Kering and the Festival de Cannes will present the 2018 Women in Motion Award to filmmaker Patty Jenkins

As part of the 71st Festival International du Film de Cannes to be held from May 8 to 19, 2018, Women in Motion will acknowledge Patty Jenkins’ career and the important role she has played in changing attitudes. Kering, the official partner, and the Cannes Film Festival de Cannes will present her with this Award at the official Women in Motion Dinner to be held on Sunday, May 13, 2018.

Patty Jenkins is a writer and director, best known for directing Warner Bros. Wonder Woman, her debut Oscar-winning feature Monster and helming the pilot and finale episode of AMC’s The Killing. She began her career in painting after studying at Cooper Union. While there, she crossed over to filmmaking and went on to work as a cameraperson on commercials and music videos for 9 years before attending the AFI Los Angeles. After graduating, Jenkins wrote and directed Monster, for which she garnered numerous awards and nominations. She also received multiple Emmy nominations and won the DGA award for best dramatic directing, for her work in television.

In 2017, Jenkins’ Wonder Woman was the highest grossing film of the summer, 3rd highest of the year, broke the record for Biggest Grossing Live-Action Film Directed by a Woman – in the US and worldwide – and became the first woman in history to helm a film with a budget over 100 million dollars. The film simultaneously smashed box office records and received critical acclaim, currently ranked at the highest rated Superhero movie of all time on Rotten Tomatoes. Coming off the success of the first installment, she signed on to direct the Wonder Woman sequel, which is currently in pre-production. Additionally, she recently wrapped production on her TNT, six-episode, limited drama One Day She’ll Darken, on which she directs and serves as executive producer.

On the occasion of the 4th Cannes edition of Women in Motion, Patty Jenkins, whose work has enabled significant progress to be made in the fight for gender equality, will receive her prize on May 13 from François-Henri Pinault, President and CEO of Kering, Pierre Lescure, President of the Festival de Cannes, and Thierry Frémaux, General Delegate of the Festival de Cannes.

"The past year has represented in many ways a turning point in the fight for gender equality. As an acknowledgement of her talent and the changes she herself has brought about, as much in the film industry as in the performances, we have chosen to award the 4th Women in Motion Award to filmmaker Patty Jenkins. A true source of inspiration for new generations of women in cinema, she has shown them that anything is possible. And because with Wonder Woman she has shaped such a true superhero, she has enabled the young generations to imagine a world that can be saved by women and no longer only by men.”
François-Henri Pinault

"I am very moved that Kering and the Festival de Cannes have awarded me the Women in Motion Award, which has been championing women in the cinema world for some years now. Awareness has undeniably reached the general public this year and it is essential that strong women characters continue to be given their role on the big screen, by women as well as by men, and receive equal pay and the same conditions as men. The moment has finally come when I no longer have to be a woman who makes a film about a woman, where I can just be a filmmaker making a movie about a superhero. I wish it was no longer an exception or an achievement."
Patty Jenkins

"More than ever, I am proud that the Festival de Cannes welcomes Women in Motion, renewing our support for women in cinema. The defense of this cause is for us of crucial importance and is quite naturally in line with the commitments made by the Festival. Over the past four years, Women in Motion has allowed many personalities from the film industry to speak about the under-representation of women and the solutions that could be considered to combat it. We are pleased that more voices will be heard during this new edition."
Pierre Lescure

"The many women who have spoken out this year is a new step in the direction for the awareness of the lack of parity in our industry. Women in Motion has been leading this debate for four years now, and we are proud to be associated with it. We are aware of the role that the Festival can play in changing mentalities, and it is fundamental for us to take concrete action, such as this commitment alongside Kering."
Thierry Frémaux

In previous editions of the program Jane Fonda, Geena Davis, Susan Sarandon and Isabelle Huppert received the Women in Motion Award.
The Young Talent Prize, with its financial support of € 50,000, was awarded to Maysaloun Hamoud in 2017. The Syrian film director Gaya Jiji, who was one of the three filmmakers who received this Award in 2016, has been selected this year for Un Certain Regard at the Festival de Cannes with her film My Favorite Fabric. The name of the winner of the 2018 Young Talent Award and its financial support will be announced shortly.

Throughout the Festival de Cannes, Women in Motion Talks will be once again held in the presence of the media and film professionals, allowing many personalities to share their experiences, their points of view and their opinions on the subject of the representation of women in cinema.

 

About Women in Motion, a Kering initiative
Women in Motion's ambition is to highlight the contribution of women to the film industry, both in front of and behind the camera. Launched in May 2015 by Kering in partnership with the Festival de Cannes, Women in Motion is an integral part of the Festival's official program, and is active around the world through a variety of events. This initiative is based on two fundamental actions: its Talks, which are open to journalists and film professionals, enable leading personalities including Jodie Foster, Diane Kruger, Robin Wright, Salma Hayek Pinault, Juliette Binoche, Chloe Sevigny, Agnès Varda and Frances McDormand, to compare their experiences and views on the issue of women's contribution to cinema, and also to share their recommendations for the advancement of women’s representation in the industry. The Women in Motion Awards, two awards given each year, one to an inspirational figure who embodies the values of the program, and another to a promising name in cinema who also receives financial support for future film projects.

About Kering
A global Luxury group, Kering manages the development of a series of renowned Maisons in Fashion, Leather Goods, Jewelry and Watchmaking: Gucci, Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta, Balenciaga, Alexander McQueen, Brioni, Christopher Kane, Tomas Maier, Boucheron, Pomellato, Dodo, Qeelin, Ulysse Nardin, Girard-Perregaux, as well as Kering Eyewear. By placing creativity at the heart of its strategy, Kering enables its Maisons 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.” In 2017, Kering had nearly 29,000 employees and pro forma revenue of €10.823 billion.

More information
High resolution photographs and videos available and doiwnlodable
on the Women in Motion press platform

Follow the official hashtags
#WomenInMotion #Cannes2018 #Kering #KeringxCannes

Press contacts
Emilie Gargatte
+33 (0)1 45 64 61 20 / emilie.gargatte@kering.com
Astrid Wernert
+33 (0)1 45 64 61 57 / astrid.wernert@kering.com

For the 2018 edition of the Festival de Cannes
Laurent Boyé, Americas and UK Press Relations
+1 310 220 72 39 / laurent@jazopr.com
Zeina Toutounji, France and Middle East Press Relations
+33 6 22 30 12 96 / zeina.toutounji@gmail.com