Lauren Melinda receives the first phenomenal prize from Chaz Ebert in cinema | Festivals and awards

During the Cinema Female Short Film Festival 2025 which took place at the Music Box Theater earlier this summer, the filmmaker and multidisciplinary artist Lauren Melinda was honored as the first recipient of the phenomenal person by Chaz Ebert in the cinema. The prize recognizes the filmmakers whose work embodies empathy, compassion and a commitment to amplify the under-represented voices, are central to both the woman of the cinema and the philanthropic vision of Chaz Ebert.

During the ceremony, Sonia Evans, development vice-president at Ebert Digital LLC and daughter of Chaz Ebert, selected Lauren Melinda for honor, and explained why she chose Lauren and her film “Before you”:

“I chose Lauren Melinda and his film” Before You “because he invites the spectator to a world where forgiveness, empathy, compassion and kindness are not only present but essential to survival. These principles are woven throughout the emotional arch of the film and are reflected in Lauren’s artistic mission. Humanity.

Asked about Evan’s words, Melinda thought about their depth: they resonated:

“I appreciate so much that she saw the film. And I think it has always been my goal – bring humanity to a conversation which is so politicized and which is not really seen from this angle. To reflect this back was incredibly significant for me. In all my work – my works of art, writing, realization of cinema – it has always been to find humanity and the connection that we share and creating an open dialogue. ”

Melinda stressed that her art often dives on subjects that many people hesitate to discuss. “My husband sometimes asks me, Why are you talking about the things that people are not supposed to talk about?“She said with a smile.” But the truth is that many of us live with silence, shame or guilt. We don’t need to be alone in there. Sharing our own humanity allows others to put their stories in light. “

His film “Before You”, which is currently placing festivals nationwide, including at the Alabama School of Fine Arts – triggered conversations in an audience in unexpected places.

“What surprised me the most was how many red states played my film,” she noted. “I expected that he finds his house in the Blue States, where the conversation is perhaps more normalized. But in fact, most festivals were in very strict abortion. It was fascinating to see how the public received the film and the idea that love and pain can exist together. ”

This duality, explained Melinda, is at the heart of “in front of you”. “I speak with my daughter to be able to hold two feelings at the same time. For me, this film consists in having the immense love that I had for my daughter who was born alongside pain and the loss of the one who never came.

About the price

The phenomenal prize for the person of cinema was inspired in 2019, when Chaz Ebert praised the executive director of Cinema Femme, Rebecca Martin Fagerholm, as “a phenomenal woman” during a public event. This moment triggered the creation of a prize to recognize filmmakers whose work advances empathy, representation and inclusion.

This year marks the first time that the Cinema Female Film Festival has given the Prize under the name of Ebert. Each recipient is interviewed for Cinema woman magazine And invited to meet Chaz Ebert, continuing her mission of mentoring and breeding new voices. The former winners of the original prize for the phenomenal person included Veronica Miles, Katrine Weber, Anna Fredrikke Bjerke, Mazdey Snob, Tiffany Tenille and Claudia Lee.