Women in Film Partners with The CW for First-Ever TV Special

Women in Film is going primetime.

The organization has partnered with The CW network to air its first-ever televised special, a one-hour variety show titled Women in Film Presents: Make it Work!. The show will feature music, comedy and celebrity testimonial segments some of which that will explore issues and solutions for getting women back to work. It’s scheduled to air Aug. 26 from 8-9 p.m. EST before moving online to CW’s digital platforms. 

Talent confirmed for the special thus far include (in alphabetical order): Malin Akerman, Mara Brock Akil, Lake Bell, Alison Brie, Bishop Briggs, Connie Britton, Logan Browning, Nkechi Okoro Carroll, Hillary Clinton, Sheryl Crow, Rosario Dawson, Jack Donnelly, Beanie Feldstein, Jane Fonda, Jennifer Garner, Elizabeth Gillies, Kathryn Hahn, Rachael Harris, Cheryl Hines, Sarah Jeffery, Marta Kauffman, Javicia Leslie, Melanie Liburd, Rita Moreno, Catt Sadler, Andrea Savage, Sherri Shepherd, Alexandra Shipp, Rain Valdez, Michaela Watkins, Kym Whitley, Alfre Woodard and Yuna. Also on board: Ali Krieger and Ashlyn Harris of U.S. Women’s Soccer. 

Make it Work! will help support the organization’s Hire Her Back initiative, launched on June 10 as a call for industry-wide action to rebuild a workforce that hires women and people of color equitably as the industry recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic. The additional goal is to raise money for the WIF Hire Her Back Fund that will disburse grants to women whose livelihoods in film and television have been adversely affected by the crisis as they are returning to the workforce. 

The show’s executive producers are Stephanie Allain, Amy Baer and Monica Levinson. Hannah Levy and Adriana Robles are on board to direct while Wendy Button, Simbi Hall  and Mishy Turner will write the scripts. The special will be produced in association with ShivHans Pictures with music supervision handled by Tracy McKnight. Seed funding for the grants has been generously provided by the founder of ShivHans, producer Shivani Rawat. Additional contributions to the fund can be made at WIF.org.

Aug. 14, 1:41 p.m.: Updated to include Hillary Clinton, Sheryl Crow, Bishop Briggs and Yuna.