Overview
- Jamie Lee Curtis received the Jane Fonda Humanitarian Award and used her speech to hail Nov. 4 wins by Mikie Sherrill and Abigail Spanberger.
- Jane Fonda promoted the Oct. 1 relaunch of the Committee for the First Amendment, citing roughly 2,500 members and warning of threats to free expression.
- Kristen Wiig accepted WIF’s inaugural Icon Award from Kaia Gerber and urged creatives to take risks despite fear of failure and criticism.
- WIF chief executive Kirsten Schaffer noted early‑2025 data that about 4% of top‑grossing films are directed by women and set a $50,000 fundraising goal, with Max Mara matching up to $20,000.
- The gala also honored advocates behind Hedda and Netflix’s Forever with Crystal Awards, and named Maude Apatow the WIF Max Mara Face of the Future for her directing debut Poetic License.