WIFT - FL Muse Award

Women in Film & Television Florida is excited to continue with our rich tradition of honoring and supporting our local production crew and have added the Muse Award as an honor bestowed upon a deserving member of the Florida production community. In keeping with tradition of other WIFT Branches around the country, The Board of WIFT Florida honors a Muse each year at the annual Jingle Mingle event.

What is the definition of a Muse? 

The WIFT-FL Muse Award is dedicated to those who share and provide enjoyment of all entertainment art forms.  Our selections are experts in their fields, and they come from all directions of Florida, with the common interest in improving the art form, raising its standards and inspiring all those who have found themselves on this creative and rewarding path.

2018 Muse Award Winner

Karen Hall

Karen Hall was honored by WIFT in its inaugural Muse Award as an extraordinary and prolific writer for both television and film. She has been a trailblazer from the very beginning of her career as the only female writer for the highly acclaimed program, M*A*S*H. We honor her dedication as a screenwriter, producer, and show runner on numerous productions including Hill Street Blues, Northern Exposure, Roseanne, and The Good Wife. Over the course of her career she has received 6 Emmy nominations and 7 Writer’s Guild Awards nominations . She won the Writers Guild Award for her work on Hill Street Blues. She was recently named a juror for The Peabody awards.

Ms. Hall lives in Windemere, FL with her family and is developing content for her production company, New Voyage Productions. 

Hall is truly WIFT Florida’s muse. It is our honor to welcome her at Jingle Mingle and to present her with the 2018 Muse Award.

2019 Muse Award Winner

Elayne Schneiderman Schmidt

Elayne Schneiderman Schmidt was honored by WIFT as their 2019 Muse Award winner.  A renowned line producer and production manager, her 40+ credits include such blockbuster films as I Am Number Four, Academy Award nominated Ali, six-time Academy Award Nominee Up In The Air , the Cameron Diaz/Shirley MacLaine hit In Her Shoes, the Renee Zellweger/Harry Connick, Jr. romantic comedy New In Town, the Robin Williams smash hit (and Academy Award nominee) The Birdcage, and Entourage, the film adaptation of HBO’s hit series. Her television credits include Reno 911, CSI: Miami, South Beach, and Miami Vice, where she began her career as assistant to producers Michael Mann and John Nicollela.

While Elayne’s production services have been sought out by legendary filmmakers J. J.Abrams and Michael Bay, in 2011, Elayne decided to bring her considerable expertise tothe independent film world and focus on smaller projects (under $20 million), with exceptional stories and potential for both film festival accolades and cross-over appeal for mainstream audiences. Elayne has broken barriers in the past few years with her creative producing for independent films such as “Moonlight” and “The Florida Project,” using her skills to give these low budget films a competitive edge in the arena with much larger productions.

2020 Muse Award Winner

Diane Kirman

Diane Kirman was presented the 2020 Muse Award during the virtual Jingle Mingle.  Diane is a producer and founder of Code7 Films, who's passion is filming around the world. As an independent film producer with 20 years of experience, her films have placed number one in network time slots airing on ABC and NBC as well as digital platforms including Netflix, Amazon, HBO, Showtime, Disney and Hulu.

She grew up in Philadelphia and after graduating with a BS and MS degree from Penn State she started a casting company whose credits included: Rocky V, Mannequin on the Move, Rat Race, ABC After School Specials, Super Force, Grizzly Falls, Lost in Africa and over 100 national commercials. She has cast projects for MGM, Universal, ABC and Disney.  After moving to Los Angeles she began a career in producing.

She has taken films from concept to worldwide distribution overseeing all areas of film production in addition to fund-sourcing and aftermarket management. With a zest for travel and the challenge of distant locations, her productions have taken her to Africa, Thailand, Canada, Nassau, Puerto Rico, England, and throughout the US. She is experienced in rebates, and building a worldwide production team with credits on films and TV shows for major film studios.  The New Swiss Family Robinson produced by Kirman was the highest rated show for Disney ABC in its time slot.

As founder of Code 7 Films, Diane has built a global production company with a team of multi-talented industry professionals and an educational division to mentor and support new filmmakers.

She is a member of Women in Film, The Screen Actors Guild, a graduate of Woody Mosten Mediation training and John Gaskin Film Accountant training. Currently Diane serves as a board member of The Greater Contribution helping to empower women in extreme poverty living in Uganda to start their own businesses with training and micro loans. She has often rescued stray animals and has a heart to make the world a better place for all humans and animals.