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Geena Davis At Sun Valley Film Festival Pushes For Gender Balance

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One of the stars at the 2017 Sun Valley Film Festival is actor Geena Davis, known for a string of movie hits in the 1980s and 90s and for playing a television version of the president in 2005 in Commander in Chief.

The Academy Award winner had only good things to say about the Wood River Valley.

“I love Sun Valley. I love this festival. I was here last in 2012 and always have a great time here.”

Davis is known for such female-powered films as Thelma and Louise and A League of Their Own. She even started her own institute to advocate for better representation of female characters, especially those targeted to young girls.

“When I was watching kids shows with my daughter and realized how few females there were, I was horrified, because I thought 'What message does this send to little girls about their value if they’re not there?'”

Her institute’s motto - “If she can see it, she can be it” - is meant to show the importance of good role models for young girls.

“Research shows,” says Davis, “that if girls see female characters doing nontraditional things, they will be much more likely to be interested in un-stereotyped occupations later in life.”

Davis was in town to receive the Vision Award from the Sun Valley Film Festival.

For more local news, follow the KBSX newsroom on Twitter @KBSX915

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