On November 4, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, in partnership with Chanel, hosted the Academy Women’s Luncheon at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. The gathering honored the Academy Gold Fellowship for Women, a program designed to support emerging female filmmakers through personalized mentorship, financial assistance, and access to influential figures across the industry. The initiative reflects the Academy’s broader commitment to cultivating talent and fostering equality within the cinematic landscape.

Inside the museum’s sunlit halls, conversation moved easily between tables as generations of women in film came together in celebration. Among the guests were Kristen Stewart, Tessa Thompson, Emma Mackey, among others. Directors Patty Jenkins and Janicza Bravo, along with designers Ruth E. Carter and Colleen Atwood, were also in attendance. Academy President Lynette Howell Taylor opened the afternoon, followed by Carter, who presented this year’s fellowships.

Photography by Myles Hendrik

Myles Hendrik, the Los Angeles-based artist and photographer, captured the luncheon through a lens attuned to connection. Hendrik’s work often explores how proximity shapes atmosphere, how the nearness between people transforms interaction. His portraits from the afternoon reveal vulnerability within poise, translating the elegance of the event into exchanges that take on weight and meaning. Each frame showcasing gestures, glances, and small expressions that speak to admiration, curiosity, and creative trust.

This year’s fellowship recipients each bring a distinctive voice to contemporary documentary filmmaking. Alina Simone, a Ukrainian-born filmmaker, was recognized for her debut feature Black Snow (2024), an environmental chronicle executive produced by Erin Brockovich that premiered at CPH:DOX and went on to win multiple international awards ahead of its PBS release. Marlén Viñayo, an El Salvador–based director and founder of La Jaula Abierta Films, was celebrated for Cachada: The Opportunity and Unforgivable, two acclaimed works exploring resilience and identity with remarkable empathy.

Photography by Myles Hendrik

The afternoon concluded with a keynote by Kristen Stewart, who reflected on the power of perspective and the need for women to tell their stories freely, without constraint or expectation. Through its collaboration with the Academy, Chanel continues a legacy that began with Gabrielle Chanel, whose creative partnerships helped shape the language of modern art and cinema.

Today, that spirit endures through initiatives like the Academy Gold Fellowship for Women, which continues to expand opportunities for women whose visions redefine what film can be. For more information about the Academy Gold Fellowship for Women, visit here.

Photography by Myles Hendrik