Jasmine Guy To Receive 2013 Creative Excellence Award

ATLANTA - Sept. 10, 2013 - PRLog -- This is the 39th year in which Women In Film & Television Atlanta (WIFTA) has presented its annual Gala. Georgia’s premiere organization dedicated to improving the status and portrayal of women in film, video, and other screen-media continues a standard of excellence by announcing today that actress-dancer-director Jasmine Guy will receive the 2013 WIFTA Creative Excellence Award. The award will be presented during the WIFTA Anniversary Gala & Awards Ceremony on Sunday, October 20th at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta.

“We are extremely excited to honor and celebrate the talented Jasmine Guy,” says Cheryl Jenkins, WIFTA president.  “Jasmine is an extraordinarily versatile artist whose work consistently challenges and captivates, no matter the genre or subject matter.  I am thrilled to join all WIFTA members in recognizing her impact in the industry.”

In addition to the Gala & Awards Ceremony, the event will also include a networking reception, dinner and silent auction. The Gala is WIFTA's primary fundraising vehicle and the proceeds of the event will enable WIFTA to continue to provide exceptional educational programming, networking opportunities and professional resources in support of women in film and television throughout the year.

The WIFTA 39th Annual Gala & Awards Ceremony is open to the public. It will be held on October 20, 2013 at the Georgia World Congress Center, which is located at 285 Andrew Young International Blvd. NW Atlanta, GA, in the Thomas Murphy Ballroom (bldg B) starting at 7:30pm. Early bird tickets are on sale now at: http://www.WIFTA.org/Gala. Early bird tickets are $100 for WIFTA members and $125 for non-members.

About Jasmine Guy

Jasmine Guy danced her way into the heart of America with at the start of her career with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in New York City. While in New York, Guy starred on Broadway in original productions of Beehive and Leader of the Pack as well as reprised hit productions of Grease, The Wiz and Chicago. After years on Broadway and touring the globe, Jasmine landed the pivotal role of “Whitley Gilbert” on The Cosby Show spinoff A Different World. She won six consecutive NAACP Image Awards for her portrayal of the pretentious but funny southern belle. Her other television performances include: Melrose Place, NYPD Blue, Fresh Prince of Bel Air and Living Single. Her most recent TV role as “Grams” on the popular series Vampire Diaries can be seen on the CW Network.

In addition to her impressive list on on-screen and on-stage cast mates, Guy has worked extensively in theater behind the scenes with Kenny Leon, Susan Booth, Andrea Frye and Pearl Cleage. She has starred in or directed many productions, including: For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf, Miss Evers' Boys, Blues for an Alabama Sky, The Colored Museum, The Fourposter, The Nacirema Society, Broke-ology and Fool For Love; her most recent theatrical projects include God of Carnage at Atlanta's Alliance Theatre, which is where she also directed the world premiere of the opera celebrating the life and journey of Martin Luther King, Jr. I Dream.

About Women In Film & Television Atlanta (WIFTA)

Women In Film & Television Atlanta (WIFTA), a 501c-3 Georgia non-profit, is a member-based professional organization affiliated with other Women In Film chapters around the world. Since our inception in 1974, the Atlanta chapter has proudly had a membership community of multi-generational and culturally diverse professionals, which include producers, directors, actors, entertainment attorneys, camera and sound technicians, film editors, graphic design artists, make-up artists, wardrobe specialists, screenwriters, talent agents and casting directors. WIFTA is dedicated to improving the status and portrayal of women in film, television, video and other screen based media by offering opportunities for media makers to connect, create, champion and inspire.