We’re counting down the 40 days to NYWIFT’s 40th Anniversary Muse Awards with a look at some of our favorite honorees, all women of vision and achievement who have contributed to the film and television industry. Join us as we look back at #Muse40for40, and buy your tickets for the Muse Awards on Tuesday, December 10th at nywift.org/muse!
#34: Lauren Bacall
By Margarita Sophia Cortes
Lauren Bacall is legendary actress from the Golden Age of motion pictures with at least 35 films under her belt. She received a Golden Globe Award and Academy Award nomination for The Mirror Has Two Faces. Bacall garnered two Tony Awards for Broadway musicals Applause and Woman of the Year and received an Academy Honorary Award in 2009. Her fame started with the film To Have and Have Not where she and co-star Humphrey Bogart fell in love and eventually married, becoming the most popular Hollywood couple at the time. Despite their age difference, they were married for 12 years before Bacall became a widow. Lauren Bacall received a Kennedy Center Honors in 1997 and authored 3 books.
“I think your whole life shows in your face and you should be proud of that.”
Margarita Sophia Cortes
Related Posts
NYWIFT at Tribeca 2025: In Conversation with Carolyn Hepburn
Award-winning producer and NYWIFT member Carolyn Hepburn is making waves once again with the highly anticipated world premiere of Empire Skate at the 2025 Tribeca Festival. As part of the festival’s prestigious Spotlight Documentary section, the film captures the vibrant heart of New York City’s downtown skate culture — a world Hepburn remembers vividly and honors with deep authenticity. With a producing career that spans Emmy, Peabody, and Gotham award-winning projects, Hepburn continues to shape the documentary landscape with bold storytelling and emotional depth. In this exclusive NYWIFT interview, she reflects on her journey from Long Island to the global film stage, the power of community in filmmaking, and why Empire Skate feels like a personal love letter to the city that raised her.
READ MORENYWIFT at Tribeca 2025: In Conversation with Chantel Simpson
Congratulations are in order for multi-hyphenate filmmaker Chantel Simpson, whose compelling short film A Drastic Tale will make its world premiere at the 2025 Tribeca Festival. As a proud member of New York Women in Film & Television (NYWIFT), Simpson brings a unique perspective to the screen, having served as the director, producer, screenwriter, and editor of the film. Centered around the Drastic Auto Club — one of the oldest lowrider groups in New York City — A Drastic Tale offers a raw and moving exploration of brotherhood, identity, and the soul of car culture in the urban Northeast. In this exclusive interview, Simpson shares her journey, creative process, and hopes for how her story will resonate with audiences everywhere.
READ MORENYWIFT at Tribeca 2025: In Conversation with Veronica Reyes-How
Award-winning writer, actor, and producer Veronica Reyes-How is making a bold mark on the indie television landscape with the world premiere of her new episodic series, Mother, May I Have a Kidney?, at the 2025 Tribeca Festival. As a proud NYWIFT member and first-generation Filipino-American, Reyes-How brings heart, humor, and authenticity to her storytelling. Her latest project, which she created, wrote, and executive produced, explores themes of family estrangement, empathy, and kidney health through a unique dramedy lens. With a rich background that spans from tech consulting to national tours, hit TV appearances, and more, Veronica continues to champion diverse voices and underrepresented narratives in media.
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Anna Koukouli Born
Welcome to our new NYWIFT member, Anna Koukouli Born! Anna Koukouli Born is a bicoastal writer-director splitting her time between NY and LA. She explores women's stories, dysfunctional families, unbearable workplaces filled with Succession-like egos, social inequality, and climate-caused disasters set in the near future. Drawing from her Greek history and heritage, Anna loves allegorical cautionary tales about strong, tragic characters trying to overcome adversity. She’s also obsessed with women's rights and gender parity. Her humor is darker than yours. She bets on it. Anna studied Story Analysis and TV Development at UCLA Extension and holds a BA (Hons) Marketing and an MBA from the UK Universities of Lincoln and Liverpool, respectively. Anna talks about her journey into the film industry, her experiences working on various films, and how she overcomes challenges within these fields!
READ MORE
Comments are closed