10th Annual Action Icon Awards for Stuntwomen to be held in Los Angeles - Proceeds Benefit Diamond in the Raw, Dynamic Women Who Dare to be Different To Be Honored

Move over Oscars and Emmys, the Stuntwoman Awards are coming to Los Angeles on October 18-22, 2017. The Diamond in the RAW, a non-profit foundation to empower at-risk girls, will host its 10^th Annual Action Icon Conference and Awards. Tanika Ray will be the host this year.

This four-day event is packed with action-oriented seminars, stunt demonstrations, rigging techniques and top of the line stunt coordinators. The conference will close out with a VIP luncheon and awards reception. Both the conference and awards are attended by A-list action stars, Olympic athletes, extreme sports enthusiasts, keynote speakers, panelists, honorees and presenters from the entertainment industry.

The Action Icon Awards and Conference are designed to prepare, educate and discipline female stunt performers to be competitive in an industry favorable for their male counterparts. “In today’s industry, the imbalance of jobs based on gender is startling, both in front of the camera and behind the scenes. That goes especially for women of color,” says LaFaye Baker, veteran stunt woman and executive producer of the Action Icon Awards and Conference. “Overall, male performers receive a vast more career opportunities than their female counterparts thus creating an atmosphere of discrimination, aging women out of the business at 40, while men are still working well into their 60’s.”

The conference will run October 18th, October 19th and October 20th at the Airtel Hotel, 7277 Valjean Avenue in Van Nuys. On Wednesday, from 9:00 AM-5:00 PM, (for SAG-AFTRA Stuntwomen only) guests will learn how to practice their pitch, execute the Director’s vision, understand financials and contracts, and leave everlasting impressions in front of top Stunt Coordinators and 2^nd Unit Directors. Two recipients will be rewarded with a stunt daily contract or shadowing opportunity. Thursday, from 8:00 AM-6:00 PM, will be Stunt Demonstration Media Day and members of the press will come out to see and learn the mechanical aspects of stunts. Stuntwomen, Stuntmen, UPM’s, showrunners and entertainment professionals are encouraged to attend. Rigging stations will be featured including high falls, boxes vs. airbags, firework full and partial burn, stair fall safety tips, Port a Pits and decelerator, skydiving, new technology and much more. Lastly, on Friday, from 9:00 AM-5:30 PM, participants (for SAG-AFTRA Stuntwomen only) will learn various camera tricks, basic shooting techniques, camera lenses and how to edit action sequences. They will shoot their own action sequence and present their footage for feedback by professionals in the field.

The Action Icon Awards be held on Sunday, October 22^nd at 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM at the Sheraton Universal Hotel, 333 Universal Hollywood Drive in Universal City. There will be a red carpet, silent auction, reception, Celebrating their 10^th year, Diamond in the RAW has many success stories. Through their programs on everything from human trafficking to how to land a job as a stunt coordinator, the organization has helped young women shape, prepare and define their careers in the entertainment industry and Corporate America. Some of them have graduated from esteemed universities, while others have secured careers behind the scene, as a camera operator, marketing coordinator, make-up artist, fashion designer, fashion assistant to the stars, production assistant and publicist. The goal is to not only empower these young bright minds, but the more women there are in the industry and stunt community, the more likely they are to hire other women for the job.

Diamond In The Raw is a 501 ©(3) non-profit organization dedicated to empowering and transforming the lives of foster care and at-risk teen girls between the ages of 12-18 through S.T.E.A.M. (Sciences, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics.) The organization specializes in mentoring, leadership, education, business etiquette, scholarships and providing pertinent information about exciting career options behind the camera.

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Contact: Deborah Mellman / deb.mellman@gmail.com / 310-467-5226