FASHION FILM FESTIVAL COMES TO THE PHOENIX ART MUSEUM

Fashion Film Festival Comes to Phoenix Art Museum

Since the era of silent films when actresses such as Louise Brooks graced the big screen, fashion has played a pivotal role in movies. In celebration of this sartorial legacy in filmmaking, Valley native Mignon Gould, who has an MFA in fashion journalism, has launched FashFilmFete™, a film festival celebrating fashion storytelling.

Mignon has previously worked for The Arizona Republic where she wrote for the newspaper’s former YES Style. She also published an online magazine she founded called The Chic Spy, which featured interviews with fashion and film insiders including filmmakers and costume designers such as Cary Fukunaga (Jane Eyre) and Catherine Martin (The Great Gatsby).

Mignon founded FashFilmFete™ to celebrate the impactful role fashion has in film, as well as to showcase the works of diverse filmmakers and costume designers such as women and people of color. More than two dozen films were selected to be part of the festival, curated by a 16-person advisory panel including museum curators, Hollywood costume designers, college and university professors, as well as members of Arizona Costume Institute and the Phoenix Art Museum Jacquie Dorrance Curator of Fashion Design.

The inaugural festival will be held April 30th at Phoenix Art Museum, which is the host partner of the event.

The films that will be screened at the festival include documentaries about famed fashion designers Elie Tahari and Lea Gottlieb, founder of Gottex Swimwear.

In addition, Mignon will moderate a panel discussion titled:

“Diversity Behind-the-Scenes in Fashion and Film”.

I’m excited that Mignon has invited me to be a part of the discussion panel, which will also include Sewra G Kidane, an award-winning film professor from Pratt Institute in New York; Chandra Moore, New York-based fashion stylist and costume designer, who has styled and costumed Tony Award-nominated and winning actresses; and Jessica Wenger McPhaul, costume design and founder of Naked Rebellion, who worked on the Netflix series “House of Cards” starring Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright.

**PANELISTS**
*(L-R)* Sewra G Kidane, Chandra Moore, Jessica Wenger McPhaul, Oscar De las salas

Other talented and inspiring leaders, advocates and supporters, propagandists in their own personal way and own personal words, in and out of their daily “maitre” or associated to their line of work somehow, have curated and appointed by Mignon herself and part as Mignon’s unique festival FashFilmFete™ , which you want to be part of!

From left to right: *Mignon Gould, Mignon Media – FashFilmFete™, Founder and Festival Director : * Helen Jean, Phoenix Art Museum, Jacquie Dorrance Curator of Fashion Design : *Oscar De las salas : What Would Oscar Do, Architect & Influencer : *Sewra G. Kidane, Pratt Institute, Editor & Adjunct Faculty : *Chandra Moore, Costume Designer, Fashion Stylist : *Robin Brammnan, Festival Brand Director.

From left to right: *Jeanne Hankerson, Engagement Director : *Sophia Serrano, Academy Museum, Assistant Curator : *Nita Blum, Arizona State University, Clinical Assistant Professor of the Sidney Poitier New American Film School : *Carly Gilleland, The Good Vibe Media, Videographer & Founder of “Females Who Film” : *Jalia Petti, 3jay Productions, Entrepreneur & Award-Winning Make-up Artist : *Olivia Miles, Costume Designer, “Rebel” (2021), “Shaft” (2019), “Gotti” (2018), “All American” (2018-2021)

From left to right: *Jessica Wenger, Naked Rebellion, Entrepreneur & Costume Designer for “House of Cards” (2018), “The Dark of Night” (2017) : *Peggy Dillard Toone, Blue Leaf International Arts, IMDB Production Designer & SAG AFTRA/VO actress : *Khamsone Sirimanivong, Arizona Costume Institute, President, *Ronna Beeson, Arizona Costume Institute, Program Co-Chair, *Raven Irabor, RAE Filmmaker & Creative Director, *Gilda Graham, Producer, Emmy-Nominated producer, Screenwriter & Storyteller.

FashFilmFete™ includes a catered reception for VIP pass holders, where guests will watch shorts from award-winning filmmakers and have a meet and greet with festival finalists. The event closes with a ceremony, where 15 awards will be distributed in eight categories including:

Documentary, Short,

Fashion Ad/Music Video,

Cinematography,

Fashion Impact,

Social Impact, and

Student.

There will also be an auction of 15” x 22” matted illustration prints by FABRIC co-founder Angela Johnson of iconic characters from the films ”Breakfast at Tiffany’s” (1961), “West Side Story” (1961), “Goldfinger” (1965), “Mahogany” (1975), “Grease” (1978), “Purple Rain” (1984), “Clueless” (1995), “8 Mile” (2002) and “The Devil Wears Prada” (2006). Proceeds from the auction will benefit Phoenix Art Museum, FABRIC and FashFilmFete™.