CRITICS CHOICE ASSOCIATION SELECTS “BRAINWASHED: SEX-CAMERA-POWER” AS FIRST DOCUMENTARY TO RECEIVE THE SEAL OF FEMALE EMPOWERMENT IN ENTERTAINMENT (SOFEE)
“BAD SISTERS” EARNS RECOGNITION FOR SCRIPTED SERIES
(Los Angeles, CA – October 19, 2022) – The Critics Choice Association Women’s Committee is pleased to announce the second round of recipients of the newly launched Seal of Female Empowerment in Entertainment, including the first recipient in the documentary category. Called the “SOFEE,” the Seal recognizes outstanding new films and television series that illuminate the female experience and perspective through authentically told female-driven stories.
The CCA is pleased to announce that titles earning the SOFEE Seal are:
Documentary: “Brainwashed: Sex-Camera-Power” (Kino Lorber)
Scripted Series: “Bad Sisters” (Apple TV+)
“Brainwashed: Sex-Camera-Power” is an enlightening documentary that challenges the way we see women in film. Director/writer Nina Menkes brilliantly analyzes the movie industry alongside notable directors to uncover the toxic narratives that have been shown about gender, sex, and race. Releasing in theaters Oct. 21, it’s a powerful watch that will encourage a much-needed change to gender roles in the media.
“We are thrilled that Brainwashed: Sex-Camera-Power is the first documentary film to be awarded the Seal of Female Empowerment in Entertainment and honored to be included with such projects as The Woman King, A League of Their Own, and Gutsy,” says Menkes. “As our colleague Iyabo Kwayana said, ‘When the camera is predatory, the culture is predatory.’ Brainwashed exposes the myriad ways that the visual language of cinema has infiltrated our consciousness and affected our lives. This meaningful recognition from The Critics Choice Association affirms the urgency and relevance of our film.”
“Bad Sisters” is a scripted series following the five Garvey sisters who believe their lives would be better if J.P. (Claes Bang), the cruel, controlling, and manipulative husband of their sibling Grace, was dead. Co-created and co-written by star Sharon Horgan, episodes are helmed by female directors and feature female cinematographers. The idiosyncratic Garvey sisters, played by Horgan, Anne-Marie Duff, Eva Birthistle, Sarah Greene and Eve Hewson, look just like real women at different stages of life.
“Making this show was a privilege,” says Horgan. “But I’m only realizing now the full impact of telling these kinds of stories. I’ve received messages from women all around the world who have found themselves in similar situations to Grace but without sisters to save them. All of the team involved in the show are incredibly proud to receive this recognition, and inspired to continue to tell enlightening and entertaining female driven stories.”
Both recipients earned a perfect score in the numerical formula that is used to determine if new titles, nominated by CCA Women’s Committee members, are eligible for a SOFEE. Qualifying projects will have a prominent female character arc, give female characters at least equal screen time to male characters, have female leaders behind the scenes, and pass elements highlighted in the Bechdel test.
To be considered, new film and television releases must possess an artistic and storytelling value and exceptionality, and score at least 7 out of a possible 10 points in the SOFEE rubric, which can be found at CriticsChoice.com. There are no limits or quotas governing the number of SOFEE seals the CCA may grant.
The Seal of Female Empowerment in Entertainment is issued by the CCA Women’s Committee. Members include Tara McNamara (Chair), Hillary Atkin, Lauren Bradshaw, TJ Callahan, Natasha Gargiulo, Toni Gonzales, Teri Hart, Susan Kamyab, Louisa Moore, Gayl Murphy, Mary Murphy, Patricia Puentes, Christina Radish, Amanda Salas, Rachel Smith, Sammi Turano, Lynn Venhaus, and Elizabeth Weitzman, as well as CCA board member Paulette Cohn.
Digital assets and artwork can be found HERE.
About the Critics Choice Association (CCA)
The Critics Choice Association is the largest critics organization in the United States and Canada, representing more than 580 media critics and entertainment journalists. It was established in 2019 with the formal merger of the Broadcast Film Critics Association and the Broadcast Television Journalists Association, recognizing the intersection between film, television, and streaming content. For more information, visit: www.CriticsChoice.com.
CONTACTS:
Tara McNamara
Chair of the CCA Women’s Committee
310-486-6579
[email protected]
Andy Gelb / Julia Rossen
SLATE PR
310-461-0111
[email protected] / [email protected]
