2017
Video
Description
Nominated for a Hollywood Music in Media Award (HMMA) for Best Music Documentary, WOMEN WHO SCORE celebrates women composers changing the score in Hollywood.
In 2016, Out of the 250 highest grossing films in Hollywood, only 3% were composed by women. Despite winning 25 major awards including Oscars, Grammys Emmys, Golden Globes, and countless nominations, women composers have a long way to go. This short film documents the time-crushing rehearsal process running through 20 scores in 2 days, and introduces for one-night-only - Women Who Score: Soundtracks Live Concert - performed by a live 80 person orchestra.
To get past the Hollywood gatekeepers, Music Branch Academy Governor and 4-time Emmy Winner Laura Karpman, co-founded The Alliance for Women Film Composers (AWFC) alongside Miriam Cutler and Lolita Ritmanis. Karpman's vision was to showcase 20 women composers to perform their scores by a live orchestra. The “Women Who Score” event, hosted by Grand Performances in Downtown, LA, on August 19th, 2016, was the first of its kind. This film highlights the concert and the time crunching rehearsal process to rehearse 20 scores in 2 days.
Director Sara Nesson’s 2011 Oscar Nominated documentary film, “Poster Girl”, was scored by Emmy Nominated and AWFC co-founder, Miriam Cutler. Sara knows well how exciting it is to have your film transformed by a beautiful score recorded with live musicians. With female directors making up 7% of directors in Hollywood, her latest film project “Women Who Score”, is an attempt to change the conversation and open doors for fresh voices and unique cinematic experiences. With support from The Camera Division's Emergence Women in Production Program, and CanonUSA, Women Who Score is proudly shot by an all-women crew led by the talented Eve Cohen.
***To inquire how you can use this film as an advocacy tool, please contact Sara Nesson at snesson@mac.com
#theAWFC
theawfc.org
About the concert:
The Women Who Score: Soundtracks Live, an orchestral concert highlighting scores by 20 composers – among them Oscar and Emmy winners – was performed by a 55-piece orchestra and 30-voice choir conducted by Grammy winner Nora Kroll-Rosenbaum and presented by Grand Performances, The Alliance for Women Film Composers, The Film Music Society and White Bear PR. The event featured music by Lesley Barber, Wendy Blackstone, Kathryn Bostic, Jessica Curry, Miriam Cutler, Sharon Farber, Germaine Franco, Lili Haydn, Laura Karpman, Penka Kouneva, Nora Kroll-Rosenbaum, Heather McIntosh, Wendy Melvoin & Lisa Coleman, Julia Newmann, Starr Parodi, Rachel Portman, Lolita Ritmanis, Nan Schwartz, Shirley Walker and Diane Warren.
Credits:
Directed, Produced, and Edited by Sara Nesson
Produced by Naida Albright @conshimfee
Cinematography by Eve Cohen @evecohendp
saranessonfilms.com
@saranesson
Major support from:
The Camera Division @CameraDivision
CanonUSA @canonusa