Variety and Chanel‘s annual Women in Film dinner was the place to see and be chic at the Toronto Film Festival on Friday night.
When Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh entered the bar for the evening cocktail hour, Emmy winners Sarah Paulson and Colman Domingo greeted her with hugs. Soon, Patricia Arquette breezed in too, pulling in her fellow Oscar winner for a quick photo.
That power quartet — plus Chanel ambassadors and actresses Ayo Edebiri and Lily-Rose Depp, Noomi Rapace, Luke Evans, David Harbour, India Amarteifio, Rosalind Eleazar, Cole Sprouse, Amber Mudthunder, Jessica Henwick, Charlie Heaton, Anthony Ippolito, Cooper Raiff, Mariana di Girolamo, Emanuela Postacchini, Mackenzie Davis and more — epitomized the top-tier talent who assembled to celebrate the achievements of women and nonbinary filmmakers in this year’s lineup.
While the term “filmmaker” generally refers to directors, the event saluted many of the most powerful women in film — most of whom are multihyphenate talents, like actor-director Fala Chen (“Bloodline”) or Courteney Cox, who launched her directorial debut “Evil Genius” out of the fest.
“At Variety, we’ve made a commitment to cover parity in the entertainment industry and the importance of female representation on the big screen. And while there have been significant strides, there’s still much room for improvement,” said Variety co-president and co-editor-in-chief Ramin Setoodeh, kicking off the event.
While Hollywood is having a banner year at the movies, Setoodeh noted, none of the top 15 films at the box office were solely directed by women. “That’s why this dinner is so important. It’s an opportunity for you all to network, to come together, to brainstorm,” he said, asking the female filmmakers and producers in the crowd to raise their hands high. “If you’re an executive, here’s who you need to talk to.”
Variety co-president and publisher Dea Lawrence drove that point home, quoting the late Gloria Steinem: “Representation is not just who gets to appear in the story. It’s about who gets to tell the story. And so tonight we celebrate the women who are doing exactly that: creating, directing, writing, producing, and leading the way, opening those doors for the next generation of women.”
This year’s TIFF lineup proves progress is possible, as 35% of the official selection is directed or co-directed by women, like “Love of Your Life” from Rachel Morrison or “Josephine” by Beth de Araújo. That impressive figure — a goal that TIFF leadership set for 2028, but reached two years early — is made possible when organizations like Chanel and publications like Variety hold Hollywood’s decision-makers to account, said TIFF’s Chief Business and Marketing Officer Jennifer Frees.
“Chanel and Variety share TIFF’s passion for supporting the remarkable creators who continue to shape the future of culture and of cinema,” Frees said. “So with that in mind, this evening is a celebration of world-class creativity and the community that it fosters.”
One such initiative is the Chanel Women Creators’ Network, an extension of the TIFF Share Her Journey’s annual Writers’ Lab. “At Chanel, it’s nothing new for us to support women — because our founder was a woman,” said Gregoire Collignon, president of Chanel Canada, referring to Coco Chanel. “Since the ’30s, she was designing and supporting women in film.” This program, established in 2020, continues that legacy, he added, and “reinforces the house’s commitment to championing women in the arts and to creating opportunities for their artistic and personal development.”
Carol Nguyen is a 2025 fellow whose documentary “Still Night, Burning House” is also debuting at this year’s fest. The 2026 fellows are Shannon Walsh, Hannah Vastinsalo, Shannon Welby and Amelia Eloisa.
“These four exceptional creators represent the vision, the originality and the artistic excellence that define the next generation of filmmaking,” Frees said. “Through their work, they’re expanding perspectives, they’re challenging conventions, and they’re reminding us why diverse stories matter so much.”
After the speeches, the mingling continued: “Being Heumann” director Sîan Heder and star Ruth Madeley fielded congratulations for how well their film played as the festival’s opening night selection. Next to them, Lauren Miller Rogen (“Babies”) and Seth Rogen chatted with Ziwe Fumudoh. When the party moved upstairs for an intimate, seated dinner, Rogen’s signature laugh rang out above the din of conversation and the clanking of forks and knives. This fashionable crowd was ready to let their hair down and have some fun amid the business of the fest.
English (US) ·