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KCWIFT Brings Dee Wallace Home to be Honoted with the
WIF/GM Alliance Trailblazer “Lifetime Achievement” Award
KC Women in Film & Television (KCWIFT) will honor Dee Wallace with the WIF/GM Alliance TrailBlazer “Lifetime Achievement” Award Saturday, April 14, 2007 at the 2nd Annual KCWIFT TrailBlazer Awards luncheon from 12:30-2:30 p.m. The event will be held following the KC Jubilee’s 6th annual symposium, CROSSCUT: Women Making Movies from 10:30am-Noon at the Intercontinental Hotel on the Country Club Plaza.
“We are thrilled to honor one of KC’s very own, Dee Wallace,” remarked Jill Shemwell, KCWIFT President, “the KCK native, is truly deserving of the award and we are so happy to bring her home!”
KC native, Dee Wallace, is a true industry tour de force working as an actress, teacher, dancer and author in film, TV and stage for over 30 years. She is most notably known for her starring role in one of America’s most celebrated films, E.T., The Extra-Terrestrial, and has earned over 100 credits acting in film and television. Dee’s recent TV credits include: “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Cold Case,” “Without a Trace,” and “Close to Home.” Dee recently was in “Little Red Devil” with Daniel Baldwin and James Russo, and you can check her out in Rob Zombie’s Halloween prequel, set to open in August 2007.
Candace Block, who founded the KC chapter of Women In Film & TV in 2004, will also be honored as membership in the not-for-profit organization continues to flourish. The mission of Kansas City Women in Film & Television is to empower, promote and mentor Women in the film, entertainment, and media industries specifically in the Greater Kansas City area. Founded in 1973 in Los Angeles, WIF currently has over 17 chapters nationwide and actively supports women in the entertainment industry internationally.
Morgan Dameron, a Pembroke Hill senior high school student will receive the 2007 “Up & Coming” TrailBlazer Award and present a clip from the short movie she’s currently producing as her WIF/GM Alliance TrailBlazer Scholarship and senior project. The talented KC youth will be attending the University of Southern California’s elite film school this fall.
Teri Rogers, CEO of Take Two (T2), a Kansas City based video production company, will receive the 2007 “Pioneering” TrailBlazer Award for her leadership as a woman in the regional film community and long-term commitment to bringing in national clients and showcasing the talent Kansas City has to offer.
Sue Vicory, founder and President of Heartland Films, Inc., a Kansas City based film production company, will receive the 2007 TrailBlazer “Spirit” Award and speak about her experience as one of 7 in the U.S. chosen for the WIF/GM Alliance Acceleration Grant which enabled her to go to LA for a week last fall and meet with industry executives.
“The WIF/GM Alliance is truly what helped launch KCWIFT,” says Shemwell, “It’s enabled this chapter to offer more value for our members and the ability to support other film organizations with similar missions.” In its third year, General Motors has generously sponsored programs for WIF chapters throughout the country to help increase exposure for both women and its brand in the industry.
Today, KCWIFT has over 60 members that promote women in film and television. KCWIFT provides members and the community with access and funding for educational and networking opportunities; scholarships, internships and mentoring for students; and when available, film finishing funds for aspiring filmmakers. If you would like more information about KC Women in Film & Television, please contact Jill Shemwell at (816) 215-4005, or check them out on the web at www.kcwift.org
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The Women In Film/General Motors Alliance was created to support women in the entertainment industry and to expand Women In Film chapter programs across the country. The initiative was announced in Los Angeles in January 2005 and is supporting programs as diverse as the Film Finishing Fund, Women’s Film Preservation Fund, Legacy Series, PSAs, scholarships, mentorships and local WIF chapter award events across the nation. For more information about the WIF/GM Alliance and its programs, visit www.women-in-film.com.
Founded in 1973 in Los Angeles, Women In Film (www.wif.org) is the leading non-profit organization dedicated to women in the global entertainment industry. Its purpose is to empower, promote, nurture and mentor women in the industry through a network of valuable contacts, events, programs, workshops, finishing funds and scholarships. In the U.S., there are chapters in Arizona, California (3), Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas (2), Washington and Washington, D.C. The international network, Women In Film and Television International (www.wifti.org), of which WIF-Los Angeles is a founding member, boasts 35 chapters on six continents. Member chapters range from developing nations to countries with established industries, including the U.S., Australia, Canada, France, India, Ireland, Jamaica, Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa and the United Kingdom, to name a few.
General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), the world’s largest automaker, has been the global industry sales leader for 76 years. Founded in 1908, GM today employs about 284,000 people around the world. With global headquarters in Detroit, GM manufactures its cars and trucks in 33 countries. In 2006, 9.1 million GM cars and trucks were sold globally under the following brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, GM Daewoo, Holden, HUMMER, Opel, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn and Vauxhall. GM’s OnStar subsidiary is the industry leader in vehicle safety, security and information services. More information on GM can be found at www.gm.com.
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For more information please contact:
Vicki Greenleaf
WIF/GM Alliance: 323-660-5800
Greenleaf & Associates
vgleaf@pacbell.net
Christie Conti
GM Communications: 805-373-9527
Christie.Conti@gmrworks.com
Kathy Hanis
Entertainment Plus Public Relations: 913-271-5101
eplus@kc.rr.com
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