To celebrate this Women’s History Month, we acknowledge the work of many female actresses and filmmakers set to make a difference in the film world.

It is clear that women have come very far in the course of history. When pertaining to the film industry, women have heavily influenced the progression of film as a form of entertainment and as a form of art.

The first woman to direct a full-length feature film was Lois Weber. She was also a silent film actress is credited for being the first to use the “split screen” method where there is a visible division of the screen, typically in half, to show simultaneous action.

Weber was an important part of early Hollywood and the role of women in it. She was determined to make a difference with her work. Her best-known films today include: Suspense (1913), Merchant of Venice (1914), and Hypocrites (1915). Weber often spoke of using motion pictures as a “means of achieving political change, aspiring to produce work that will have an influence for good on the public mind.”

Lois Weber was “rediscovered” in the 1970’s by historians who described her as a “director who lost her way in history.” However, she is not the only woman in the industry who may have been under-appreciated.

Tamar Simon Hoffs, best known for her work in the film Red Roses and Petrol (2003), distributed by World Wide Motion Pictures, is an award winning director, writer, and producer. In 1987, she was the first woman to receive credit for all three of those positions for the major studio film, The Allnighter (1987).

Nadia Tass is another female director known for her film, Amy (1997), which won 10 awards at various film festivals.

Something that makes today’s women in the industry different is their spreading of public awareness of these women, who were under-appreciated and disrespected.

Female actresses have stepped up to the plate in terms of demanding equal treatment in the industry. Golden Globe and Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence wrote an essay on a topic that she kept quiet about for a long time throughout her career: feminism.

Lawrence stated that her compensation for the film American Hustle (2013) was much less than her male co-stars but she didn’t want to come off as spoiled by saying something and chose to avoid the conversation. However, she then realized that “every man” she’s worked with never had to worry about how they were perceived during discussions. Therefore, why should she?

This issue has lead to the question of whether or not women need to be likable to earn respect, especially in the film industry. There is a list of actresses who have spoken up on the issue, such as Meryl Streep and Emma Thompson.

However, men still dominate the film industry. A study made in 2014 by the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego State University showed that 85% of films had no women directors and 33% had no women producers.

There is a 5 to 1 ratio of men working on films to women. Forbes 2013 list of the top ten highest paid actresses made an average of $181 million, versus the $465 million made by the top ten male actors.

The film industry has a long way to go in terms of equalizing the obstacles faced by female actresses and filmmakers, but with people speaking out, it is doubtless that a change will be made over time in order to give women the credit they deserve.

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In recent years video games have become the highest grossing entertainment industry.  In one weekend of sales, Fallout 4 generated more revenue than record breaking Hollywood blockbusters.

This financial growth has generated the interest of the media companies that control film and tv studios, to the extent that they now have their own video game divisions. It's not surprising that this has also led to contributions of known directors and actors in video games. Following his successful blockbuster, Avatar, James Cameron made a video game that takes place in that fictional world, but which expands the events in the story. Kiefer Sutherland voiced the protagonist in Hideo Kojima’s 5th installment of the Metal Gear Series. Kevin Spacey contributed his likeness, physical performance (achieved through motion capture technology), and voice to a character in an installment of the popular Call of Duty: Modern Warfare series.

Slowly but steadily famous actors are trickling into the gaming industry. Until now, there’s only been single A-list actors contributing to a game. However,  The list includes Gary Oldman, Mark Hamill, Andy Serkis, Gillian Anderson, Sophie Wu, Liam Cunningham, among others. Even Ben Mendelsohn who starred in World Wide Motion Picture Corporation’s Amy, and who has had a fantastic year in his career, has a role in “Squadron 42”, though details about his character have not yet been released.

What is known about the game is that it is a sci-fi game that revolves around the Navy and their endless battle with a space race called the Vanduul. The game play will involve control of the Navy’s ships, and within the Squadron 42 storyline there will be cut-scenes that will display the likenesses of the several actors involved in the project. The game is scheduled to be released sometime in 2016.

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Star Wars Anthology Rogue One is a storyline set in between Return of the Sith and A New Hope. The film follows an ensemble of Rebel pilots working to steal the plans of the Death Star to know the vulnerabilities of the space station. Because of the events that occurred in Return of the Sith, there are no longer any Jedi’s during this timeline of the Star Wars universe. This condition affects the film in a way that is being described as generating more moral ambiguity than other Star Wars films, as the protagonists in this story do not have the religious ethics of a Jedi master, and they are not able to use the ‘Force’ in their endeavors —putting them in a vulnerable bind.

The film is currently in production, and though the only cast member to have officially been announced is Felicity Jones, there have been rumors regarding the casting of other actors. Enough rumors, in fact, that it could be said that they’re already part of this cast (Disney has been very secretive with casting this film up to this point). Those actors include Diego Luna, Forest Whitaker, Ben Mendelsohn, and Jonathan Aris. Though not much is known about the roles the actors are playing, it has been rumored that Ben Mendelsohn, who starred in World Wide Motion Picture Corporation’s film Amy, and others like Dark Knight Rises and Bloodline, is said to be playing a Moff who is the main villain for Rogue One. His role is said to be in charge of attempting to capture the rebel pilots, by hiring a group of bounty hunters to scourge the galaxy, in order to get the Death Star’s plans back.

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Today is the anniversary of nation women’s suffrage. During the span of 72 years, women fought hard for the same rights given to men. On August 26, 1920, U.S. Secretary of State Bainbridge Colby signed the amendment into law allowing women to vote.

There are many films that celebrate the roles of women in society. Here is our list of ten films to watch on National Women’s Equality Day:

North Country (2005) is a story about Josey Aimes (Charlize Theron) who endured abuse while working in the Eveleth Mines. She battles her oppressors in the first major successful sexual harassment case in the United States. The film also stars Sean Bean, Jeremy Renner, Sissy Spacek, and Woody Harrelson.

The Rosa Parks Story (2002) follows the account of Rosa Parks (Angela Bassett) whose refusal to obey racial bus segregation was just one of her acts in her fight for justice. The TV film was nominated for a Prime-Time Emmy.

Amy (1997) tells the story of a young girl (Alana De Roma) who is traumatized by her father’s death. She becomes mentally mute and deaf, and her only mode of communication is her singing voice. Her mother fights to keep custody over her daughter and deals with child protective services on the regular. The film also stars Rachel Griffiths and Ben Mendelsohn.

In Mona Lisa Smile (2003), a free-thinking art professor (Julia Roberts) teaches conservative 1950s Wellesley girls to question their traditional social roles. The film stars Kirsten Dunst, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Julia Stiles, and Ginnifer Goodwin.

Makers: Women Who Make America (2003) documents stories of women's contributions to some of the most important moments in the history of America, with the thoughts of women like Meryl Streep, Gloria Steinem, and Hillary Clinton.

Iron Jawed Angels (2004) is a docudrama about activists Alice Paul (Hilary Swank) and Lucy Burns (Frances O’Connor) who struggled against conservative forces in order to pass the 19th amendment to the Constitution of the United States.

Erin Brockovich (2000) is based of the true story of Brockovich (Julia Roberts) who takes on a legal battle with The Pacific Gas and Electric Company for polluting the waterways. The film also stars Albert Finney and Aaron Eckhart.

Girl Rising (2013) is a documentary tells the stories of nine girls from different parts of the world who face arranged marriages, child slavery, and other heartbreaking injustices. Despite these obstacles, the brave girls offer hope and inspiration. By getting an education, they're able to break barriers and create change. The film offers narrations from Cate Blanchett, Salma Hayek, Anne Hathaway, Alicia Keys, and Liam Neeson among others.

Joy Luck Club (1993) explores cultural conflict and turbulent relationships between four first-generation Chinese-American women in San Francisco. The film stars Ming-Na Wen, Kieu Chinh, and Tsai Chin. It is based off the book by Amy Tan.

Not for Ourselves Alone: The Story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton & Susan B. Anthony (1999) tells the story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony who fought for women everywhere, and the effects of their fight that still shine through today.

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Make Music Day is a day in which we celebrate those who explore the art form medium takes place inside our ears, minds, as well as our hearts. Make Music Day is a day celebrated by those who take the time out of their busy lives to create sonic compositions which the world may soon never forget. These same types of creative people also master musical instruments and construct the unforgettable rhythms and generate colorful sound waves in their respective band and/or orchestra, or more often these days on their own desktop computer.

Whether you are a virtuoso blessed with the innate skill of shredding, or just a regular sound lover who enjoys to tickle the ivories once in a while, we all get the same type of joy from creating sounds to share with those we love, and sometimes even with those we annoy. Making music can be as easy as slapping two blocks of wood together, and can be as complicated and intricate as rocket science. The diverse spectrum of consumers and participants makes music such a unique entity of our daily lives. Music constantly changes and evolves through time, and never can seem to keep one shape forever.

It is even more amazing when people create music through the depths of life’s adversities. A talented deaf girl who travels with her musically inclined family is able to sing gracefully as well as beautifully in the film, Amy, which is currently being distributed by the World Wide Motion Pictures Corporation. Movies such as Amy prove that anyone who is inspired enough can create music or create a message through any medium of art their mind can conceive

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They say that you never know what you have until it's gone hearing is one aspect of yourself that most people take for granted. We no longer listen to the song birds, but traffic noise that we cover with loud music. Not only are we shutting out the world, but we are damaging ourselves. Today, May 31, is Save your hearing day it’s a special day when we recognize the importance of hearing and that it should be protected. This is an opportunity to learn about what we can do to avoid hearing loss and there are ways we can prevents deafness.

Sound is measured in decibels, a normal speaking voice is 60 decibels. A rock concerts generates 135-155 decibels, which can lead to permanent damage if you are exposed to it for a long period of time called NIHL, noise induced hearing loss. At 120 decibels, the sounds of a thunderclap or chainsaw will cause pain in the eardrums and at 150 decibels the human eardrum pops. According to John Hopkins, nearly a fifth of all Americans 12 years and older will have hearing loss in their lifetime to such a degree that they have a hard time communicating. This is most often due to overuse of new technologies, such as iPods, laptops, and cell phones while using headphones. Some of these have a higher volume limit than is safe for the human ear. The highest volume you can achieve on an ipod is 105 decibels, which is much louder than the 75 decibels that are recommended. The rule of thumb for using an iPod is 60% volume for 60 minutes to retain your hearing. Did you know that you can also detox from your overconsumption of loud music? It consists of 16 hours of rest for your eardrums, which is under 50 decibels. Everyone should be aware of the noise going on around them to prevent hearing loss.
If you need examples of the difficult life you would be leading just watch some of the following films with characters that have impaired hearing. In the film Amy, distributed by World Wide Motion Pictures, the main character loses her hearing due to emotional trauma and the journey of her mother and neighbors to bring her back. To be unable to communicate with those closest to you is hard to imagine for most of us who have perfect hearing. Being extra patient with the elderly and those who have a hard time hearing is important, because, even though their hearing is impaired, their minds are not. Other films include Copying Beethoven, which is about the famous composer with impaired hearing, There will be Blood, The Miracle Worker, Beyond Silence and many more.

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Australian actor Ben Mendelsohn is starring in a new Netflix series titled Bloodlines, which has been streaming on Netflix since March 20th. In the series, Mendelsohn portrays the family's black sheep out of a group of affluent brothers. His bad attitude was sparked by a traumatic event which the other brothers were not old enough to remember.

In an interview with EW.com, Mendelsohn spoke about playing villains and how he is generally has a strength in playing them. For him, playing villains “In a traditional sense, that’s always an important role. It’s important execution-wise, so I take it as a great compliment.” Mendelsohn has had much experience in his career playing the lead antagonist. He also portrays the villain in such feature films as The Year My Voice Broke, as well as Animal Kingdom.

On Friday April 3rd, Ben celebrated his 46th birthday. Be sure to catch Ben Mendelsohn's performance in the film Amy, also starring Rachel Griffiths, which is currently being distributed by World Wide Motion Pictures Corporation.

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Happy Mother's Day. Here’s to all the Mothers who deserve an incredible amount of recognition and praise for their hard work in supporting, providing, and loving their family members. Mother’s Day gives us an opportunity to celebrate their living existence, especially for daughters who look up to them. They shape who we are as a person. In honor of this Mother’s Day, here are a great list of activities that mothers and daughters can bond over with.

1. Being Pampered. Take your Mother out for a spa day. She deserves it. Here’s a spa located in Ojai that will truly make it magical. It’s called Ojai Valley Inn & Spa; rating is 5 stars and service is wonderful. The resort features an award-winning on-site spa and golf course.

2. Watching A Movie.  This is great bonding moment for moms and daughters. A movie can make you laugh, smile, or cry. A great movie to watch is The Blind Side. What better way to see Sandra Bullock, America’s sweetheart, as a loving mother who fosters a boy that becomes a pro football player. Another great film to watch this Mother’s Day is Amy. Amy stars Rachel Griffiths as Amy’s mother, Tanya, and Alana De Roma as Amy. It tells the tale of a girl who is having trouble communicating after her father’s death and the only way to communicate is through singing. Her mother believes if people listen to Amy closely, beautiful things will happen.

3. Having Brunch. The perfect way to celebrate Mother’s Day is by taking your Mother out to brunch. People enjoy themselves more when they’re surrounded by great food and company. One great brunch place is The Cottage in La Jolla, California. Located on the corner of Fay Ave in the downtown area of La Jolla. Their French toast is delicious with generous amount of powder sugar, strawberries and syrup.

4. Painting. Wine and Canvas is a studio where you can enjoy a variety of wine selections while painting, Wine and Canvas offers new paintings every day for customers to choose from and paint. There is an instructor who will guide the class. By the end of the night, both moms and daughters will have gotten in touch with their artistic side.

5. Personalized Mugs. Creating a personalized mug may be the best thing to give to your Mother. She will cherish it and enjoy drinking her favorite tea and coffee from it. Here’s a great mug from Amazon if you’re having trouble with the personalization aspect.

Take this opportunity to show Mother’s out there they are loved. Everyday should be a special day for mothers and they should always be recognized for their hard work and the many sacrifices they make.

In addition, Amy is available on DVD and Vimeo and distributed by World Wide Motion Pictures. Be sure to check all the activities and mark it off your check list.

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Two stories, one fictitious and one actual, link together through Australian actress Rachel Griffiths to speak of a single message on behalf of the most treasured inhabitants of our society: our children.

The memory of voiceless, innocent children take a part of Griffiths’s real-life history.  The recent arson and destruction of St. James Church in Brighton brought about memories of times when Griffiths attended this church - memories darkened by the church’s history of sexual abuse.  During the 1970’s and 80s, Father Ronald Pickering abused young boys as he served as priest at St. James.  The psychological trauma inflicted on several of these boys ended in tragic suicides.

"We've all attended many funerals of boys that we now know were abused by [Father Ronald] Pickering ... and other perpetrators in the parish - at the actual church that it occurred in,” former parishioner Griffiths told 774 ABC Melbourne.

Griffiths further commented on the struggle it had been to rebuild a community around the church after revelations of the many sexual abuses that were made.  Such revelations of the corruption of innocence within the walls of St. James were only heard after voices were given to the voiceless, and when the children’s trials were finally understood.  The sad stories of St. James Church and the victims who fell through the cracks of our protection meld with the story of the film Amy, starring Rachel Griffiths, to tell us that a child’s silence is never really sound-proof.  It takes only a moment’s worth of listening to hear a voice sing.

Amy (1997) is a film about the struggles of a silent 8-year-old girl and her mother Tanya (Griffiths).  The little girl named Amy does not speak for mysterious reasons discovered as the film’s storyline progresses.  Her silence, a trait so uncharacteristic of the nature we know children to have, is revealed to actually be a cry for help.  Amy depicts an often helpless Tanya finding a voice for her child.

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Happy Women’s history month! Female directors may be a rarity in Hollywood today, but women were a much larger part of the film industry at the beginning of the silent film era. Before film was seen as a lucrative commercial enterprise, filming was often done as an artistic hobby. One of the most influential directors of her time, often overlooked in history books, was Alice Guy-Blache, who wrote, directed, and produced more than 1,000 narrative films in France between 1896 and 1907, and in the United States from 1910 to 1922. She is sometimes credited as the woman who began the narrative story style everyone enjoys today.

During the 1900’s, female directors were pioneers in primitive color techniques, such as hand painting and stamping, and they helped in creating the first examples of sound in film by recording on wax cylinders.  By the early teens and the 1920’s men invaded the directing roles and women were pushed to working on writing screenplays. Additionally, at the end of WW1, society pushed women back into their domestic roles as the men returned home from war. Currently only 11 % of films have a female lead actress, and only four women have ever been nominated for Best Director by the Academy. Those women were Lina Wertmuller in 1977 for Seven Beauties, Jane Campion in 1994 for The Piano,  Sofia Coppola in 2004 for Lost in Translation, and Kathryn Bigelow, who was the only woman to win in this category for The Hurt Locker in 2010. In 2013, not a single female was nominated in the Directing, Cinematography, Film Editing, Writing, or Music categories, and across the 19 categories only 35 women were nominated in total, while 140 of their male counterparts were nominated.

The Academy took eighty-one years to award a single female director, which is a shocking statistic, but women directors continue to be very successful in their work. Penny Marshall was the first female director whose film made over $100 million dollars (Big, starring Tom Hanks), and A League of Their Own starring Madonna, and she was never nominated for the outstanding work. Tamar Simon Hoffs is another under-appreciated director, writer and producer, who is most known for her work in Red Roses and Petrol, distributed by World Wide Motion Pictures, where she performed all three with skill. Nadia Tass is another, best known for directing Amy. Tass is currently producing a film entitled A Loving Gentleman, which is a love story between a writer and his muse. These and many other women are under-appreciated and overlooked by the Academy, but now that the public is aware of the situation, they can begin to change it. This is a small first step to understand the history of women in film, the public needs to be aware of the hard work these women put into making these films.

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