NYWIFT Blog

#Muse40for40: Lauren Bacall (1994)

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.”

PUBLISHED BY

Margarita Sophia Cortes

Margarita Sophia Cortes For more than 15 yrs, Margarita has worked on countless PR campaigns including independent feature films, documentaries, foreign language and arthouse indies, not to mention festivals and television, music, art and events. She currently serves on the board of directors for New York Women in Film & Television. See more at www.MSophiaPR.com

View all posts by Margarita Sophia Cortes

Comments are closed

Related Posts

Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Kaia Goudreau

Welcome to NYWIFT, Kaia Goudreau! Kaia Goudreau is a filmmaker and photographer based in Brooklyn, New York. She studied filmmaking and writing at Sarah Lawrence College, cultivating a focus on stories that explore life’s in-between moments—aging, change, and quiet rituals. Kaia is developing a short film slated for production later this year and collaborating with director Linda Yellen on features in development and casting. She has also contributed to creative projects in France and Ireland, expanding her visual lens. Whether narrative or documentary, her work lingers on subtle moments that reveal depth and character. In our interview, Kaia discusses her inspiration and background in filmmaking, as well as her exciting upcoming projects. 

READ MORE

Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Elliana Bertrand

Welcome to NYWIFT, Elliana Bertrand! Elliana is a New York–based producer, assistant director, and script supervisor working across film and television. A graduate of the inaugural cohort at NYU Tisch’s Martin Scorsese Virtual Production Center, she produced her thesis film The Feather, a Viking short shot exclusively on an LED volume. Over the past year, she has worked in the film unit at Saturday Night Live and contributed to a range of feature films and commercial projects, including a recent Netflix production. A dedicated moviegoer and advocate for the theatrical experience, Elliana has a particular love for Giallo cinema. Alongside her work in the industry, she is completing her Pilates teacher certification, bringing a refined understanding of movement, rhythm, and choreography into her approach to flow and precision on set. In our interview, she discussed her journey into assistant directing, the lessons she’s learned working in production, and the projects she hopes to explore in the future.

READ MORE

Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Naomi Pemberton

Welcome to NYWIFT, Naomi Pemberton! Naomi is a Bronx-born healthcare leader and storyteller whose work centers on resilience, faith, and the lived experiences of women navigating complex systems and personal transformation. An Afro-Latina with Jamaican and Dominican heritage, Naomi brings more than 25 years of experience in healthcare administration into her creative work, drawing on real-world insight to shape powerful, socially conscious narratives. Her writing includes the Paradigms of Life trilogy, a series that explores sisterhood, identity, systemic challenges, and personal growth. Her books—including The Paradigms of Life: Sisterhood, Loss, and Unbreakable Bonds, Paradigms: The Experiment, and Life Paradigms: Work-Life Balance—follow women navigating betrayal, bias, ambition, and healing. Through her storytelling, Naomi blends emotional depth with broader social commentary, addressing issues such as workplace bias, faith, and the pursuit of balance in a demanding world. In addition to her writing, Naomi continues to mentor, lead, and inspire through her professional and community work. A dedicated advocate for underserved communities, she has held senior roles across healthcare systems and nonprofit organizations focused on health equity and community engagement, and serves on Bronx Community Board 11. Across healthcare, literature, and media, her mission remains the same: to create impact, amplify voices, and inspire the next generation of leaders and storytellers. In our interview, she reflects on her journey as a healthcare leader and author, the inspiration behind her book trilogy, and how storytelling can be a powerful tool for advocacy.

READ MORE

Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Simone Butler

Welcome to NYWIFT, Simone Butler! Simone Butler is a New York–based actor and producer originally from California’s Bay Area, and a graduate of the College of Santa Fe and Royal Holloway University of London. She appeared as a recurring day player on the long-running daytime drama All My Children and has worked across mainstream and independent film, with her work screening at festivals including the LA Film Festival, Queens Film Festival, and Coney Island Film Festival. Simone trained with renowned acting coach Larry Moss and studied improv at The Groundlings and Upright Citizens Brigade. As the creator, co-producer, and co-star of the web series Below the Line, alongside writer-producer and fellow NYWIFT Member Erika Yeomans, Simone continues to develop bold, original stories that center complex characters and collaborative storytelling.

READ MORE
JOIN OUR NEWSLETTER
css.php