A Study of the Federal Office for Culture from 2021 has shown that women have fewer career opportunities than men in the entire Swiss film industry - from cinema to advertising to television. The study highlighted disadvantages in areas such as wages, training, professional associations, funding and the filling of key positions.

"We are optimistic and fight for equal opportunities in our fascinating industry," says Tuna. The association targets all sectors of the professional advertising and film industry in Switzerland, from commissioned films, commercials and documentaries to TV productions. Its main concerns include the wage discussion and the presence of women in management positions.

The Female Film & Advertising Association FFAA plans a variety of activities such as panel discussions, lectures and information events. In addition, close relationships with national and international partner organizations, agencies, clients and filmmakers will be cultivated.

Tuna and Rindlisbacher on the Board of Directors

Derya Tuna and Laura Rindlisbacher are the two women who head the newly founded association.

Film producer Derya Tuna has been Managing Director and Executive Producer at Tuna Production in Zurich since 2014 and a board member of the Swiss Film Association since 2018.

Laura Rindlisbacher is a documentary film director. She started her career as a production assistant and junior producer at Stories. After a few years, she went into business for herself as a casting director. Her debut as a documentary director with the film "Cargo" was nominated for Best British Short Film at the 2022 London Short Film Festival LSFF.

At Female Future Festival is all about female empowerment, new working environments, leadership, innovation and careers. At the business event on June 29, 2023 at the Xtra in Zurich, female entrepreneurs and founders will give insights into their daily work. More than 30 speakers will provide insights into their lives - including specialists from all fields whose experiences will both surprise and inspire.

Among others, Katrin Atkins, who spent ten years traveling around the world for the Swiss Army, will be there. Her job: clearing mines and blowing up bombs. In her current job as a risk management consultant, she also deals with explosive and tense topics. At the Female Future Festival, she will not only share insights from her unusual job as a mine defuser, but also talk about how she deals with risks and elaborate on what safety means to her.

Rails, roads and construction noise: that is Valentina Kumpusch's profession. The head of department and vice-director presso of the Federal Roads Office Astra was major project manager for the construction of the second Gotthard tube as well as project manager for the rehabilitation of the Gotthard pass road. The speaker provides insights into the tasks of a female project manager in road construction and talks about her inspiring experiences in a male-dominated industry.

Mascha Kurpicz-Briki: Technology of the future

ChatGPT has been ubiquitous for some time now. Mascha Kurpicz-Briki is looking at how modern technology can support people instead of replacing them. The professor of computer science at Bern University of Applied Sciences heads the Applied Machine Intelligence research group and is investigating how digital methods can be applied to social and societal challenges. In the process, she is testing applications for healthcare, but is also researching the fairness of automatic text processing.

Tijen Onaran: Giving women more visibility

"I can wear lipstick, dress in pink and still negotiate business deals": With words like these, Tijen Onaran, CEO & Founder of GDW Global Digital Women, makes the case for women. Onaran is an entrepreneur, presenter and speaker. She founded the content platform FemaleOneZero and runs her consulting firm startup affairs. Before starting her own business, Tijen Onaran worked in leading positions for members of the European and German parliaments, for the Office of the Federal President, and for associations and a university.

Well-known names such as Yaël Meier, the young Swiss entrepreneur and founder of Zeam, will also appear at the Female Future Festival and give a keynote speech on the topic of Generation Future - what awaits us! But women who are not normally in the public eye will also get a stage at the Female Future Festival. The women will pass on their knowledge in workshops and master classes, and there will also be a networking lounge and an expo. Finally, the afterwork party rounds off the event.

Now their commitment is being lived on, their spiritual legacy filled with life, contemporary in the sense of "There is a special place, a Hall of Fame, for women who support other women". And that place is the League of Leading Ladies Conference, at which the Empowering Women Award will be presented for the first time on June 16-17 at the Grand Resort Bad Ragaz.

Women who stand up for other women

The jury consists of three women who have been advocates for other women for years. Namely, these are Katia Murmann, CPO Ringier Global Media & Blick Group, who with the Equal Voice Initiative is committed to making women equally visible in reporting (EqualVoice-Factor), as well as Charlotte Parnack, the Head of the Business Department at DIE ZEIT, and Sandra-Stella Triebl, Founder Swiss Ladies Drive and President of the global women's network The League of Leading Ladies. The award initiator has been publishing the highest-circulation women's business title in the German-speaking region since 2007 and has portrayed and networked outstanding women, who often quietly achieve great things, in hundreds of interviews.

"I think it's time to award not those people who are better than others, smarter, more successful, more beautiful or taller. But rather to simply put someone in the spotlight who is passionate and committed to helping others," summarizes Sandra-Stella Triebl.

The need is there to strengthen each other

The response has been great. Already after the first announcement of the Empowering Women Award, 150 recommendations were received by the jury trio. Currently, 80 women have been nominated. "Especially now, in a time when we are struggling from one crisis to the next, such an award is a strong sign. Life goes on - especially thanks to strong women who in turn inspire other women, with the goal of unleashing our full potential and becoming better and better as a society," underlines Sandra-Stella Triebl.

Top-class international award environment

The setting of the award ceremony promises visibility and networking on an international level for the award winner: In addition to best-selling author John Strelecky ("The Café at the Edge of the World"), who is on a European reading tour on the occasion of the film of the same name, which is currently being produced by Til Schweiger, and will enrich the League of Leading Ladies Conference with a keynote speech, internationally renowned crisis communication expert Renu Bakshi, the succession advisor to the world's most famous family dynasties Sasha Lund, the granddaughter of Nelson Mandela, Swati Mandela, the Waste to Clean Energy pioneer Raphael Fritz, the Hollywood producer and serial entrepreneur Didi Wong, the Global CEO of Spring Studios Giuseppe Stigliano and many others.

Empowering Women Award: How to recommend female candidates

Do you know a woman who supports other women, encourages them and is passionate and successful in helping others?

Here you can nominate your work colleague, friend, acquaintance, business partner, superior or mentor. In addition to media attention (media partnership with Ringier, cooperation with exclusive award partner Porsche Switzerland), the winner can expect an award by Swiss artist Gabriela Brunner (one-off/unique piece exclusively for this event) worth CHF 8,000.00 as well as an invitation to the League of Leading Ladies Conference 2022 incl. overnight stay from June 16 to 17, 2022 at the Grand Resort Bad Ragaz worth CHF 2,300.00. The deadline for submissions is May 1, 2022.

Learn more about the award and the conference:  Here and Here