WE BEGIN
In 1993, when Women's Image Network launched its first WIN Awards show we did not imagine this show would grow to today's current size. We're so pleased men and women collaborate to create more and more powerful and dimensional female media images.
Originally we honored invited deserving individuals who supported women in the film business. Today we celebrate and promote work created by men and women that is submitted to be judged in 15 film and teleivision categories by the WIN jury members.
WIN held its first awards ceremony honoring Tichi Wilkerson Kassel with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Tichi was the first female publisher of The Hollywood Reporter and co-founder of Women In Film. Her friend Charles Champlin (a former Los Angeles Times arts editor and film critic) presented her award.
Legendary film producer Laura Ziskin, (Spider-Man) (who also founded Stand Up to Cancer before she succumbed to the disease at age 61), was honored that same year. Laura's former boss, producer Jon Peters presented her with our inaugural
Woman of The Year tribute.
Tichi Wilkerson
1926-2004
Laura Ziskin
1950-2011
WIN Symposium and Awards Ceremony Set
The Women's Image Network (WIN), a nonprofit organization promoting positive and realistic portrayals of women in the entertainment medium, will honor former Hollywood Reporter publisher Tichi Wilkerson Kassel and producer Laura Ziskin
at an awards ceremony and symposium to be held from
noon to 3 p.m. on Saturday at the Bel Age Hotel in West Hollywood.
The symposium will address the topic "Recasting Women: Seeking Solutions to the Current One-Dimensional Representation of Women in Films and Television."Former Times arts editor and film critic Charles Champlin will present the award to Kassel, and producer Jon Peters will present Ziskin with her award.
INAUGURAL LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT RECIPIENT
Tichi Wilkerson Kassel was our first WIN honoree and distinguished herself with continued devotion and service to the entertainment industry.f
Tichi founded Women In Film and as industry feminist pioneer she served as publisher emeritus of The Hollywood Reporter.
Tichi also founded The World Film Institute, formerlyThe Hollywood Reporter Industries Foundation.
On founding Women In Film, Tichi’s goal was to aid women in the entertainment business by increasing their visibility, helping them to network with their peers, and unifying professional women in the industry. Benefits from her original concept are still enjoyed today by tens of thousands of creative women.
In 1997, Ziskin executive produced the film, As Good as It Gets, which garnered seven Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and three acting nominations for its stars, Jack Nicholson and Helen Hunt, who both won acting Oscars. Ziskin was appointed president of Fox 2000, an indie film division of 20th Century Foxwhere she released Edward Zwick's Gulf War drama, Courage Under Fire, One Fine Day , Inventing the Abbotts and Volcano. Also Ziskin and Tom Rothman developed The English Patient before studio head Bill Mechanic returned film rights to director Anthony Minghella. In 2002, Ziskin served as the Academy of Motion Pictures' Oscar telecast producer, (as its first sold female producer). In 2002, Ziskin produced Spider Man, which became the year's highest grossing film. The success of the film led to two sequels, Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man 3. In 2002, Ziskin was also awarded the Crystal Award by Women in Film for her efforts at expanding the role of women in the entertainment industry. Ziskin married writer Julian Barry, with whom she raised his three children and their daughter, Julia Barry. In 2010, Ziskin married writer Alvin Sargent her longtime companion.In 2011, Ziskin died of breast cancer at age 61. Ziskin's final films were The Amazing Spider-Man and Lee Daniels' The Butler. Although Ziskin died a few months after filming wrapped on The Amazing Spider-Manand three weeks before filming commenced on Lee Daniels' The Butler, Ziskin was also nominated for The WIN Awards 2013 in its Film Produced By A Woman category.
INAUGURAL WOMAN OF THE YEAR HONOREE
In 1976, Hollywood film producer/director, Ziskin started her life in the film business working as a personal assistant for Jon Peters. In 1984, Ziskin formed Fogwood Films with partner Sally Field to produce Murphy's Romance. As an independent producer, Ziskin produced the thriller No Way Out forOrion Pictures. In 1988, Ziskin and partner Ian Sander produced two films featuring Dennis Quaid, a remake of D.O.A. and Taylor Hackforad's Everybody's All-American.
In 1990, Ziskin's success came with the mega-hit film Pretty Woman, starring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere, which Ziskin executive produced for Touchstone Pictures. Her next film What About Bob?, Ziskin starred Bill Murray followed by The Doctor. In 1992, for Columbia Ziskin collaborated with Stephen Frears' Hero, (a loose remake ofMeet John Doe), both producing and supplying its story. In 1994, Ziskin directed her first short film in 1994, Oh, What a Day! 1914 and produced the Nicole Kidman tour-de-force To Die For in 1995, under the banner of Laura Ziskin Productions.