Canada women have arrived!
Who knew that there were enough female entertainment superstars to fill up an entire banquet room at Toronto’s glamorous Ritz Carlton Hotel? Indeed, the Ritz Carlton was alive with energy on May 29th for the second annual Hollywood Reporter Women in Entertainment Canada (WIE) event. Women from every corner of the industry gathered to share stories, celebrate victories, and lift each other up in a vibrant, encouraging atmosphere. Watching the participants circulate, whether long established or young mentees, I could feel the joy in the air. There were directors, producers, musicians, actors, writers, advocates and representatives of all the roles needed to sustain this industry.
The first part of the event was a Summit that included: panels, interviews, entertainment, and delicious food. Fashionista, Jeanne Beker, spoke about her life and autographed copies of her new book: Heart on My Sleeve: Stories from a Life Well Worn. A true pioneer, Beker became a globally recognized figure through her work on City TV’s Fashion Television from 1985 to 2012. At 72, she is still going strong and was rocking heels and a fashionable outfit from morning till night. She sat down to be interviewed with another fashion icon, Suzanne Boyd, editor in Chief of Zoomer Magazine and former editor of Flare. Her message both then and as she accepted her Impact Award in the evening was one of resilience, reinvention and passion.
Hosts Lainey Lui and Traci Melchor, of Etalk fame, kept things rolling with announcements and introductions throughout the day. Panels of women from different entertainment fields shared their experiences of having to fight their way into what was once a completely male dominated industry. These were no holds barred discussions on tenacity and the drive to create.
A break for a fun popcorn and candy bar, sponsored by Paramount + kept our energy up while celebrities were interviewed by media on the Gold Carpet.
The Tribute Awards ceremony was fast paced and even the presenters were funny and inspiring! The Gala was broken up with singing performances (I learned the song Pink Pony Club!) and was followed up with gourmet food stations and fun foodie giveaways. (Champagne and white chocolate popcorn, anyone?).
The first award of the night, The Breakthrough Award, was presented to the dynamic Amrit Kaur, up and coming star from shows like The Sex Life of College Girls and the Canadian film, Queen of my Dreams.
The industry has changed a lot but apparently there are still glass ceilings that need to be broken, as shown by Christina Jennings winning the Glass Ceiling Award. As the owner of Shaftesbury productions, this producer has played a pivotal role in the promotion of women, especially nurturing of emerging talent.
Tantoo Cardinal was presented with the Equity Award. This distinguished actress, has been acting and mentoring for 50-years and her career has been marked by performances in many significant films including Dances with Wolves, Killers of the Flower Moon, and Legends of the Fall, Cardinal is of Cree and Métis heritage, and is known for her contributions to the growth and development of Aboriginal performing arts in Canada.
The highlight of the entire experience was having the opportunity to hear the great Margaret Atwood speak, when she won the well-deserved Icon Award. At 85 years old, she has had a prolific career starting with her first novel The Edible Woman which was published in 1969 and going on to publish dozens of books, many of which look at dystopias. She became famous worldwide after writing The Handmaids’ Tale, which has been turned into the Emmy winning series of the same name. Said Atwood: “It was a gamble. And the gamble paid off. Anybody approaching me earlier who said we wanted to make a film about The Handmaid’s Tale, I would have said, ‘Who’s going to watch that?
Atwood’s speech helped end the event on a high note as she stays committed to standing firm for the values of truth and equality. Her book, although written 40 years ago, still resonates today as power hungry individuals strive to control others. Atwood’s intelligence, dry sense of humour and commitment to her craft were obvious throughout her address. At the Gold Carpet, prior to the Awards presentation, I had the opportunity to share a few words with Atwood and let her know that I was a lifelong fan. She was very composed amongst the intense energy of the space that was filled with reporters and influencers. When asked about how she felt about the series that was made from her book, she replied: “I am pleased with how the material has been handled”. This is an understatement as the show based on her novel has won 15 Primetime Emmys.
500 participants took part in this sold out event and were inspired by trailblazing women in film, TV, and music, who discussed breaking into a once-male-dominated space — and tackling glass ceilings head-on. Looking back, some of the key takeaways from the WIE Summit and Gala are the importance of mentorship, the impact of female leadership and the recognition that Canada entertainment industry is flourishing. The final message for me is that although women have accomplished a lot there is still so much to do… a new generation to inspire. As Margaret Atwood often quips: “Writer’s don’t retire…”