Women in Film CEO Kirsten Schaffer Urges the Need to ‘Double Down on our Efforts for Inclusion’

The 18th annual Women in Film Oscars party celebrated the achievements of the 65 women nominated at the 97th annual awards.

The organization, Women in Film, has been advocating for gender equality since 1962 and has provided support during the #MeToo movement, COVID, the unions strikes, and more recently, the devastating wildfires.

This year, WIF CEO Kirsten Schaffer told the audience, which included Cynthia Erivo, Monica Barbaro, Diane Warren, “Dune 2” producer Tanya LaPointe and more, “Our industry has taken a beating in the past four years, and that combined with what’s happening to women, to transgender people, to immigrants, to queer people and people of color across this country, means that we need this community more than ever. We need to double down on our efforts for inclusion as a community and not let up.”

The event was held Friday night at the Wheelhouse in West Hollywood. Among the other nominated attendees were “The Substance” director Coralie Fargeat, Erivo, Barbaro, “Gladiator 2” costume designer Janty Yates, “Sugarcane” director Emily Kassie, Diane Warren and more.

Schaffer continued, “Community is the heart of this organization. It’s people working together to change perception, change business practices and culture. Our mission is gender equality, but in order to achieve that, people need to feel safe, physically, emotionally and financially.”

Schaffer was one of the thousands impacted by the wildfires and said she was one of the 11,500 people who had lost their family home. She reminded the crowd that WIF had been partners with the Entertainment Community Fund and said, “I know many of you have already given to countless gofundmes, to the Red Cross to firefighters, but this is not over. The recovery process will take many years and many hands. Please make a donation tonight to the entertainment community fund.”

In closing, Schaffer celebrated the women and called on them to “strengthen our bonds. If there ever was a room or a backyard of people who have the tenacity, the courage and the creativity to imagine our way out of this dark time, it is this room.”

After, she called on the Oscar-nominated women to come to the stage and introduce themselves one by one before a group photo was taken.