Theater News

Theresa Rebeck, Julie Taymor to Be Honored at Athena Film Festival

Theresa Rebeck
(© David Gordon)
Theresa Rebeck
(© David Gordon)

Liz Meriwether, Theresa Rebeck and Julie Taymor will be honored during the opening night celebration of the Athena Film Festival, to be held on February 9 on the Barnard College campus.

Taymor, whose credits include Broadway’s The Lion King and such films as The Tempest and Titus, will be recognized for “her vision and courage as an exemplary director.” Rebeck, represented on Broadway with Seminar and on television with NBC’s forthcoming Smash, will be honored for “her leadership as a playwright and author of films, books and television. ”

Meriwether, whose plays include Oliver Parker and who has written such films as No Strings Attached and New Girl, will be recognized along with The Fempire: Diablo Cody, Dana Fox, and Lorene Scafaria. Each is being honored for “their creativity and panache as screenwriters.”

Other honors will go to Rachel Horovitz, and Dee Rees and Nekisa Cooper, along with the late Laura Ziskin, who is being honored posthumously with the establishment of The Laura Ziskin Lifetime Achievement Award. Ziskin’s daughter, Julia Barry, will accept the award – given to female trailblazers in the industry – in her mother’s name.

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