Hollywood’s Leading Women Took Over Oscars Weekend at WIF’s Private Cocktail Party

Jurnee Smollett and Cynthia ErivoJohn Salangsang/for WIF

With crowd-pleasers like Emilia Pérez and Wicked leading the way, the 97th Academy Awards boasts a record-breaking number of women nominees in a single year. To mark the occasion, WIF (formerly Women in Film) hosted an intimate cocktail celebration at a Wheelhouse LA residence—once famously owned by Bette Davis (a true Old Hollywood landmark)—to kick off the final weekend of awards season.

The star-studded guest list included Cynthia Erivo (Wicked), Monica Barbaro (A Complete Unknown), and Coralie Fargeat, with the party spilling into every corner of the storied estate—a fusion of Parisian, Victorian, and contemporary design. Guests flocked to the espresso martini bar (which concealed a secret door leading to a private lounge where a few discreetly slipped away) or lounged in the outdoor living room, where swinging beds served as unconventional seating.

By the pool, as trays of sushi hand rolls and mini charcuterie plates circulated, nominees gathered to greet the crowd. “I happen to star in a teeny-weeny little film called Wicked,” Erivo joked, before introducing the film’s Oscar-nominated makeup artist, Frances Hannon. “She found my green,” Erivo added, “and made me glow.”

Also in attendance were Storm Reid—accompanied, as always, by her mother—along with WIF event staple Jurnee Smollett, Chicken Shop Date’s Amelia Dimoldenberg, Dove Cameron, Ariana Madix, Sofia Carson, and Teyana Taylor, making for an effortlessly glamorous and celebratory evening.