2024 Arpa International Film Festival (ArpaIFF) Women in Filmmaking Panel

A panel featuring accomplished women in filmmaking — Mary Apick, Diane Baker, and Valerie McCaffrey — shared their diverse experiences in creating films and navigating the industry. They discussed challenges faced by women in a historically male-dominated field, emphasizing perseverance, collaboration, and passion as key drivers of success. Each shared insights into their creative processes, the evolving landscape of film, and the importance of mentorship and inclusivity.

Recorded at the Harmony Gold Theater (Hollywood) on Friday, October 25 during the 27th Annual Arpa International Film Festival.

ABOUT THE PANEL

Mary Apick
Mary began her acting career as a child star in Iran, becoming widely popular through the television show "Octopus." She was the first actress in Iranian Motion Picture history to win the Moscow International Film Festival Best Actress Award for her role in "Dead End." After the Iranian revolution, she moved to the United States, where she starred in films like "The Mission" and "Checkpoint" and contributed to socially significant projects like the Academy Award-winning film "Crash." Mary is known for her humanitarian efforts, particularly in advocating for women's and children's rights in the Middle East, and has received numerous accolades, including the ARPA International Film Festival Foundation Award. She also created bilingual projects for children of Iranian expatriates and remains a vocal advocate for freedom and human rights, appearing before the U.S. Congress and other media outlets.
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0032040/

Diane Baker
Diane is an accomplished actress with a distinguished career in films and television. Born and raised in Hollywood, she moved to New York at eighteen to study acting and ballet, later training at the Estelle Harman Workshop in Los Angeles. Her first notable film role was as Margot Frank in "The Diary of Anne Frank" (1959). Baker remained a contract player at Twentieth Century Fox, appearing in several films, before working on prominent projects at Universal Studios, such as "Mirage" (1965) and "Marnie" (1964). She also made a mark in television and produced independent films and television miniseries. Baker is well-recognized for her roles in "The Silence of the Lambs" (1991) and "The Cable Guy" (1996). More recently, she acted in the HBO series "Unscripted" (2005) and teaches acting at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco.
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000832/

Valerie McCaffrey
Valerie was born in Fresno, California, to a large Armenian family, she was a finalist in California Junior Miss and studied theatre at the University of Hawaii before graduating from California State University Long Beach. She served as promotions director for KSUL, the campus radio station. She worked as Vice President of Casting at New Line Cinema for six years and Director of Casting at Universal Studios for eight years. Additionally, she taught drama to inner-city children for three and a half years and produced industry shows biannually while at Universal Studios.
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0564559/

Sebastian Siegel (Moderator)
Sebastian is a British-American screenwriter, director, author, and actor from Oxford, England. He began studying drama at age seven and was accepted to college at fifteen to study theatre, winning the drama prize at Kent School. His father is Indian religions professor Lee Siegel, and his grandfather, Leonard Thompson, was a Yale professor and apartheid opponent. Sebastian credits his success to theatre, zen, rigorous exercise, and mentors like James Whitmore. He has appeared on over 100 health magazine covers, more than any other natural athlete in history.
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1186269/