Hollywood Creative Alliance (HCA) Presents Impact Award, Publicist of the Year and Independent Filmmaker of the Year Awards

HCA also names Yong Chavez as co-CEO of the organization

The Hollywood Creative Alliance (HCA) announced today that three additional awards, the Impact Award, the inaugural Publicist of the Year, and the inaugural Hidden Empire Independent Filmmaker Award, were presented at the 2024 ASTRA Film Awards Ceremony on Saturday, January 6, 2024, at the historic Biltmore Los Angeles in Los Angeles, CA.

The HCA spotlighted the historic SAG-AFTRA and WGA strike of 2023 by bestowing seven honorees from SAG-AFTRA and WGA’s negotiating team and strike photographers with the Impact Award.  The organization honored Ellen Stutzman (WGA Chief Negotiator), Fran Drescher (SAG AFTRA President), Adam Conover (WGA Negotiating Committee & SAG AFTRA member), Duncan Crabtree-Ireland (SAG AFTRA National Executive Director & Chief Negotiator), Jack E. Herman (strike photographer, SAG-AFTRA member) J.W. Hendricks (strike photographer, Pre WGA), and Jerry Jerome (strike photographer), all of whom helped shape the future of the entertainment industry through their actions in the negotiation room, on the picket line, and through social media. Their dedication throughout these strikes will now remain for future generations to see. 

The inaugural Publicist of the Year Award was presented to Marshall Weinbaum of Walt Disney Pictures Publicity Team. Weinbaum, who worked this year on campaigns including Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3, The Little Mermaid, and Wish, has consistently gone above and beyond in supporting and elevating entertainment journalists and critics of all different backgrounds, said a spokesperson for the HCA.

Deon Taylor and Roxanne Avent Taylor, co-founders of Hidden Empire Film Group, awarded Savanah Leaf, director of A24’s Earth Mama, with the inaugural Hidden Empire Independent Filmmaker Award. This award recognizes independent filmmakers with production budgets up to $5M.

“To be an independent filmmaker simply means that your dreams, drive, and passion will soon become your armor against, chaos, negativity, and non-believers. If you believe in your work, it can be brought to life,” said Deon Taylor, co-founder of Hidden Empire Film Group. “Savanah Leaf has a remarkable vision and is a star on the rise, no doubt. It is with great pleasure that we award her with the inaugural Hidden Empire Independent Filmmaker Award. Additionally, I want to say thank you to the Hollywood Creative Alliance for championing independent filmmakers and providing a platform that highlights films that are often overlooked. Congrats to Savanah and Tia Nomore. Keep doing what you’re doing!” 

Additionally, the HCA announced Yong Chavez has been named co-CEO of the organization. In this new role, Chavez will be responsible for overseeing overall operations for the organization including membership relations, working with studios, and creating new initiatives for global representation such as new programs and content creation.

For the full list of HCA ASTRA Film Awards winners go here. TV winners will be announced at a ceremony on Monday, January 8.

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Erik Anderson

Erik Anderson is the founder/owner and Editor-in-Chief of AwardsWatch and has always loved all things Oscar, having watched the Academy Awards since he was in single digits; making lists, rankings and predictions throughout the show. This led him down the path to obsessing about awards. Much later, he found himself in film school and the film forums of GoldDerby, and then migrated over to the former Oscarwatch (now AwardsDaily), before breaking off to create AwardsWatch in 2013.

He is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, accredited by the Cannes Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and more, is a member of the International Cinephile Society (ICS), The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics (GALECA), Hollywood Critics Association (HCA) and the International Press Academy. Among his many achieved goals with AwardsWatch, he has given a platform to underrepresented writers and critics and supplied them with access to film festivals and the industry and calls the Bay Area his home where he lives with his husband and son.

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