The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, in partnership with CHANEL, hosted the Academy Women’s Luncheon in Los Angeles today (December 10th), bringing together women from all facets of the filmmaking community to celebrate the Academy Gold Fellowship for Women, the Academy’s program to support emerging women filmmakers.

The luncheon at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures was attended by Academy governors and leaders, and women from across the film industry, including Amy Adams, Pamela Anderson, Awkwafina, Stacey Battat, Lauren Schuker Blum, Jen Brill, Joanna Calo, Patricia Cardoso, Ruth E. Carter, Joan Chen, Gia Coppola, Antonia Desplat, Ava DuVernay, Erin Foster, Sara Foster, Gal Gadot, Leila George, Ariana Grande, Siân Heder, Dree Hemingway, Eve Hewson, Laura Karpman, Laura C. Kim, Regina King, Mila Kunis, Ellen Kuras, Havana Rose Liu, Justine Lupe, Hallie Meyers-Shyer, Rachel Morrison, Connie Nielsen, Sarah Paulson, Arianne Phillips, Halina Reijn, A.V. Rockwell, Kelly Sawyer, Terilyn A. Shropshire, June Squibb, Taura Stinson, Kim Taylor-Coleman, Cleo Wade, Diane Warren, Olivia Wilde, Rita Wilson and Debra Zane. The afternoon featured opening remarks by Academy President Janet Yang, followed by Academy Executives Branch governor Pam Abdy, who presented this year’s Gold Fellowships for Women to recipients Raha Amirfazli (U.S. fellow) and Shadi Karamroudi (non-U.S. fellow). Emmy- and Grammy-nominated actor, recording artist and producer Selena Gomez delivered a keynote presentation.

“Today, we celebrated the power and unity of women in film as we came together from every discipline within our industry to honor emerging women filmmakers who are inspiring the future of cinema,” said Yang. “A special thank you to our partner CHANEL for its generous support and shared commitment to amplifying the voices of talented women filmmakers worldwide. Together, we continue to break barriers and empower the next generation of women in our industry.”

Amirfazli is an Iranian writer, director and producer based in New York. She is currently pursuing her MFA in Film and TV Production at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. Amirfazli’s work has been screened at the Sundance Film Festival, LA Shorts International Film Festival, Minimalen Short Film Festival and Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival. She directed several short films leading up to her debut feature, “In the Land of Brothers.” The film premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, earning her the Directing Award in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition.

Karamroudi is an Iranian actress, director, writer and producer. She studied filmmaking and acting at Karnameh Film School in Tehran and obtained a bachelor’s degree in music performance from Tehran University of Art in 2014 and a master’s degree in dramatic literature from Soore University in 2020. Karamroudi has appeared in feature films, short films and theater pieces as an actress and has participated in making five short films as a director, writer or producer. In 2024, she was invited to participate in the Berlinale Talents Labs and Script Station with her feature-length script, “I Can Hear You Whispering.”

Part of the Academy’s global talent development and inclusion work, the Gold Fellowship for Women is a one-year program that combines support, personalized mentorship and access to once-in-a-lifetime networking opportunities for emerging women filmmakers to further their pursuits in the field of cinema. The Academy currently awards two fellowships annually, one to a U.S.-based filmmaker and one to a non-U.S.-based filmmaker. The fellowship is presented in partnership with CHANEL.

The partnership of CHANEL and the Academy Gold Fellowship for Women reflects the House’s deep commitment to the art of film and to nurturing the next generation of women filmmakers. Since its inception, the House of CHANEL has been intrinsically linked to the world of cinema. Founder and visionary Gabrielle Chanel worked with the leading filmmakers of her time, drawing inspiration from and supporting her fellow artistic peers. Her legacy of fostering creativity lives on through the House’s enduring dedication to this art form and to the evolution of women’s voices in the industry.

For more information about the Academy Gold Fellowship for Women, visit https://www.oscars.org/academy-gold/fellowship-for-women.