Dame Anna Wintour Receives Inaugural "Icon Award"

With TIFF's Share Her Journey campaign and Four Seasons Hotel Toronto    

TORONTO, Sept. 4, 2019 /CNW/ - The Toronto International Film Festival's Share Her Journey campaign and Four Seasons Hotel Toronto are pleased to present the Icon Award to Dame Anna Wintour, DBE, Editor-in-Chief of Vogue and Artistic Director and Global Content Advisor of Condé Nast. The Icon Award serves as recognition of a lifetime achievement for the advancement of women in film, television, and the arts.

In 1988, when Wintour took the helm of American Vogue, she fearlessly revitalized the title in many ways, especially by showcasing celebrities on its covers which before had shown only models. In the years that followed, the all-important September issue cover featured powerhouse female stars including Renée Zellweger, Madonna, Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, Rihanna, Emma Stone, and many others.

With Wintour at the helm now for over three decades, Vogue has photographed a multitude of iconic women from around the globe, not only celebrities and models but politicians, activists, writers, artists, and more. An opinionated leader in the media landscape, Wintour has always stood her ground with respect to the creative direction of Vogue and the Condé Nast titles she oversees, unabashed when taking a stand in support of her beliefs. As she noted in an interview with CNN: "I think it's very, very important to have a point of view—and we profile women in the magazine that we believe in."

Wintour continues to inspire generations of dreamers, believers, and fans of the arts around the world. She is—and has always been—determined to push boundaries as she continues to lead a team of some of the most formidable creative minds in the industry with her unifying and unapologetically female voice.

Joana Vicente, Executive Director and Co-Head TIFF says Share Her Journey is TIFF's five-year campaign aimed at increasing participation, skills, and opportunities for women behind and in front of the camera. "The campaign prioritizes gender parity with a focus on mentorship, skills development, media literacy, and activity for young people. Of all Festival titles in this year's lineup, 36 per cent are directed, co-directed, or created by women, and women comprise half the Festival's programming team." Vicente says as part of Share Her Journey, TIFF continues to provide over 120 female creators free access to TIFF's Industry Conference and year-round programming. The overall number of speakers at this year's Conference represents a 50/50 gender split, as do the organization's Talent Development initiatives such as TIFF Studio, Filmmaker Lab, and TIFF Rising Stars.

"The Icon Award was created to recognize women and the significant impact they have on media, music, film, fashion, and television," says Konrad Gstrein, General Manager of Four Seasons Hotel Toronto. "Dame Anna has been a formidable force for support by placing talented women at the forefront of the media landscape, and they've graced the covers of Vogue as both style icons and true talents of their craft. It's an absolute privilege to be a part of honouring her this year."

"Long before people were truly called icons, Dame Anna defined that title," says Barry Avrich, Producer and Event Co-Chair.  "Powerful and relentlessly passionate, she has become the most influential figure in fashion by creating legends, championing female journalists, inspiring new designers, and empowering thousands of women. It is beyond thrilling to celebrate her success." 

This year's inaugural presentation of the Icon Award at Four Seasons Hotel Toronto with TIFF's Share Her Journey is in partnership with Yorkville Village.

About the Share Her Journey movement
Share Her Journey is a campaign organized by the Toronto International Film Festival to empower women in film. TIFF has made a five-year commitment to increasing participation, skills, and opportunities for women behind and in front of the camera. We will prioritize gender parity with a focus on mentorship, media literacy, and activity for young people. Since launching Share Her Journey, we've met so many inspiring women and have made great steps toward narrowing the gender gap by providing female creators with new opportunities.

About Four Seasons Hotel Toronto
Four Seasons Hotel Toronto is Canada's first hotel to receive both AAA Five Diamond and Forbes Travel Guide Five Star ratings. Having opened in October 2012, the Hotel features 259 guest rooms, a 30,000-square-foot luxury spa, and Café Boulud and d|bar by international restaurateur and chef Daniel Boulud. Recent awards and honors include 2017 TripAdvisor's Traveller's Choice Winner—#1 Best Hotel in Toronto, Robb Report's Best of the Best, Condé Nast Traveller's Hot List, and Travel+Leisure's Top City Hotel in Canada. For more information, visit our Press Room or check out Facebook.

In addition to an international reputation as a home away from Hollywood for A-List celebrities, Four Seasons Hotel Toronto hosts events that celebrate female actors. For the second consecutive year, dbar will transform the lobby-level public spaces into a photo exhibit featuring iconic red carpet moments (shot by celebrity photographer George Pimentel) of women including Penelope Cruz, Meryl Streep, Lady Gaga, Sandra Oh, Emily Blunt, Renée Zellweger, Jennifer Lopez, Dakota Johnson, Beyoncé and Margot Robbie. To complete the exhibit, the Hotel has also displayed an iconic image of Dame Anna Wintour, as a tribute to her significant career achievements.

Website: fourseasons.com/toronto
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