Wendy Wilkins

LOS ANGELES, CA, UNITED STATES, January 19, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ -- If the Golden Globe Awards aren't on television, will anyone care? That's just one of the uneasy questions facing the embattled Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which proceeded with its film awards last Sunday night without a telecast, nominees, celebrity guests, a red carpet, a host, press or even a livestream. In a year beset by controversy, the self-proclaimed biggest party in Hollywood, has been reduced to little more than a Twitter feed.

Renowned filmmaker and actress, Wendy Wilkins, sees the latest news as a disappointment. "I think it’s disappointing that it’s not televised and how the nominees and recipients aren't given a chance to comment when they receive the awards and thank the people they want to thank," states Wilkins.

Members of the HFPA and some recipients of the group's philanthropic grants gathered at the Beverly Hilton Hotel for a 90-minute private event last Sunday. The names of the film and television winners were revealed to the world in real time on the organization's social media feeds and website. Special emphasis given to their charitable efforts over the years.

Wilkins continues, "Very few people realize what it takes to get to the level of winning these awards. I’m in the middle of directing my first feature and it’s quite the roller coaster. Of course, we’re not solving world peace or finding a cure for terrible diseases, but it is nice to be acknowledged."

That the organization is proceeding with any kind of event came as a surprise to many in Hollywood. The HFPA came under fire after a Los Angeles Times investigation revealed in February ethical lapses and a stunning lack of diversity — there was not a single Black journalist in the 87-person group. Studios and PR firms threatened to boycott. Tom Cruise even returned his three Golden Globes, while other A-listers condemned the group on social media.

"To celebrate successes, the fans, and the general public that actually watch TV and go to the movies is something I am quite fond of as well," concludes Wilkins.

After the NBC blow, it was widely expected that the HFPA would simply sit the year out. Hollywood studios and publicists also largely opted out from engaging with the group as they had in years past, with some declining to provide screeners of films for consideration. When nominees were announced last month, few celebrated publicly.

Wilkins is Directing her first feature in which she wrote, inspired by true events. 'Alone Today' is the story of a woman (Shannon Elizabeth) in an abusive relationship with a dirty detective (Frank Whaley) who is helping move sex trafficked girls coming over the Mexican Border. When attempting to save just one truck load before “disappearing forever”, everything goes horribly wrong and she decides to take a different path. Wilkins is particularly excited to also be working with Hollywood icon Danny Trejo (playing Father Francis) in between filming talking about the current climate in Los Angeles with the recent riots and Black Lives Matter and hoping for a better more equitable future for all.

Wilkins is excited to welcome highly accomplished award-winning producer and director, Julia Verdin, to help produce 'Alone Today'. Having produced over 30 feature films and worked with the likes of Thomas Jane, The Merchant of Venice (2004), starring Al Pacino, Jeremy Irons and Joseph Fiennes, Verdin has served for many years as a director on the board of BAFTA. This is also Verdin's platform, shining a light on child trafficking and domestic violence. She also has a nonprofit, Artists for Change.

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Wendy Wilkins is an award-winning actress, writer, filmmaker based in Los Angeles. Wendy is honored to have recently become an American citizen having lived here for years via London, originally from Australia. After being a young cop, Wendy became one of the most successful real estate agents in Australia, personally selling over a billion dollars in sales. Her creative passions kept calling her since she put shows on for her grandfather in her garage, when she was a little girl. The joy on his face still resonates with Wendy today. Wendy has won awards on the festival circuit, and been delighted to act in a number of award-winning films and TV shows alongside many household names. Wendy also has a number of screenplays in various forms of development.

Wilkins is also the author of a memoir, Sex, Love, and Cops: A Memoir of My Five Years as a Young Cop, following the true story of Wendy Wilkins as she joins the police force, a naive twenty-year-old cop in Melbourne, Australia, and discovers many firsts, her first arrest, murder, dead body, love, cop culture and a #metoo moment...The good, the bad and the ugly of life as a cop in Melbourne Australia, in the late 80's and early 90's.

The memoir is a fast paced and entertaining read with some wonderful characters, who just happen to be real. A peek inside the gritty underbelly of Melbourne's police world, through the lens of a young female cop. Wendy navigates this new world, while falling in love and being sexually awakened herself. Vignettes in the style of Candace Bushnell's "Sex and The City" novella.

"Through shining a light in an entertaining way, I believe in positive change. I have learnt through movies, tv series, and readings about injustices & situations that I would never have been aware of or been as passionate about if I had just glimpsed a news article," states Wendy. "It is the main reason I became an actress/writer. Even if I can change one person's mind through the creative arts to have a more just and better life, it is worth it. I have felt it myself. If I can help someone feel better about their situation, laugh, get out a good cry, or not feel alone, that is my mission as an artist to help make the world a better place."

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