The American Film Institute (AFI) kicked off the opening-night gala of their annual festival by illuminating the side of the historic Hollywood Roosevelt hotel with the faces of the 100+ female participants in this year’s festival.

Presented by Audi, the gala features the next generation of female filmmakers, including 65 films directed by women. To celebrate this historic representation, 80 current female AFI fellows attended the gala.

The energy at the opening-night gala was palpable as the next generation of female filmmakers were joined by another AFI Fellow, 1972 alum and award winning director Mimi Leder. Leder was there for the AFI FEST World Premiere of her film, On the the Basis of Sex, at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.

Before the screening began, Leder stood in front of the theatre to introduce the film, and perhaps most importantly, inspire the young filmmakers with a passionate proclamation:

“Ladies, gents – I made this film for you, I made this film for all your voices…it’s so important for you to follow your path, don’t let anyone tell you you can’t do it. Stand up, fight, resist and never let anyone else tell your story – your story is yours. Use your voices, use your minds, use your hearts, and never ever give up.”

Written by Ginsburg’s own nephew, Daniel Stiepleman, On the Basis of Sextells the story of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and her decades long fight for equal rights for women. The film goes back to her days as a law student at Harvard, which had only just begun allowing women to attend. The biopic chronicles the obstacles Ginsburg had to overcome in order to reach her goals, and the pivotal moments that led her to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The stars of the film, Felicity Jones, Armie Hammer, Justin Theroux, and Cailee Spaeny—as well as a bevy of other celebrities — attended the inaugural evening.

About AFI FEST presented by Audi:

“A program of the American Film Institute, AFI FEST presented by Audi is a celebration of global cinema and today’s Hollywood — a showcase for the best festival films of the year and an opportunity for master filmmakers and emerging artists to come together with audiences in the movie capital of the world. Celebrating its 32nd edition, AFI FEST is the only festival of its stature that is free to the public. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognizes AFI FEST as a qualifying festival for both Short Film categories for the annual Academy Awards®. Additional information about AFI FEST is available at AFI.com/AFIFEST. Connect with AFI FEST at facebook.com/AFIFEST, twitter.com/AFIFEST and youtube.com/AFI.”

The 2018 AFI Film Festival runs November 8–15 with projection mapping illuminating the hotel every night from 6 PM to 11:15 PM PST.

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