Kering and the Festival de Cannes to present the 2024 Women In Motion Award to renowned Studio Chief and trailblazer Dame Donna Langley

In presenting the Women In Motion Award to Langley, Kering and the Festival de Cannes wish to celebrate a lifelong career committed to steadfast leadership and the fostering of a more inclusive industry that has helped shape diversity both in front and behind the camera.

A singular force in the business, Langley has gained global recognition through her remarkable career supporting the creation of films that capture the cultural zeitgeist and provide a platform for women and diverse voices globally. For nearly two decades, she has worked with both acclaimed and emerging talent championing storytelling reflective of the world around her. In the process, she has been part of the vanguard of change in Hollywood, challenging the status quo and proving that inclusive casting, hiring and storytelling is smart business.

Langley’s strategic leadership has also led to new distribution models that have carved a path for more films to be seen and accessed worldwide. 

But her impact extends far beyond the boardroom and even her own business sector. A passionate advocate for the empowerment and inclusion of women, she is an Ambassador for Vital Voices and has served on the organization’s Board of Directors since 2013. She is also a key founder of The Hollywood Reporter’s Women in Film Mentorship program.

A native of the United Kingdom, she is the first British female to run a major Hollywood studio and was awarded a Dame Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the Queen’s 2020 New Year’s Honour List. The honor recognizes Langley’s many accomplishments in redefining popular culture and her efforts to expand networks and opportunities for women and people of color in the entertainment industry.

Since its launch during the Festival de Cannes in 2015, Women In Motion has been rewarding and highlighting the creativity and unique contribution made by women in culture and the arts whose work helps to transform our vision of the world. The Women In Motion Award has recognized the careers and commitment of Jane Fonda in 2015, Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon in 2016, Isabelle Huppert in 2017, Patty Jenkins in 2018, Gong Li in 2019, Salma Hayek in 2021, Viola Davis in 2022, and Michelle Yeoh in 2023.

“Receiving the Women In Motion Award is an immense honor, and to be recognized amongst such remarkable recipients is a testament to the work Kering, the Festival de Cannes and our industry peers do to propel women forward, amplify their voices, create opportunities, and push boundaries.” 
Donna Langley, DBE

“It is an honor to be presenting the 2024 Women In Motion Award to Donna Langley, recognizing her both as one of Hollywood's most influential leaders, and as someone who has dedicated herself to demonstrating on and off-screen that gender equality and diversity are absolutely essential. It highlights the collective effort of people working behind the scenes, tirelessly confronting and knocking down gender barriers and racial prejudice.”

François-Henri Pinault, Chairman and CEO of Kering

“Donna Langley's brilliant career and commitment to a better representation of women in all their diversity make her a natural choice for this award, which holds very significant meaning for the Festival de Cannes and for Kering. We are delighted to celebrate her and the evolutions she embodies in the seventh art. A change that we will continue to support through Women In Motion.”
Iris Knobloch, President of the Festival de Cannes

“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to honor Donna Langley’s leadership and unwavering commitment to challenging the status quo, paving the way for women in this industry and beyond. We are proud to recognize the importance of the tireless work of women behind the scenes to shape a more equal, inclusive and therefore creative cinema.”
Thierry Frémaux, General Delegate of the Festival de Cannes

About Donna Langley, DBE

British native Donna Langley, DBE, built her career in the United States as a production executive at New Line Cinema before joining Universal in 2001 as Senior Vice-President of Production and has since held several leadership positions at the Studio. Following her most recent elevation, as Chairman of NBCUniversal Studio Group and Chief Content Officer, she manages a unified content strategy across the broader portfolio, bringing together the organization’s Film and Television Studios. Langley oversees NBCUniversal’s suite of creative teams including Universal Filmed Entertainment Group (Universal Pictures, Focus Features, DreamWorks Animation) and Universal Studio Group (Universal Television, Universal Content Productions, Universal Television Alternative Studios, Universal International Studios). In this expanded role, Langley continues to leverage her longstanding relationships with singular creatives to unlock a seamless cross-portfolio creative strategy including programming, distribution and marketing.

Langley is a voting member of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and the Television Academy. She serves on the Board of Trustees for the American Film Institute, the Motion Picture Association, the SAG-AFTRA Foundation’s Entertainment Industry Council, and Chairs USC’s School of Cinematic Arts Board of Councilors.

About Women In Motion 

Kering's commitment to women is at the heart of the Group's priorities and extends, through Women In Motion, to the field of arts and culture, where gender inequalities are still glaring, even though creation is one of the most powerful vectors for change.
In 2015, Kering launched Women In Motion at the Festival de Cannes with the ambition of highlighting women in cinema, both in front of and behind the camera. The program has since expanded in a major way to photography, but also to art, design, choreography, and music. Through its Awards, the program recognizes inspirational figures and emerging female talent, while its Talks and Podcasts provide an opportunity for leading personalities to share their views on the representation of women in their profession.
Since it was created, Women In Motion has become a platform of choice that contributes to changing mind sets and thinking on the place of women - and the recognition they receive - in the arts and culture.

About Kering

A global Luxury group, Kering manages the development of a series of renowned Houses in Fashion, Leather Goods and Jewelry: Gucci, Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta, Balenciaga, Alexander McQueen, Brioni, Boucheron, Pomellato, DoDo, Qeelin and Ginori 1735, as well as Kering Eyewear and Kering Beauté. By placing creativity at the heart of its strategy, Kering enables its Houses to set new limits in terms of their creative expression while crafting tomorrow’s Luxury in a sustainable and responsible way. We capture these beliefs in our signature: “Empowering Imagination”.

For more information

Please visit the Women In Motion press section on kering.com
 

Press Contacts 
Kering 
Emilie Gargatte | +33 (0)1 45 64 61 20 | emilie.gargatte@kering.com
Emma Roquier | +33 (0)6 78 04 06 62 | emma.roquier@kering.com

image copyright : courtesy of NBCUniversal