For more press information contact
Gayle V. Economos (WIFTI Board)
GVE Media/Public Relations, LLC
410-437-7483
For Immediate Release
January 12, 2005
WOMEN IN FILM & TELEVISION INTERNATIONAL TO PRESENT
2005 WIFTI HUMANITARIAN AWARD FOR GLOBAL VISION TO
CRISTINA SARALEGUI OF UNIVISION AT
CELEBRACION LATINA NIGHT ON FEBRUARY 24
Award ceremony and party at the City Museum
hosted jointly by WIFTI and Women In Film and Video of Washington, DC
Washington, DC. Women In Film & Television International (WIFTI), in conjunction with member chapter Women In Film and Video of Washington, DC, (WIFV-DC) will host CELEBRACION LATINA Night on Thursday February 24, 2005 from 7-10PM. Together, WIFTI, WIFV-DC and women filmmakers from around the world will promote Latin American awareness and cross cultural relations by honoring the humanitarian achievements of Cristina Saralegui, host and executive producer of Univision’s “The Cristina Show”, the #1 U.S.-produced talk show on Spanish-language television in America. The Emmy® winning talk show host and CEO of a media and licensing. Cristina will also be recognized for her dedication to AIDS awareness and education among Hispanics. The evening will commence with a VIP reception, followed by CELEBRACION LATINA Night at the historic City Museum of Washington, DC, where the 2005 WIFTI Humanitarian Award for Global Vision will be presented by WIFTI Chairwoman, Fiona Milburn of Auckland, New Zealand. The party will continue afterward with music and dancing. The event is open to the public: tickets are $50 for WIFV/WIFTI members/ $75 for non-members/ VIP tickets for $100 and available by calling the WIFV Washington, DC office at 202-429-9438 or download a registration form from www.wifv.org The City Museum is located in the former Carnegie Library at 801 K Street NW, Washington, DC.
WIFTI Chair, Fiona Milburn states, “As a global organization in an industry that has proven its importance in worldwide economic, social and cultural development, we are proud to honour those that exemplify the humanitarian spirit of Women in Film & Television International.”
The 2005 WIFTI Humanitarian Award for Global Vision is the second such award presented. In November 2003, the first Award was presented in New York City to Caroline Baron, founder and co-chair of FilmAid International, during an Indian-themed evening called Bollywood meets Hollywood.
Cristina Saralegui
A journalist of 30-years, Cristina Saralegui is recognized as one of the most influential role models for today’s Hispanic women. A 2001 People en Espanol Hispanic Opinion Tracker poll found that a majority of Hispanic Americans named Cristina as their favorite female talk show host. She heads a media empire called Cristina Saralegui Enterprises, Inc. (CSE) with her husband, Marcos Avila, which includes a monthly magazine Cristina La Revista, bilingual website www.cristinaonline.com, and the Blue Dolphin Studios, a 50,000 sq. ft state of the art television production facility available to outside productions and home of “The Cristina Show”. An estimated 100 million viewers watch “The Cristina Show” worldwide.
She is the first Latina to receive a Star in the Hollywood Walk of Fame and has received numerous awards, including an Emmy ®, the Gracie Allen Tribute Award by the Foundation of American Women in Radio and Television, The Simon Wiesenthal Center’s 2004 International Distinguished Achievement Award, American Foundation for AIDS Research (AMFAR) National Community Service Award, as well as The Hispanic Heritage Foundation’s Arts Award and the Imagen Foundation’s Lifetime Achievement Award. A longtime AIDS activist, Cristina and her husband founded Arriba la Vida/Up with Life Foundation in 1996, a private foundation dedicated to AIDS awareness and education among Hispanics, as well as other AIDS-related causes that touch the lives of Hispanics everywhere. Cristina was born in Cuba and now resides in Miami, Florida, with her manager husband, a former musician and founding member of the musical group, Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine.
Women In Film & Television International
Women In Film & Television International is a global network comprised of over 35 Women in Film & Television chapters worldwide and more than 10,000 members. All are dedicated to advancing professional development and achievement for women working in all areas of film, video and other screen-based media. To accomplish this goal, WIFTI provides networking and learning opportunities, scholarships, a film finishing fund, a presence at major worldwide film festivals, as well as offering help and encouragement to women who aspire to work in the film and TV industries. Every two years, women from WIFTI chapters worldwide meet at the WIFTI World Summit; World Summits have been held in Los Angeles, CA; London, United Kingdom; Montego Bay, Jamaica; and most recently in 2004 in Auckland, New Zealand. The next WIFTI World Summit will be hosted in Los Angeles, October 29 - November 1, 2005. Member chapters range from developing nations to countries with established industries, including the US, Mexico, Jamaica, Australia, Ireland, South Africa, Canada, France, United Kingdom, India, New Zealand, to name a few. For more information, go to www.wifti.org
Women In Film and Video of Washington, DC
WIFV-DC is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the professional development and achievement for women working in all areas of film, television, video, multimedia and related disciplines. WIFV-DC supports women in the industry by promoting equal opportunities, encouraging professional development, serving as an information network and educating the public about women’s creative and technical achievements. For more information, go to www.wifv.org
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