Bay Area Women In Film Television Endorsed by General Motors: Alliance Set to Showcase at 49th Annual San Francisco International Film Festival
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Bay Area Women In Film & Television Endorsed by General Motors: Alliance Set to Showcase at 49th Annual San Francisco International Film Festival
Bay Area Women In Film & Television (BAWIFT) announces its association with the national Women In Film/General Motors Alliance. The WIF/GM Alliance enables BAWIFT to provide added support for educational seminars, lecture series, PSAs, film festivals and mentorship and scholarship programs. A $1,500 scholarship supporting future filmmakers and encouraging excellence in the field of motion picture education will be awarded in the next year.
SAN FRANCISCO — Bay Area Women In Film & Television (BAWIFT) announces its association with the national Women In Film/General Motors Alliance, which was jointly proclaimed by Women In Film (WIF) and General Motors Corporation (GM) in 2005. This new alliance gives BAWIFT a tremendous boost in launching its regional outreach efforts to establish a firm presence within the Bay Area filmmaking community and beyond.
The WIF/GM Alliance enables BAWIFT to provide added support for educational seminars, lecture series, PSAs, film festivals and mentorship and scholarship programs. A $1,500 scholarship supporting future filmmakers and encouraging excellence in the field of motion picture education will be awarded in the next year.
“We’re thrilled to be part of the WIF/GM Alliance during such an exciting time of growth and creativity for BAWIFT,” said Justine Jacob, president of BAWIFT. “The new alliance enhances our ability to more effectively achieve the organization’s goals of connecting, supporting and inspiring filmmakers, especially women in the Bay Area.”
“Women influence and impact the success of the automotive industry, which – just like the film industry – is all about developing products and services that break through the cluttered competitive landscape and appeal to a diverse audience,” said Steve Tihanyi, GM’s general
director, marketing alliances & promotions. “Women In Film is an outstanding organization that we are proud to be associated with and we look forward to this new relationship with the BAWIFT chapter.”
The alliance will be initially showcased by BAWIFT’s participation in the upcoming 49th Annual San Francisco International Film Festival, April 20 – May 4, which presents nearly 200 films from over 50 countries and reaches tens of thousands of film lovers, filmmakers, industry representatives and journalists. The WIF/GM Alliance and BAWIFT will co-sponsor this year’s ZOOM! Screening and After Hours Party on May 2. These are key festival events which offer a unique forum for the local filmmaking community to network with visiting filmmakers, VIPs and guests from around the world.
“BAWIFT is proud to support the San Francisco International Film Festival,” Jacob said. “It’s a great opportunity to align ourselves with the San Francisco Film Society, an invaluable benefit for our membership and the perfect way to showcase all that BAWIFT has to offer film and media makers.”
GM is a long-time contributor to both women’s initiatives and to the arts and culture. GM and the GM Foundation support a variety of arts and cultural institutions that promote appreciation of the arts, recognition of diverse cultures and awareness of arts in education programs.
Bay Area Women In Film and Television (BAWIFT) brings together a vibrant community of women media makers throughout northern California to inspire creative collaboration, networking opportunities, and professional development. Evolving from a grassroots group called Cinema Chicks, BAWIFT launched in May 2003 as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization and chapter of Women in Film and Television International network (WIFTI).For more information on BAWIFT, visit www.bawift.org.
The Women In Film/General Motors Alliance was created to support women in the entertainment industry and to expand Women In Film chapter programs across the country. The initiative was announced in Los Angeles in January 2005 and is supporting programs as diverse as a Film Finishing Fund, a Women’s Film Preservation Fund, a Legacy Series, PSAs, scholarships, mentorships and local WIF chapter award and membership events. For more information about the WIF/GM Alliance and WIF/GM initiatives, visit www.women-in-film.org.
Founded in 1973 in Los Angeles, Women In Film (www.wif.org) is the leading non-profit organization dedicated to women in the global entertainment industry. Its purpose is to empower, promote, nurture and mentor women in the industry through a network of valuable contacts, events, programs, workshops, finishing funds and scholarships. In the U.S., there are chapters in Arizona, California (3), Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas (2), Washington and Washington, D.C. The international network, Women In Film and Television International (www.wifti.org), of which WIF-Los Angeles is a founding member, boasts 35 chapters on six continents. Member chapters range from developing nations to countries with established industries, including the U.S., Australia, Canada, France, India, Ireland, Jamaica, Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa and the United Kingdom, to name a few.
General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), the world’s largest automaker, has been the global industry sales leader for 75 years. Founded in 1908, GM today employs about 327,000 people around the world. With global headquarters in Detroit, GM manufactures its cars and trucks in 33 countries. In 2005, 9.17 million GM cars and trucks were sold globally under the following brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, GM Daewoo, Holden, HUMMER, Opel, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn and Vauxhall. GM operates one of the world’s leading finance companies, GMAC Financial Services, which offers automotive, residential and commercial financing and insurance. GM’s OnStar subsidiary is the industry leader in vehicle safety, security and information services. More information on GM can be found at www.gm.com.
Contacts:
Liz Nord
BAWIFT, PR - 415.377.7274
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Vicki Greenleaf – 323.660.5800
WIF/GM Alliance
Greenleaf & Associates
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Ryndee Carney
General Motors Corporation – 313.667.7627
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