Oscar Watch: Meryl Streep, Laura Dern, Peter Fonda celebrate Women in Film

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Oscar nominees Meryl Streep, Rosamund Pike, and Laura Dern kicked off their big weekend in style at the eighth annual Women in Film Pre-Oscar Cocktail Party at Hyde Sunset Kitchen + Cocktails in Los Angeles.

Streep had been worried she might miss the Friday event entirely due to traffic, but she breezed in just in time to pose with her fellow nominees, and snap a few selfies with fans.

The atmosphere inside was relaxed and celebratory, with nominees representing a wide array of categories, from actresses and directors, including Laura Poitras (“Citizenfour”) to producers, such as Cathleen Sutherland (“Boyhood”) and Helen Estabrook (“Whiplash”), and production designers, makeup artists and composers.

“We can’t just stop at Kathryn Bigelow,” said Peter Fonda, a longtime supporter of Women in Film.

“There are so many more women who are writers, who are actors, who are producers and they should be able to stand just even with all the males. Hollywood’s got a screwball way of doing it,” he added. “Unlike in Great Britain where they revere their older actors and actresses, here, all the women are chasing youth and it’s a terrible thing.”

Fonda believes things are changing in the industry as blockbusters get even bigger, which, he believes opens up possibilities in the independent world.

“There’s no sense in trying to compete with ‘Guardians of the Galaxy,’” he said, laughing.

Statistics regarding representation in front of and behind the camera are still being compiled for the year, but Women in Film LA President Cathy Schulman teased that there has been a growth in films for girls and young adults.

“We aren’t seeing a real change yet for movies by and for adult women, but we are seeing special movies that are making such an enormous impact that I think is going to be radioactive,” she said.

Schulman marveled at the fact that only five years ago, people were still wondering why there was a separate event for women in film. Now, she says, the cause is in the public’s consciousness.

“The most important thing is the conversation is reaching a tipping point. We’re moving in the right direction but it’s way too slow,” she said.