWFJ EDA Awards

‘Conclave’ Leads All Film Nominations for the 2024 AWFJ EDA Awards

Emilia Perez, The Brutalist and Anora are among those nominated for Best Film, Best Director and Best Screenplay

(New York, NY, December 12, 2024) – Since 2006, the Alliance of Women Film Journalists (AWFJ) has presented annual EDA Awards, representing professional women critics’ collective perspectives on movies and cinema culture in the movie awards arena, where female critics and critical opinion are still greatly underrepresented. AWFJ honors female creatives in non-gender specific awards categories and in unique Female Focus categories designated for women only.  

This year, Edward Berger’s papal thriller CONCLAVE led all films with 9 nominations, including Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay (Adapted), Best Supporting Actress (Isabella Rossellini), Best Actor (Ralph Fiennes), Best Supporting Actor (Stanley Tucci), Best Ensemble Cast and Casting Director, Best Cinematography and Best Editing. Jacques Audiard’s EMILIA PEREZ grabbed 8 nods with Sean Baker’s ANORA and Brady Corbet’s THE BRUTALIST garnering 7; all were nominated for Best Film, Best Director and Best Screenplay (Original or Adapted). In the Female Focus Section, THE SUBSTANCE filmmaker Coralie Fargeat squares off with ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT’S Payal Kapadia for both Best Woman Director and Best Female Screenwriter, with Nykiya Adams (BIRD), Karla Sofia Gascon (EMILIA PEREZ) and Mikey Madison (ANORA) all among those vying for the award for Best Women’s Breakthrough Performance.

“We are proud that this year’s member-determined roster of nominees includes female contenders in non-gender specific categories, including Coralie Fargeat in the Best Film, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay categories, along with Payal Kapadia, who is nominated for Best Director, Best Original Screenplay and Best International Film,” said Jennifer Merin, President of the 90-member AWFJ. “We hope to see similar recognition of women filmmakers at this year’s Oscars and various guild awards, as well as with other critic’s awards groups.” 

In preparation for the awards season, AWFJ tracks femme-helmed and femme-centric films released throughout the year. The 2024 list of EDA Award-eligible femme-helmed and/or femme-centric films includes more than 500 titles. Many of these female-made movies are small budget productions that receive neither wide distribution nor critical consideration. This impressive number of independently produced films indicates the high level of female filmmaker proactivity in contradiction to the grim statistics consistently reported in major studies about female film production. AWFJ advocates for acknowledgment of these films and recognition for their filmmakers, not only during awards season, but throughout the year with the Movie of the Week feature published every Monday on AWFJ.org, and other regular features. 

The EDAs are named in honor of AWFJ founder Merin’s mother, Eda Reiss Merin, a stage, film and television actress whose career spanned more than 60 years. A dedicated foot soldier in the industry, Eda was one of the founders of AFTRA and a long-standing member of AMPAS. EDA is also an acronym for Excellent Dynamic Activism, qualities shared by Eda Reiss Merin, AWFJ members and those honored with EDA Awards.

Here is the list of nominees:

Nickel Boys

OFFICIAL 2024 EDA AWARDS NOMINATIONS 

BEST OF AWARDS
BEST FILM 

  • ANORA
  • CONCLAVE
  • EMILIA PEREZ
  • NICKEL BOYS
  • SING SING
  • THE BRUTALIST
  • THE SUBSTANCE
  • WICKED

BEST DIRECTOR

  • JACQUES AUDIARD – EMILIA PEREZ
  • SEAN BAKER – ANORA
  • EDWARD BERGER – CONCLAVE
  • BRADY CORBET – THE BRUTALIST
  • CORALIE FARGEAT – THE SUBSTANCE
  • PAYAL KAPADIA – ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT
The Substance

BEST SCREENPLAY, ORIGINAL

  • ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT – PAYAL KAPADIA
  • ANORA – SEAN BAKER
  • A REAL PAIN – JESSE EISENBERG
  • HARD TRUTHS – MIKE LEIGH
  • THE SUBSTANCE – CORALIE FARGEAT
  • THE BRUTALIST – BRADY CORBET AND MONA FASTVOLD

BEST SCREENPLAY, ADAPTED

  • CONCLAVE – PETER STRAUGHAN, ROBERT HARRIS
  • EMILIA PEREZ – JACQUES AUDIARD, THOMAS BIDEGAIN, LEA MYSIUS
  • NICKEL BOYS – RaMell ROSS, JOSLYN BARNES, COLSON WHITEHEAD
  • NOSFERATU – ROBERT EGGERS
  • SING SING – JOHN H. RICHARDSON, BRENT BUELL, CLINT BENTLEY
  • THE WILD ROBOT – CHRIS SANDERS, PETER BROWN
Black Box Diaries

BEST DOCUMENTARY

  • BLACK BOX DIARIES – SHIDORI ITO
  • DAHOMEY – MATI DIOP
  • DAUGHTERS – ANGELA PATTON, NATALIE RAE
  • THE LAST OF THE SEA WOMEN – SUE KIM
  • SUGARCANE – EMILY KASSIE, JASON BRAVE NOISECAT
  • WILL & HARPER – JOSH GREENBAUM

BEST ANIMATED FILM

  • FLOW
  • HUNDREDS OF BEAVERS
  • INSIDE OUT 2
  • MEMOIR OF A SNAIL
  • THE WILD ROBOT
  • WALLACE & GROMIT: VENGEANCE MOST FOWL
Wicked

BEST ACTRESS 

  • CYNTHIA ERIVO – WICKED
  • KARLA SOFIA GASCON – EMILIA PEREZ
  • MARIANNE JEAN-BAPTISTE – HARD TRUTHS
  • MIKEY MADISON – ANORA
  • DEMI MOORE – THE SUBSTANCE
  • JUNE SQUIBB – THEMA

BEST ACTRESS, SUPPORTING 

  • JOAN CHEN – DIDI
  • DANIELLE DEADWYLER – THE PIANO LESSON
  • AUNJANUE ELLIS-TAYLOR – NICKEL BOYS
  • MARGARET QUALLEY – THE SUBSTANCE
  • ISABELLA ROSSELLINI – CONCLAVE
  • ZOE SALDANA – EMILIA PEREZ

BEST ACTOR 

  • ADRIEN BRODY – THE BRUTALIST
  • DANIEL CRAIG – QUEER
  • COLMAN DOMINGO – SING SING
  • RALPH FIENNES – CONCLAVE
  • HUGH GRANT – HERETIC
  • SEBASTIAN STAN – THE APPRENTICE

BEST ACTOR, SUPPORTING 

  • YURA BORISOV – ANORA
  • KIERAN CULKIN – A REAL PAIN
  • CLARENCE MACLIN – SING SING
  • GUY PEARCE – THE BRUTALIST
  • STANLEY TUCCI – CONCLAVE
  • DENZEL WASHNGTON – GLADIATOR II
Saturday Night

BEST ENSEMBLE CAST AND CASTING DIRECTOR

  • ANORA
  • CHALLENGERS
  • CONCLAVE
  • EMILIA PEREZ
  • SATURDAY NIGHT
  • WICKED

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY 

  • CONCLAVE
  • DUNE II
  • NICKEL BOYS
  • NOSFERATU
  • THE BRUTALIST
  • WICKED

BEST EDITING

  • ANORA
  • CONCLAVE
  • EMILIA PEREZ
  • FURIOSA: A MAD MAX SAGA
  • THE BRUTALIST
  • THE SUBSTANCE
All We Imagine As Light

BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM

  • ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT
  • DAHOMEY
  • EMILIA PEREZ
  • FLOW
  • LA CHIMERA
  • THE SEED OF THE SACRED FIG

EDA FEMALE FOCUS AWARDS

EDA FEMALE FOCUS: BEST WOMAN DIRECTOR 

  • ANDREA ARNOLD – BIRD
  • GIA COPPOLA – THE LAST SHOWGIRL
  • CORALIE FARGEAT – THE SUBSTANCE
  • PAYAL KAPADIA – ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT
  • MEGAN PARK – MY OLD ASS
  • ALICE ROHRWACHER – LA CHIMERA
My Old Ass

EDA FEMALE FOCUS: BEST FEMALE SCREENWRITER 

  • ANDREA ARNOLD – BIRD
  • CORALIE FARGEAT – THE SUBSTANCE
  • PAYAL KAPADIA – ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT
  • MEGAN PARK – MY OLD ASS
  • ALICE ROHRWACHER – LA CHIMERA
  • ERICA TREMBLAY, MICIANA ALISE – FANCY DANCE

EDA FEMALE FOCUS: BEST ANIMATED/VOICED PERFORMANCE

  • AYO EDEBIRI – INSIDE OUT 2
  • MAYA HAWKE – INSIDE OUT 2
  • LUPITA NYONG’O – THE WILD ROBOT
  • AMY POEHLER – INSIDE OUT 2
  • SARAH SNOOK – MEMOIR OF A SNAIL
  • JACKI WEAVER – MEMOIR OF A SNAIL
Emilia Perez

EDA FEMALE FOCUS: BEST WOMEN’S BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE

  • NYKIYA ADAMS – BIRD
  • KARLA SOFIA GASCON – EMILIA PEREZ
  • MIKEY MADISON – ANORA
  • KATY O’BRIAN – LOVE LIES BLEEDING
  • JUNE SQUIBB – THELMA
  • MAISY STELLA – MY OLD ASS

EDA FEMALE FOCUS: BEST STUNT PERFORMANCE 

  • NIKKI BERWICK – STUNT COORDINATOR, GLADIATOR II
  • ALEX JAY (for ZENDAYA) – DUNE II
  • HAYLEY WRIGHT (for ANYA TAYLOR-JOY) – FURIOSA
  • KATY O’BRIAN – LOVE LIES BLEEDING
  • CAILEE SPAENY – ALIEN ROMULUS
  • JUNE SQUIBB – THELMA
June Squibb as “Thelma.”

ABOUT THE ALLIANCE OF WOMEN FILM JOURNALISTS

The Alliance of Women Film Journalists, Inc. (AWFJ) is a not-for-profit professional association of highly qualified female movie critics, reporters and feature writers working in print, broadcast and online media, dedicated to supporting work by and about women – both in front of and behind the cameras – through intra-group promotional activities, outreach programs and by presenting awards in recognition of outstanding accomplishments (the best and worst) by and about women in the movies. AWFJ was founded in 2006 by Jennifer Merin, Maitland McDonagh, Joanna Langfield and Jenny Halper. In addition to the year end awards, AWFJ presents EDA Awards at partner festivals, keeps an active and interactive record of fiction feature and documentary films by and/or about women, and/or are of particular interest to women because they focus on women’s issues. We welcome information that will allow us to keep our lists updated. Lists are made available to members and the general public on our Web site at AWFJ.org. For further information, contact AWFJ President Jennifer Merin at awfjinc@gmail.com.

‘Banshees of Inisherin’ and ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ Tie For Most Wins in Alliance of Women Film Journalists’ EDA Awards

‘Banshees of Inisherin’ and ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ Tie For Most Wins in Alliance of Women Film Journalists’ EDA Awards

BANSHEES wins Best Film, but Sarah Polley scores best Director for WOMEN TALKING. In our Female Focus sections, Viola Davis gets the nod for Outstanding Achievement and Danielle Deadwyler’s turn in TILL is designated the Breakthrough Performance of 2022. Emma Thompson takes AWFJ’s Grand Dame title and is honored for the bravest performance for GOOD LUCK TO YOU, LEO GRANDE. The talented Ana de Armas is deemed most deserving of a new agent to get her roles in better projects than BLONDE.

AWFJ has presented annual EDA Awards for 16 years, representing professional women critics’ collective perspectives on movies and cinema culture in the movie awards arena, where female critics and critical opinion are still greatly underrepresented. AWFJ honors female creatives in non-gender specific awards categories and in unique Female Focus categories designated for women only.  

“We are particularly proud that this year’s member-determined roster of nominees included a goodly number of female contenders in non-gender specific categories. and that we have female winners in those categories, as well, including Sarah Polley who receives the EDA Award for Best Director for the multi-nominated and awarded WOMEN TALKING.” said Jennifer Merin, President of the 95 members AWFJ. “We hope to see similar results at this year’s Oscars and various guild awards. as well as with other critics awards groups.” 

In preparation for the awards season, AWFJ tracks femme-helmed and femme-centric films released throughout the year. The 2022 list of EDA Award-eligible femme-helmed and/or femme-centric films includes more than 500 titles. Many of these female made movies are small budget productions that receive neither wide distribution nor critical consideration. This staggering number of independently produced films indicates the high level of female filmmaker proactivity in contradiction to the grim statistics consistently reported in major studies about female film production. AWFJ advocates for acknowledgment of these films and recognition for their filmmakers. 

Note: PopLifeSTL.com Managing Editor and Founder Lynn Venhaus has been a member of AWFJ since 2014, along with St. Louis colleagues Martha Baker, Diane Carson and Cate Marquis and former St. Louisan Michelle (McCue) Hannett, , managing editor of We Are Movie Geeks.


AWFJ BEST OF AWARDS

These awards are presented to women and/or men without gender consideration

Best Film

Colin Farrell and Kerry Condon in the film THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN. Photo by Jonathan Hession. Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2022 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved
  • THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN
  • EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE
  • THE FABELMANS
  • TAR
  • THE WOMAN KING
  • WOMEN TALKING

Best Director

  • The Daniels – EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE
  • Martin McDonagh – THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN
  • Sarah Polley – WOMEN TALKING
  • Gina Prince-Bythewood – THE WOMAN KING
  • Steven Spieiberg – THE FABELMANS
  • Charlotte Wells – AFTERSUN

Best Screenplay, Original

  • AFTERSUN – Charlotte Wells
  • THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN – Martin McDonagh
  • EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE – the DANIELS
  • THE FABELMANS – Steven Spielberg and Tony Kushner
  • TAR – Todd Field
  • THE WOMAN KING – Dana Stevens and Maria Bello

Best Screenplay, Adapted

  • ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT – Edward Berger, Lesley Patterson, Ian Stokell
  • GLASS ONION – Rian Johnson
  • SHE SAID – Rebecca Lenkiewicz
  • THE WHALE – Samuel D. Hunter
  • WOMEN TALKING – Sarah Polley and Miriam Toews
  • THE WONDER – Alice Birch, Emma Donoghue, Sebastian Lelio

Best Documentary

  • ALL THAT BREATHES – Shaunak Sen
  • ALL THE BEAUTY AND THE BLOODSHED – Laura Poitras
  • DESCENDANT – Margaret Brown
  • FIRE OF LOVE – Sara Dosa
  • GOODNIGHT OPPY – Ryan White
  • THE JANES – Tia Lessen and Emma Pildes

Best Animated Film

  • GDT’S PINOCCHIO – Guillermo del Toro and Mark Gustafson
  • MARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON – Dean Fleischer-Camp
  • PUSS IN BOOTS: THE LAST WISH – Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado
  • THE SEA BEAST – Chris Williams
  • TURNING RED – Domee Shi
  • WENDELL & WILD – Henry Selick

Best Actress

  • Cate Blanchett – TAR
  • Viola Davis – THE WOMAN KING
  • Danielle Deadwyler – TILL
  • Vicki Krieps – CORSAGE
  • Emma Thompson – GOOD LUCK TO YOU, LEO GRANDE
  • Michelle Yeoh – EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE

Best Actress in a Supporting Role (tie)

  • Angela Bassett – WAKANDA FOREVER
  • Jessie Buckley – WOMEN TALKING
  • Hong Chau – THE WHALE
  • Kerry Condon – THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN
  • Jamie Lee Curtis – EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE
  • Janelle Monae – GLASS ONION

Best Actor

  • Austin Butler – ELVIS
  • Colin Farrell – THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN
  • Brendan Fraser – THE WHALE
  • Paul Mescal – AFTERSUN
  • Bill Nighy – LIVING
  • Jeremy Pope – THE INSPECTION

Best Actor in a Supporting Role

  • Brendon Gleeson – THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN
  • Brian Henry Tyree – CAUSEWAY
  • Barry Keoghan – THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN
  • Eddie Redmayne – THE GOOD NURSE
  • Ke Huy Quan – EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE
  • Ben Wishaw – WOMEN TALKING

Best Ensemble Cast – Casting Director

  • THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN – Louise Kiely
  • EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE – Sarah Finn
  • TRIANGLE OF SADNESS – Pauline Hansson
  • WAKANDA FOREVER – Sarah Finn
  • THE WOMAN KING – Aisha Coley
  • WOMEN TALKING – John Buchan and Jason Knight

Best Cinematography (tie)

  • BANSHEES OF INISHERIN – Ben Davis
  • THE FABELMANS – Janusz Kaminski
  • EMPIRE OF LIGHT – Roger Deakins
  • EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE – Larkin Seiple
  • TOP GUN: MAVERICK – Claudio Miranda
  • THE WOMAN KING – Polly Morgan

Best Editing

  • ELVIS – Jonathan Redmond and Matt Villa
  • EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE – Paul Rogers
  • TAR – Monika Willis
  • TOP GUN – Eddie Hamilton
  • THE WOMAN KING – Terilyn A. Shropshire
  • WOMEN TALKING – Christopher Donaldson, Rosalyn Kallop

Best Non-English-Language Film (tie)

  • ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT
  • BARDO
  • DECISION TO LEAVE
  • HAPPENING
  • RRR
  • SAINT OMER

EDA FEMALE FOCUS AWARDS

These awards honor WOMEN only

Best Woman Director

WOMEN TALKING (2022) Rooney Mara, Claire Foy, and Jessie Buckley CR: Michael Gibson/United Artists Releasing
  • Chinoye Chukwu – TILL
  • Marie Kreutzer – CORSAGE
  • Gina Prince-Bythewood – THE WOMAN KING
  • Sarah Polley – WOMEN TALKING
  • Maria Schrader – SHE SAID
  • Charlotte wells – AFTERSUN

Best Woman Screenwriter

  • Alice Birch – THE WONDER and MOTHERING SUNDAY
  • Rebecca Lenkiewicz – SHE SAID
  • Sarah Polley and Miriam Toews – WOMEN TALKING
  • Domee Shi – TURNING RED
  • Dana Stevens and Maria Bello – THE WOMAN KING
  • Charlotte Wells – AFTERSUN

Best Animated Female

  • Connie – Isabella Rossellni MARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON
  • Izzy – Keke Palmer – LIGHTYEAR
  • Kat – Lyric Ross. WENDELL & WILD
  • Kitty Softpaws – Salma Hayed – PUSS IN BOOTS: LAST WISH
  • Mei – Rosalyn Chiang- TURNING RED
  • Ming – Sandra Oh – TURNING RED
Danielle Deadwyler in “Till”

Best Woman’s Breakthrough Performance

  • Frankie Corio – AFTERSUN
  • Danielle Deadwyler – TILL
  • Stephanie Hsu – EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE
  • Thuso Mbedu – THE WOMAN KING
  • Amber Midthunder – PREY
  • Sadie Sink – THE WHALE

Outstanding Achievement by A Woman in The Film Industry

  • Viola Davis – For getting THE WOMAN KING made as her lifetime passion project and creating opportunities for other women creatives.
  • Nina Menkes and Maria Giese for making BRAINWASHED, analyzing and illustrating the misogynistic representation of women in Hollywood movies.
  • Domee Shi for being the first woman to direct a film for Pixar and for becoming Pixar’s VP of Creative
  • Jacqueline Stewart for ongoing advocacy of the underrepresented and becoming president of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.
  • Michelle Yeoh- lifetime achievement award

EDA SPECIAL MENTION AWARDS

Grand Dame Award for Defying Ageism

Emma Thompson
  • Jamie Lee Curtis
  • Viola Davis
  • Emma Thompson
  • Michelle Yeoh

Most Egregious Lovers’ Age Difference Award

  • CONFESS FLETCH – Jon Hamm born 1971 and Lorenza Izzo born 1989
  • CRIMES OF THE FUTURE – Viggo Mortensen born 1958 and Lea Sedoux born 1985
  • DEEP WATER – Ben Affleck born 1972 and Ana de Armas born 1988
  • EIFEL – Romain Duris born 1974 and Emma Mackey born 1996

She Deserves A New Agent Award (NOTE: This is not a put down. On the contrary, it suggests that the actor is better than the role she’s been given.)

  • Ana de Armas for BLONDE
  • Bryce Dallas Howard for JURASIC WORLD DOMINION
  • Margot Robbie for BABYLON
  • Rebel Wilson for SENIOR YEAR

Most Daring Performance

  • Cate Blanchett – TAR
  • Viola Davis – THE WOMAN KING
  • Danielle Deadwyler – TILL
  • Emma Thompson – GOOD LUCK TO YOU, LEO GRANDE
  • Michelle Yeoh – EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE

Time Waster Remake or Sequel Award

  • FIRESTARTER
  • HALLOWEEN ENDS
  • JURASSIC WORLD DOMINION
  • PINOCCHIO (Disney)

AWFJ Hall of Shame Award (Women and men are eligible)

  • Alec Baldwin and the crew of RUST for continuing to deny responsibility for the on set shooting that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. The situation is still messy. A wrongful death lawsuit was settled, but the criminal investigation continues. In November, Baldwin sued crew members for giving him the loaded prop gun that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. News reports say Baldwin also texted Hutchins’s husband, Matthew, saying that the gun was never meant to be fired at a particular camera angle.
  • BLONDE and Andrew Dominik
  • Will Smith for his behavior at the Oscars and in the aftermath
  • Harvey Weinstein for everything and forever

ABOUT THE ALLIANCE OF WOMEN FILM JOURNALISTS
The Alliance of Women Film Journalists, Inc. (AWFJ) is a not-for-profit professional association of highly qualified female movie critics, reporters and feature writers working in print, broadcast and online media, dedicated to supporting work by and about women – both in front of and behind the cameras – through intra-group promotional activities, outreach programs and by presenting awards in recognition of outstanding accomplishments (the best and worst) by and about women in the movies. AWFJ was founded in 2006 by Jennifer Merin, Maitland McDonagh, Joanna Langfield and Jenny Halper. In addition to the year end awards, AWFJ presents EDA Awards at partner festivals, keeps an active and interactive record of fiction feature and documentary films by and/or about women, and/or are of particular interest to women because they focus on women’s issues. We welcome information that will allow us to keep our lists updated. Lists are made available to members and the general public on our Web site at AWFJ.org. For further information, contact AWFJ President Jennifer Merin at awfjinc@gmail.com.

Women In Film: Jane Craig in ‘Broadcast News’ in the Spotlight

Women In Film: Jane Craig in ‘Broadcast News’ in the Spotlight

During the month of March, PopLifeSTL.com will recognize significant female contributions in filmmaking.

By Lynn Venhaus
“Strong, complex, fully realized women characters with their own stories to tell have lasting impact in our culture and at the box office,” wrote Jennifer Merin, Alliance of Women Film Journalists’ co-founder and president, and co-organizer of the Wonder Women project, back in 2016l

“AWFJ members delighted in focusing on women characters whose stories that have impacted our own lives. We recommend them as essential viewing for women and girls and anyone who is interested in film,” Merin said.

To coincide with Wonder Woman celebrating her 75th year as a superhero in the D.C. Comics, we had begun the project the summer before. Fellow members of the national women’s organization were polled to select 100 women film characters that were inspiring, and live on in our hearts and minds.

AWFJ members nominated more than 500 characters from as early as 1915 to as recent as today. Real women, such as Queen Elizabeth II and Erin Brockovich, were eliminated to better showcase the writers who understood and created authentic fictional female characters with depth. The final group comprises 55 filmic wonder women who range from professionals to single mothers pursuing higher education and con artists. There are also warriors, divas, flirts and gals who love to kick up their heels.

In the last half of 2015, we compiled a master list of 250, then took another vote and whittled it down to a tidy 55. The list was announced in 2016 in a countdown revealed over several weeks. So many trailblazers and role models!

This countdown of the most fascinating, inspiring and singular fictional female characters who have appeared in movies as selected by the AWFJ membership. The project, AWFJ’s Wonder Women, commemorates the 10th anniversary of the organization’s founding.

Merin said the project’s title pays homage to Wonder Woman, the comic book heroine who debuted more than 70 years ago to offer young readers, then and now, a female character of substance. Like Wonder Woman, the characters on the AWFJ list are headstrong, loving, fierce, willful, confident,  good-hearted champions of justice, equality and peace, and they are not afraid to mix it up.

“The staying power of Wonder Woman is proof that audiences need and welcome robust female characters in popular culture. Since our beat is cinema, we decided it was time we remind the public and the movie industry about other ‘wonder women’ that audiences have embraced over the years,” said AWFJ member and project co-organizer Marilyn Ferdinand.

All of the characters on the Wonder Women list are annotated by AWFJ members Thelma Adams, Marina Antunes, Linda Barnard, Liz Braun, Anne Brodie, Carol Cling, Laura Emerick, Marilyn Ferdinand, Candice Frederick, Susan Granger, MaryAnn Johanson, Cate Marquis, Jennifer Merin, Nell Minow, Rebecca Murray, Betsy Pickle, Lynn Venhaus, Liz Whittemore and Susan Wloszczyna.

I was honored to participate, and wrote three of the blurbs — #47 – Jane Craig of “Broadcast News” (Holly Hunter), #35 – Alice Hyatt of “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore” (Ellen Burstyn) and #26 – Hermione Granger of the Harry Potter Series (Emma Watson).

Film Background

“Broadcast News” was released in a small number of theaters on Dec. 16, 1987, and went wide on Christmas Day. The romantic comedy-drama

Fun Facts: Journalist and news producer Susan Zinnsky was the role model for the character. Zinnsky served as an associate producer and technical advisor on the film.

Originally Debra Winger was supposed to play Jane, as she had worked with James L. Brooks in “Terms of Endearment,” but she found out she was pregnant (with son Noah Hutton), and was replaced by Holly Hunter.

“Broadcast News” Character Description (description credited to Wikipedia):
Jane Craig is a talented but intense news producer whose life revolves around her work. She is passionate about reporting, and abhors the trend towards soft news in news broadcasts. Her best friend and collaborator, Aaron Altman, is a gifted writer and reporter, but is lacking in many social skills. The two work in the Washington, D.C. bureau of a national TV network. The bureau hires Tom Grunick, a local news anchorman who started his career in sports. Tom is tall, handsome, likable, and telegenic, but lacks news experience and isn’t especially bright. He constantly seeks help from Jane to assist him with his reporting, who resents his lack of qualifications, but finds herself attracted to him. Tom is also attracted to Jane, but is intimidated by her skills and intensity.

This is what I wrote about Jane Craig for the AWFJ.org website:

47. JANE CRAIG from Broadcast News (1987)

Holly Hunter

Jane, Jane, Jane. We’ve all been there. After all, we have a pulse—and hormones. Broadcast News addressed the age-old heart vs. head dilemma in the battle of the sexes. A tiny dynamo, Jane is good—no great—at her job. She’s an intense, tightly wound network news producer in our nation’s capital, with fierce devotion to her career. As impeccable as she is about work, single-lady Jane is a neurotic hot mess socially. Against her better judgment, she falls for the new pretty-boy anchorman. He’s been hired to boost ratings as the news focus shifts to more entertainment razz-a-ma-tazz. Outspoken Jane despises the style-over-substance trend. She commiserates with her best friend, a real newsman who is secretly in love with her. Oh, it gets complicated. But Jane comes to her senses when, in good conscience. an ethical breach can’t be ignored She may have temporarily lost her head, intoxicated by romance, but a grounded workaholic like Jane had to wise up, see the light. Holly Hunter is luminous as Jane, and we can see her sharp mind at work. With a quick wit and verve to spare, Jane remains steadfast about what she stands for, no matter what it costs. Integrity never goes out of style, and Jane Craig is an enduring poster girl for it. —Lynn Venhaus

Awards Run and Film Accolades
“Broadcast News” was one of the top films of 1987 — placed on 67 major Top Ten Lists that year — and I reviewed it for the Belleville News-Democrat (not available at that time digitally). I will have to dig it up to see what I said then, but today, the film has had a lasting impact. After William Hurt died last week, many people cited it as their favorite movie of his. As a longtime journalist, the movie resonates so much about the news media.

Although it did not win an Oscar for any of its seven nominations, it was second behind eventual winner “The Last Emperor,” which won all nine of its nominations), and recognized as a nominee for Best Picture, James L. Brooks for original screenplay, and three acting nods for Hunter, Hurt and Albert Brooks, as well as editing and cinematography. Hunter won Best Actress from both the New York Film Critics and the Los Angeles Film Critics. (Besides “The Last Emperor for film and Oscars that year went to Michael Douglas for “Wall Street,” Cher for “Moonstruck” and Sean Connery for “The Untouchables.”)

While hurt had already won an Oscar and Hunter would win for “The Piano” several years later, Brooks has not — but that performance as the heavy-sweating Aaron is one of his finest, and had not Sean Connery won for “The Untouchables,” I have a feeling Brooks would be an Oscar winner today.

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a 98% rating from 52 critics. The site’s consensus states: “Blockbuster dramatist James L. Brooks delivers with Broadcast News, fully entertaining with deft, deep characterization.”

On Metacritic, the film has an 84 average, based on 16 reviews, indicating “universal acclaim.”

Just a good solid movie that holds up in repeat viewings.

In his review in the Chicago Reader, Jonathan Rosenbaum wrote about Hunter’s performance: “something of a revelation: her short, feisty, socially gauche, aggressive-compulsive character may be the most intricately layered portrait of a career woman that contemporary Hollywood has given us”.

AWFJ Total List
https://awfj.org/awfjs-top-100-films-list-2007/awfjs-top-100-films-list/awfj-wonder-women-55-best-fictional-female-characters/

http://awfj.org/blog/2016/07/31/awfj-wonder-women-countdown-55-through-44/
:Numbers 55-44 as voted by the AWFJ membership are Olivia Evans from “Boyhood,” Elle Reid from “Grandma,” Katniss Everdeen from “The Hunger Games” series, Mammy from “Gone with the Wind,” Jean Harrington/Lady Eve Sidwich from “The Lady Eve,” Laine Hanson from “The Contender,” Ada McGrath from “The Piano,” Tess McGill from “Working Girl,” Jane Craig from “Broadcast News,” Lucy Honeychurch from “A Room with a View,” Sally Bowles from “I Am a Camera/Cabaret” and The Bride from “Kill Bill: Vols. 1 & 2.”

AWFJ Wonder Women Countdown – Characters 43 through 34

AWFJ WONDER WOMEN: 55 Best Fictional Female Characters

Alliance of Women Film Journalists Partners with Kino Lorber to Present Female-Focused Series

Alliance of Women Film Journalists Partners with Kino Lorber to Present Female-Focused Series

The Alliance of Women Film Journalists (AWFJ) has announced the debut of a partnership with Kino Lorber to present a film series curated by a number of esteemed female film journalists and critics under the new “AWFJ Presents” banner on Kino Lorber’s digital platform KinoMarquee. Selected by a curatorial team of AWFJ members from Kino Lorber’s vast catalog of hundreds of important titles, the inaugural selections include six exceptionally entertaining and relevant films by women directors.
 
Each film on the AWFJ Presents slate will be available for rent on the KinoMarquee streaming platform under the AWFJ Presents banner. In addition, a pre-recorded, 20-minute discussion of each film by members of AWFJ’s curatorial team can be found on AWFJ’s YouTube channel. The revenue from the sale of every series pass will be shared with the AWJF, supporting the important work that they do.  
 
Jennifer Merin, AWFJ president, said, “The alliance is very proud to partner with Kino Lorber for our inaugural ‘AWFJ Presents’ series to highlight some truly outstanding films by some of the world’s finest women directors. The films tell stories that are true to women’s experiences and represent women’s perspectives, but have universal appeal. We are also beyond appreciative of their enthusiasm and generosity regarding this partnership.”
 
Kino Lorber SVP Wendy Lidell, added, “It is as important to increase the number and presence of female film critics as it is to increase the presence of women filmmakers – in fact the two go hand in hand.  Which is why we are especially gratified to be partnering with AWJF on this initiative to present just a sampling of our deep catalog of great films by women.”  
 
The international slate of films covers a variety of genres—comedy, horror, drama, contemporary, period. They are all finely crafted, original, and entertaining. And, they created passionate debate among the curators who chose them from the 161 female-helmed films in Kino Lorber’s catalog.

Between the Lines

WFJ Presents inaugural selections

Ana Lily Amirpour’s A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014)
Julie Dash’s Daughters of the Dust (1991)
Deniz Gamze Ergüven’s Mustang (2015)
Diane Kurys’ Peppermint Soda (1977)
Caroline Link’s Nowhere in Africa (2001)
Joan Micklin Silver’s Between the Lines (1977) 

The “AWFJ Presents” curators are an international consortium of well-respected film critics: Ulkar Alakbarova, Margaret Barton-Fumo, Betsy Bozdech, Sandie Angulo Chen, Leslie Combemale, Marilyn Ferdinand, Pam Grady, Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, Jennifer Merin, Kristen Page-Kirby, Jeanne Prisyazhnaya, and Susan Wloszczyna.
 
The cost to stream films individually is $8, or viewers can buy a pass to the whole series for $30. Contact awfjinc@gmail for more information.
 
About AWFJ
The Alliance of Women Film Journalists, Inc. (AWFJ) in a not-for-profit charitable organization found in New York State in 2006 whose purpose is to amplify the voices of women critics, provide a platform for the expression of women’s perspectives on film, and support work by and about women—both in front of and behind the cameras—through intragroup promotional activities, outreach programs and presentation of EDA Awards at year’s end and at film festivals throughout the year. AWFJ publishes an average of 22 reviews, interviews and news items weekly, including our Movie of the Week feature, and distributes two weekly eNewsletters, in addition to keeping an active and interactive record of fiction feature and documentary films by and/or about women, and/or of particular interest to women because they focus on women’s issues. Articles, eNewsletter subscription sign ups and lists are made available to the general public on our website (awfj.org).
 
About Kino Lorber
With a library of over 4,000 titles, Kino Lorber Inc. has been a leader in independent art house distribution for 35 years, releasing 30 films per year theatrically under its Kino Lorber, Kino Repertory and Alive Mind Cinema banners, garnering seven Academy Award® nominations in nine years. In addition, the company brings over 350 titles yearly to the home entertainment and educational markets through physical and digital media releases. With an expanding family of distributed labels, Kino Lorber handles releases in ancillary media for Zeitgeist Films, Cohen Media Group, Greenwich Entertainment, Artsploitation, Palisades Tartan, Menemsha Films, Raro Video, and others, placing physical titles through all wholesale, retail, and direct to consumer channels, as well as direct digital distribution through over 40 OTT services including all major TVOD and SVOD platforms. In 2019, the company launched its new art house digital channel Kino Now which features over 1000 titles from the acclaimed Kino Lorber library. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Kino Marquee initiative was launched in 2020 pioneering “virtual theatrical” releases of art house films with revenue shares that allows audiences to support almost 400 local independent theaters.

Cover photo of “Peppermint Soda”

Note: Lynn Venhaus, St. Louis-based film critic and professional writer-editor, is a member of the Alliance of Women Film Journalists. She is the founder of PopLifeSTL.com, in addition to writing reviews for Webster-Kirkwood Times and reviewing movies for KTRS Radio.