WIFV is honored to present Women of Vision Awards to Sylvia Bugg, E. Samantha Cheng, and Marielle Heller on Thursday, May 23, 2024. The Women of Vision Awards celebrate women's creative and technical achievements in media.
The WIFV Women of Vision Awards presentation, moderated by Ann Hornaday, Chief Film Critic, The Washington Post, will provide significant time for the honorees to share their expertise, and adventures, including clips and audience Q&A!
The reception will be held in the mezzanine and begin at 6:00 pm. The program will begin at 7:30 pm in the performance hall.
2024 WIFV Women of Vision Award Honorees:
Sylvia Bugg is Chief Programming Executive and General Manager of General Audience Programming at PBS. Prior to that role, Bugg served as Vice President of General Audience Programming, where she oversaw the PBS editorial team and led the strategy across all genres, including news, public affairs, documentaries, history, science, natural history, and arts programs. Before joining PBS, Bugg served as Vice President of Diversity and TV Content at the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). In this role, she provided strategic leadership and was responsible for CPB's efforts to advance diversity across public media through the collaboration and support of content creators, distributors, and partnering organizations. Bugg also spent 12 years in programming, production, and operations for several Discovery Communications networks.
E. Samantha Cheng is an award-winning, American writer, producer, director, documentarian, and journalist. She has devoted much of her career to raising the visibility of Asian & Pacific Islander Americans and women in technology and their contributions to United States history through long-established programs such as APA Legacy and GalsNGear programs. Cheng is the president and co-founder of Heritage Series, LLC (www.heritageseries.us), an independent production company which specializes in informational and educational programs (print and video) about ethnic minorities in the United States. She was a principal owner of the multi-media company, Television Production Services (TPS) for 25 years. Ms. Cheng's most recent work, DORA FUGH LEE: A LIFE IN ART documentary will air on WETA during the month of May.
Marielle Heller is an award-winning director, writer and actor. Her directorial debut, THE DIARY OF A TEENAGE GIRL, premiered at Sundance in 2015 and earned an Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature. Heller went on to direct CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME? (2018) and A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD (2019), both of which premiered to critical acclaim and earned Oscar nominations for stars Melissa McCarthy, Richard E. Grant and Tom Hanks. Most recently as an actor, Heller co-starred as Alma Wheatley in the Emmy-winning series THE QUEEN'S GAMBIT (2020). Heller's production company, Defiant By Nature, was established in 2019, and its first project was Heller's filmed version of Heidi Schreck's Pulitzer Prize-winning play WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME (2020). Heller's next film NIGHTBITCH (2024) has been slated for release in theaters this December.
Thanks to the 2024 Women of Vision Award Sponsors including Blackmagic Design, Interface Media Group, Maryland Film Office, OCTFME/202Creates, Virginia Film Office, WETA.
We are excited to honor these women during WIFV's 45th Anniversary Year and invite you to join us at the Anniversary Celebration on September 13, 2024 at metrobar by buying a joint event ticket today!
