Women in Film Celebrates 50 Years by Recognizing the Work of Jane Fonda, Yara Shahidi, America Ferrera, and Others.

“If we stick together, we’ll win,” followed Fonda.

For the last 20 years, Max Mara has supported the organization, and two years into the partnership, they created the Women in Film Max Mara Face of the Future Award, with previous recipients including Elizabeth Banks, Katie Holmes, Zoë Saldana, Gemma Chan, and Emily Blunt. So, it was in excellent company that Yara Shahidi found herself recognized with this year’s honor.

Shahidi was quick to acknowledge her peers in the room when she said, “Because of the work you’ve done, my most impactful times on set have been surrounded by empowered women in every department and at every executive level. I’m grateful that I got to come into the industry at a time when that was the norm… I’m thrilled to be in this room and continue the legacy.”

The 23-year-old Shahidi, a recent Harvard grad, stunned the room with her grace, presence, and effortless style, dressed in a white halterneck gown from Max Mara, who sponsored her Face of the Future Award.

“When it came time to review our shortlist for the award, we were struck by Yara’s work as an actress and loved that she works with her mom as an executive producer and the idea of cross-generational-work,” Maria Giulia Prezioso Maramotti, Max Mara founder Achille Maramotti’s grand-daughter and current Global Brand Ambassador, told Vogue. “On top of it, though, she’s such a strong advocate, not just politically, but she’s also so invested in education, which is something that for Max Mara is very important, as we see that as a sustainable and steady way to promote change.”

Additional support for the event came from industry leaders and trailblazers like Eva Longoria, Linda Yvette Chavez, Celine Song, Greta Lee, Janice Min, Lake Bell, Diane Warren, and Lili Reinhart, as well as men like John Hamm, who also presented, and Harry Hamlin.