Zora Hurston was a world-renowned writer and anthropologist. Hurston’s novels, short stories, and plays often depicted African American life in the South. Her work in anthropology examined black folklore. Hurston influenced many writers, forever cementing her place in history as one of the foremost female writers of the 20th century.
Alka Sadat is an Afghan documentarian and feature film producer, director and camerawoman.
Narcisa Buencamino-De León was a Filipino businesswoman and film producer who navigated her family-owned LVN Pictures (which she co-founded in the 1930s) into a major force in post-World War II Philippine cinema, operating until 2005.
Hanna Maron was a German-born Israeli actor, comedian and theater personality who held the world record for the longest career in theater.
Dorothy Green was an American silent film actress who had film roles in Forest Rivals (1919), The Lesson (1917), The Wonderful Adventure (1915), A Parisian Romance, Her Mother’s Secret, The American Way Souls Aflame, The Devils at His Elbow, The Good Bad Wife, the serial Patria, The Praise Agent with Arthur Ashley, and The Grouch. She also performed on stage with the New Shakespeare Company. She was best known for playing “vamp” roles, in cluding in Patria, The Devils at His Elbow, and A Parisian Romance. Green retired from acting in 1930.
From 1991 to 1993, Zlata Filipović wrote in her diary, Mimmy, about the horrors of living through the siege of Sarajevo during the Bosnian War as a child. Later published as “Zlata’s Diary,” the book became a bestseller and elicited comparisons to the diary of Anne Frank.
Filipović and her family survived, escaping to Paris in 1993 with the help of the United Nations. She has lived in Dublin, Ireland since October 1995, where she has continued to write and work on films and as an international activist. In 2011, Filipović produced the short film Stand Up! for BeLonG To, an LGBTQ youth service organisation in Ireland. The film, advocating against homophobic bullying in schools, has been viewed more than 1.6 million times on YouTube.
Filipović served on the Executive Committee of Amnesty International Ireland from 2007 to 2013 and is a founding member of NYPAW (Network of Young People Affected by War). She has spoken at schools and universities around the world on the topic of children in conflict.
Sheema Kalbasi is an Iranian American poet, writer, filmmaker and activist for women’s rights, minorities’ rights, children’s rights, human rights and refugees’ rights. Her work discusses these topics as well as other women’s issues, war, refugees, Sharia Law and freedom of expression. In additon to her artistic work, Sheema taught refugee children and worked for the UNHCR and the Center for Refugees in Pakistan, and UNA Denmark. Her poems have been anthologized and translated into more than 20 languages.
Ann Hui On-wah, BBS MBE is a Hong Kong film director, producer, screenwriter and actress and one of the Hong Kong New Wave’s most critically acclaimed filmmakers.
Googie Withers was an English entertainer who was a dancer and actor whose career spanned nine decades in theatre, film, and television.
Mina Shum is the writer and director of award-winning feature films and several short films. I