Ally Acker facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ally Acker
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | August 17, 1954 New York City, U.S.
|
| Alma mater | Northwestern University Columbia University |
| Occupation |
|
Ally Acker was born on August 17, 1954, in New York. She is an American filmmaker, poet, author, and film historian. She is best known for her book, Reel Women: Pioneers of the Cinema. This book was the first to show how important women were in the film industry from the very beginning. They helped create and change movies in many ways. In 1995, Reel Women became one of the first interactive CD-ROMs ever released. It was called Reel Women: The Untold Story. Later, in 2014, Ally Acker directed a documentary film. It was titled "REEL HERSTORY: The REAL Story of Reel Women" and was hosted by famous actress Jodie Foster.
Early Career in Media
Ally Acker started her amazing career at a young age. When she was seventeen, she became the first woman to get a special license from the FCC. This license allowed her to operate radio transmitters. At eighteen, she was hired by WOR AM radio in New York. She became their first female engineer. At WOR, Ally worked with famous radio personalities like Jean Shepherd and Arlene Francis.
After finishing her studies at Northwestern University in 1976, Ally moved into television. She worked as a video editor for WRC-TV in Washington, D.C.. From 1977 to 1980, she also worked for the Feminist Radio Network. There, she interviewed important writers like Alice Walker. This interview was later played on National Public Radio.
In 1978, Ally Acker made her own 16mm film called Silver Apples of the Moon. This film was so good that it became a finalist for a Student Academy Award. In 1980, she moved to New York to focus on filmmaking. She worked as an assistant to film editor Sam Pollard. A year later, NBC hired her as a video editor for shows like The Today Show and NBC Nightly News. Soon after, she became a producer and writer for The Today Show. This was a big step, as she was the first technician at NBC in New York to move into producing and writing. Her first stories for the network featured hosts Jane Pauley and Tom Brokaw.
Shining a Light on "Reel Women"
In 1985, Ally Acker created The Reel Women Trust Foundation. This group aims to celebrate the stories of amazing women in all fields who are often left out of history books. She began interviewing women who were pioneers in film for The Reel Women Video Archives. These interviews were done from 1985 to 1994. She spoke with many famous people, including Jodie Foster, Katharine Hepburn, Nora Ephron, and Lillian Gish.
Ally Acker later gave this collection of interviews to the Academy Film Archive. This is part of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Film students and researchers can now use these interviews to learn more about women in film history.
In 1985, Ally also interviewed the famous artist and writer, Leonora Carrington. This interview was used in Ally's film about Carrington's life. The film is called The Flowering of the Crone: Leonora Carrington, Another Reality (2012–2014). It is the only authorized film about Carrington made in the United States.
Ally Acker also continued her education. In 1987, she earned her Masters of Fine Arts (MFA) in film and poetry from Columbia University. Her screenplay, The Mathematical Mermaid, was a finalist for a special award in screenwriting in 1988.
From the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s, Ally worked as a writer and producer for many TV networks. These included NBC, ABC, Lifetime Television, National Geographic, and Disney Channel. During these years, she also focused on her poetry. She started writing poems when she was 13. She has published several books of poetry, including Surviving Desire (1994) and Waiting for the Beloved (1999). Her poems have appeared in many literary magazines. She has also won awards for her poetry.
Modern Contributions
In 2012, Ally Acker greatly updated her 1990 book, Reel Women. It is now a two-volume series. These books are used in universities all over the world. They are called Reel Women: The First Hundred Years, Volume One and Volume Two. The books include photos from the famous Bison Archives.
In 2014, Ally Acker directed, co-wrote, and edited a three-part feature film. It was called Reel Herstory: The REAL Story of Reel Women. This film used the many interviews she had gathered for The Reel Women Video Archives. Actress Jodie Foster hosted the film.
Ally Acker's writing has also appeared in magazines like Ms. Magazine. Her work is also included in the book Notable American Women. She helps edit Poetry Salzburg Review, a magazine published in Austria. Ally has traveled to many universities and film festivals. She gives talks about the history of women in film. She has also appeared on TV shows as a film historian. In 2015, Ally Acker was featured in a documentary called The Women Who Run Hollywood. This film was made by French filmmakers Clara Kuperberg and Julia Kuperberg.
