The Mexican-American actress and movie producer of Lebanese descent Salma Hayek will be the second recipient of the Franca Sozzani Award at the 75th Venice International Film Festival on August 31. The ceremony will be held at the Belmond Hotel Cipriani, according to a source.
This award celebrates women who stand out for their careers in the film industry and their contribution to society. The first recipient of this award is the American actress Julianne Moore.
“Her example and her teaching live on in a countless number of little everyday actions, which still punctuate life in the firm today,” said Fedele Usai, the chief executive officer of Condé Nast Italia.
The Franca Sozzani Award was created in memory of Franca Sozzani, the late editor-in-chief of Vogue Italy.
@salmahayekSalma Hayek is known for her acting career, but she is also a movie producer. She produced the award-winning movie “Frida” which revolves around the life of the renowned Mexican painter Frida Kahlo. The movie won two Oscars and earned over 56 million dollars.
She also co-produced “Khalil Gibran’s The Prophet” which was an international success. In 2015, she visited Lebanon to launch the movie. She visited Bcharre to pay homage to Gibran Khalil Gibran.
As an activist, Salma Hayek raises awareness on violence against women and discrimination against immigrants.
“I am a feminist because I am proud to be a woman, and I am passionate about making the world a better place for women. I am a feminist because a lot of amazing women have made me the woman I am today,” she told The Guardian.
Last year, she published her account titled “Harvey Weinstein Is My Monster Too” on The New York Times. She, like many other people in the movie industry, accuses the movie producer Harvey Weinstein of sexual harassment.
In her essay, Salma Hayek shed lights on the struggle of females artists in Hollywood. She also mentions that there is a gender inequality in this industry where only four percent of the directors are female and that “27 percent of words spoken in the biggest movies were spoken by women.”
Hayek states that as long as there is gender inequality, the “community will continue to be a fertile ground for predators.”
This award is well-deserved!