Sara Blakely and Atlanta-based Spanx, sponsors of female film-making in Atlanta through the Atlanta Film Society's New Mavericks program, are upping the ante at the Atlanta Film Festival this year by awarding a $5,000 prize to a female filmmaker of note.
The prize, announced this morning, will be awarded during the festival, which runs from April 1-10. A host of films made by women — many of them on topics that concern women — are programmed for this year’s festival, and all such films are in the running for the New Mavericks award.
The Atlanta Film Society’s New Mavericks program was launched as a short film block in 2013, celebrating female-directed films featuring strong female leads.
That initiative was expanded to become a year-round program, including meet-ups, lectures, and a summer film series devoted to films from women.
Kristy Breneman, the film festival's creative director, lauded the gift from the Sara Blakely Foundation. "Female filmmakers are female entrepreneurs in a male-dominated industry, and no one is more familiar with the challenges that accompany this than Sara," she said in a statement. "Her testament to overcoming professional obstacles with internal confidence is an empowering model we're proud to extend to New Mavericks and female filmmakers everywhere."
Blakely started the Spanx shapewear company in 2000, working out of her own apartment. The company has more than $250 million in sales and Blakely and has become a billionaire. Spanx offers a variety of garments, including bras, tights, leggings, pants and active wear, and currently operates 14 retail stores in the United States.
The 2016 Atlanta Film Festival will feature a mix of more than 150 narrative and documentary feature and short films, 37 educational conferences and more than a dozen special events and presentations.
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