About Me
Join us in saluting the 2007 Outstanding Women in Film & Music Award© Nominees:
Charlotte Gainsbourg
France, Actress/Musician
With over 30 films to her name including 'My Wife is an Actress' and 'The Science of Sleep', Charlotte Gainsbourg has become one of the contemporary faces of French cinema. Now, after years away, she returns to music, recording her first solo album since she was 13 years old. That first album was 'Charlotte Forever', a collection of songs written by her legendary father, Serge Gainsbourg. Her new album is '5:55', a collaboration with an equally legendary line-up of Air (who wrote the music), Jarvis Cocker and The Divine Comedy's Neil Hannon, (who, with Charlotte, wrote the lyrics), and producer Nigel Godrich (Radiohead, Beck, Travis, Paul McCartney). The resulting album is all you could hope for with such a team: lush music, intimate and thought-provoking lyrics, and disarming beauty created by Charlotte's distinct, whisper of a voice.
Neko Case
USA, Musician
Neko Case claims no genre, nor utilizes any classic formula for her songs and singing. More than anything she thrives in the spaces in between her music. As with the highest art, the negative space should be calculated, too. What isnt readily seen also carries its own weight an articulated emptiness, a space defined and made human by whatever has sought to confine it; and while her artistic integrity may never have been in doubt, on 'Fox Confessor Brings The Flood' Neko has again shown how capable she is of accessing her best instincts to forge something meaningful with words and sounds--a record that's confessional, poignant, and, ultimately, an honest representation of where she is today. The continued evolution of her as a creator, producer, personality and live performer has been as fascinating to witness as the music she makes.
Agnes Muljadi
USA, Actress
Don't let Agnes Muljadi's short filmography fool you. With her captivating presence, fearsome intelligence and compelling artistry, she has 'star quality' written all over her face. Trained at London's Royal Ballet School and Actors' Theatre School, this superbly gifted Indonesian-born ballerina-turned-actress has more than a brilliant future ahead of her. Muljadi made her professional acting debut in late 2005 when she won the lead role in the documentary style short film, 'Cool Daddy.' With essentially zero camera acting experience, Muljadi shocked critics nationwide with her understated-yet-powerful portrayal of a sexually abused daughter. The film went on to become an official Academy Award submission and earned her two Best Newcomer awards. Within a year, she has completed four leading roles in various independent films including 'Vanish' and the highly anticipated British short film, 'Continuum.' Muljadi has also been cast in two upcoming feature films, 'The Blank Canvas' and 'Heaven Lake', and is up for some major Hollywood roles. Deemed the most promising newcomer to emerge in recent years, Muljadi is lining up enough leading roles to keep her working indefinitely.
Jacinda Barrett
Australia, Actress
A crossover reality television star who memorably appeared on MTV's 'Real World: London' before being launched to stardom thanks in part to a People Magazine poll that named her one of the "Fifty Most Beautiful People in the World" two short years later, Jacinda Barrett earned her keep as a model before venturing into the world of film in the 1997 teen screamer 'Campfire Tales.' A native of Queensland, Australia, Barrett attended the British American Drama Academy in Oxford, England and appeared in a trio of independent efforts in the years following her Real World appearance, later moving on to television roles in 'Hercules', 'Millennium', and 'Bull' before returning to features with a role in the 2000 horror sequel 'Urban Legends: The Final Cut.' Her subsequent performances in such serious-minded efforts as 'The Human Stain' and 'Ladder 49' showed an actress whose beauty was apparently matched by her talent. A supporting role in the 2004 comedy 'Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason' was followed by a turn as a French heiress in the 2005 thriller 'Ripley Under Ground', and soon after taking a tumble in the blockbuster 2006 remake 'Poseidon', Barrett would once again venture into familiar territory opposite Zach Braff in the romantic comedy drama remake 'The Last Kiss.'
Natalie Press
UK, Actress
Natalie Press became the hottest rising star in British cinema with the UK release of the multi-award winning coming-of-age film, 'My Summer Of Love', in late 2004. Natalie played the lead role of Mona, a working class tomboy whose life is transformed by her encounters with an alluring, privileged outsider, who arrives in her Yorkshire town for the summer. The film was the critical success of the year, winning the Best British Film award at the BAFTAs and the Edinburgh Festival and Natalie's performance was met with universal praise. She won the award for Best Breakthrough at both the Evening Standard Film Awards and the London Film Critics Circle Awards. Natalie has continued to add to her diverse catalogue of roles and was seen in several high-profile projects during 2005. She played a young self-harmer opposite Timothy Spall in the BBC's 'Mr. Harvey Lights A Candle', broadcast in March 2005 and was also seen opposite Rhys Ifans in 'The Undertaker.' Her film, 'Chromophobia', co-starring Penelope Cruz, Ralph Fiennes and Kristin Scott Thomas was the closing night film of the 2005 Cannes Film Festival.
Peyton Hayslip
USA, Actress
A 7th generation Texan, born in Garland, Texas, Peyton Hayslip attended the Juilliard School in New York City right out of high school. She has been acting professionally since the age of 16, and has received numerous nominations and commendations for her work as an actress, including the B. Iden Payne Award for Outstanding Actress. She has been lauded as one of the Top 40 Actors in Austin, Texas (Austin Chronicle). The American-Statesman praised her as an actress whose ".. emotions slip across her face as swiftly and magically as moonlight on a mostly cloudy night.. an actress with a limitless future.." She has enjoyed roles in films, documentaries, TV, anime, and print. Most recent feature films include Gabriel Folse's 'Guilty', Asif Kapadia's 'The Return', and Jonathan Levine's 'All the Boys Love Mandy Lane.' Currently, she is producing the feature film, 'BUNNIES', starring Kadeem Hardison, and has lead roles in two feature films set to begin filming in 2008. Ms. Hayslip is the Associate Director, and on the faculty of the State Theater School of Acting, and is the co-founder of thistlemouse productions which produces plays and performances for children and families.
Gong Li
China, Actress
Born in northeastern Shenyang, Gong was the youngest daughter of an economics professor. She knew from a young age that she wanted to be an actress, and at school she excelled at singing and dancing almost to the exclusion of other subjects. She was accepted to the Beijing Central College of Drama in 1985. Gracing numerous groundbreaking films by Zhang Yimou and Wong Kar Wai, Gong Li is revered as the Julia Roberts of China. In 1997, she made her English-language debut opposite Jeremy Irons in Wayne Wang's 'Chinese Box.' She played the notoriously nasty Hatsumomo in 2005's 'Memoirs of a Geisha.' Her once-limited Hollywood filmography is ballooning as the Western world welcomes 'Miami Vice' and 'Young Hannibal.'
Danielle Spencer
Australia, Musician
Danielle Spencer was born in Sydney, Australia, and grew up in Turramurra, on Sydney's North Shore. She was raised in a musical household, as her father was a singer and the host of 'Play School', a children's show that featured plenty of singalongs. While she may not be a household name outside of her native Australia, the actress/singer-songwriter is known down under for her appearances in TV series like 'Hampton Court', 'Pacific Drive' and 'Home and Away', and films such as 'The Game Room' and 'The Crossing.' In the age of image over substance, Danielle Spencer released a stark and moody debut album entitled 'White Monkey', which showcases her distinctive vocal and lush musical landscape.
Ellen Page
Canada, Actress
A graduate of the Shambhala School in Halifax, Page started her drama training at the Neptune Theatre School and began her acting career at the age of 11 in a made-for-TV film (which would later be made into a series) called 'Pit Pony.' This led to roles in a number of small Canadian films and television series. Page played one of the main characters in the 2006 movie 'Hard Candy', for which she gained praise for having done "one of the most complex, disturbing and haunting performances of the year." The film earned her the Austin Film Critics' Best Actress award. Page is also the recipient of the ACTRA Maritimes Award for her performance in 'Marion Bridge' and the Gemini Award for her role in the TV series, 'ReGenesis.' Page has roles in three upcoming films: 'An American Crime', based on the true story of Sylvia Likens, opposite Catherine Keener, which premiered at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival, as well as 'The Tracey Fragments' and 'Stone Angel.' She recently finished work on Jason Reitman's 'Juno', and has began filming for the upcoming 'Jack and Diane.'
Kathy Fisher
USA, Musician
In a tiny West Virginia town, Kathy was growing up surrounded by blue-collar families and country music. She was an independent kid who won poetry awards and stirred up a little controversy in English class. Inspired by her marathon conversation with future husband Ron Wasserman, Kathy wrote her first song, demoed it with her roommate's guitar and a cheap tape recorder, and gave it to him. They began writing together: He'd lay down an instrumental idea, she'd add lyrics, and they'd polish it into final form. Doing whatever they could to be heard, they gave their songs to friends who were making student or low-budget films. Things changed with their first single. Fisher was paving a new high-speed lane into the world wide web of Internet commerce. Three million people downloaded their single 'I Will Love You' before most bands figured out there were other ways than brick-and-mortar to reach listeners. Their paving efforts more than paid off for them on the road less traveled by. It earned them a buzz no publicist could dream up. Fisher was profiled in Time, Entertainment Weekly, The Tonight Show, and the Los Angeles Times as vanguards of the digital music revolution.
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