Salma Hayek Pinault, Jane Fonda, Kerry Washington, and Sharon Stone stepped onto the red carpet at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills on Thursday, November 5, 2026, for the annual Women In Film (WIF) Honors. Presented in partnership with Italian fashion house Max Mara, the event celebrated women pushing for greater representation and equity across film and television, according to Vogue and the Associated Press. The evening combined major fashion statements with five distinct award presentations honoring advocacy, executive leadership, and artistic work.

Since 1977, Women In Film has recognized accomplished industry figures for their contributions on and behind the camera. This year’s gala brought together actors, directors, and studio executives, including honorees Hayek Pinault, Adria Arjona, Hannah Waddingham, Pamela Abdy, Beth de Araújo, and Gemma Chan, as noted by Deadline.

Beyond the formal tributes, the event drew widespread attention for its red-carpet glamour and pointed discussions on the state of gender parity in entertainment.

Salma Hayek Pinault's Navy Ensemble and Red Carpet Fashion

On the arrivals line, the 60-year-old Hayek Pinault commanded attention in a floor-skimming, deep navy blue gown by Bottega Veneta. As detailed by HOLA! USA, the custom-fitted design opted for refined tailoring over cutouts or heavy embellishments, featuring a classic round neckline, three-quarter-length sleeves, and artfully gathered fabric at the waist secured by a small gold accent.

Hayek Pinault paired the dress with bold metallic accessories that contrasted against the dark blue fabric. She wore chunky, sculptural gold bracelets on both wrists, gold rings, and black open-toe platform heels.

She completed the outfit with a structured gold Bottega Veneta Andiamo handbag featuring the label's signature woven texture, while styling her dark hair sleek and straight.

As the evening's presenting sponsor, Max Mara dressed several prominent attendees. Fonda, Waddingham, Arjona, and Caylee Cowan all wore ensembles by the Italian brand. Reporting differed slightly regarding Kerry Washington’s wardrobe: while Vogue reported that Washington opted for Balmain on the red carpet, photo captions from People described her as wearing a Max Mara ensemble. Elsewhere on the carpet, Katherine LaNasa wore a design by Michael Kors.

According to Page Six and Deadline, the guest list also featured Jason Momoa, who arrived alongside Arjona, as well as Brittany Snow, Olivia Munn, Emmy Rossum, Natasha Rothwell, Jaime Ray Newman, Stassi Schroeder, Emayatzy Corinealdi, and Carlson Young.

Inside the ballroom, Hayek Pinault and her husband, François-Henri Pinault, were photographed seated alongside Fonda.

Jane Fonda Presents Humanitarian Award to Hayek Pinault

A central highlight of the ceremony occurred when the 88-year-old Fonda took the stage to present Hayek Pinault with her namesake Jane Fonda Humanitarian Award. During her introduction, Fonda reflected on their decades-long friendship, recalling a trip they took to Mexico more than two decades ago to bring attention to hundreds of missing and murdered women and girls.

"She’s so passionate, and what really impressed me is how she listens to people and really gets to know them," Fonda told the audience. "You can’t just write a check, you have to be there and have kinship."

Fonda commended Hayek Pinault’s ongoing efforts to combat systemic gender-based violence through the Kering Foundation and Chime for Change, alongside her past testimony before the U.S.

Senate. She also noted the producer's determination to bring Latina-led projects like Frida and Ugly Betty to audiences despite industry resistance. "This is a woman who knows that getting what you want often requires more than good intentions," Fonda added. "It requires guts, being prepared to get in the ring and fight, and boy, has she fought. And the willingness to get your hands dirty."

Rather than delivering a standard acceptance speech, Hayek Pinault joined Fonda for an onstage conversation about community and activism. Calling Fonda a mentor, Hayek Pinault dedicated her award to the late civil rights activist Dolores Huerta, who died in October, according to WWD. She explained that her move into film and television production stemmed from a desire to correct the lack of opportunities for Hispanic talent when she first arrived in Hollywood.

"I complained a lot about the lack of opportunities when I arrived here, so the only way I could do something about it was [getting] behind the camera," Hayek Pinault said. "I created a company that created opportunities for others."

2026 WIF Honorees and Industry Disparities

Four additional honors were handed out during the Thursday ceremony to recognize achievements across film and television:

  • WIF Max Mara Face of the Future Award: Presented to actress and producer Adria Arjona.
  • Inaugural Vanguard Award: Filmmaker Nancy Meyers presented the trophy to Pamela Abdy, the former Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group co-chair and chief executive officer.
  • Crystal Award for Advocacy in Television: Awarded to Hannah Waddingham on behalf of Ted Lasso for her work creating opportunities for women on and behind the camera. While WWD reported that Sharon Stone presented the award to Waddingham, Deadline noted Waddingham's win without identifying Stone as the presenter.
  • Crystal Award for Advocacy in Film: Emmy Rossum presented the award to writer-director Beth de Araújo and actress Gemma Chan for their film Josephine. While WWD listed both women as sharing the honor, Deadline noted that Chan was absent from the ceremony.

The celebratory mood was balanced by candid assessments of the entertainment industry's hiring practices and the broader political landscape. Speaking two days after the U.S. midterm elections—which saw Keisha Lance Bottoms elected governor of Georgia as the first Black woman to win a U.S. governorship, Gina Hinojosa elected Texas’ first Latina governor, and Deb Haaland elected New Mexico’s first Native American woman governor—Fonda urged the crowd to remain active and hold elected officials accountable. "If we’ve learned something important this week, it’s that power isn’t something women have to wait for someone to give us," Fonda said. "It’s something we can take when we stand together."

Women In Film CEO Kirsten Schaffer shared Fonda's political optimism but pointed to troubling data regarding gender representation in Hollywood. Schaffer noted that while women accounted for more than half of the leading roles in the top 100 films in 2024, that figure fell to 39 percent in 2025.

She also highlighted that only 11 women directed top-grossing films last year—the lowest figure recorded since 2019—and women served as showrunners on just 31 of television's top programs, underscoring the ongoing necessity of the organization's advocacy work.

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