Publisher, The Guardian, Maiden Alex-Ibru (middle) on stage as Asian World Film Festival announces competition winners and honourees during closing night at Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills, California. Photo: Michael Bezjian/Getty Images
The publisher of The Guardian Newspapers, Lady Maiden Alex-Ibru, has won the 2021 Ladies Tiffany Circle/Red Cross Courage to Dream Award.
The award was given to the humanitarian, film producer, publisher and chairperson of The Guardian Group at the Asian World Film Festival for her philanthropic efforts and exemplifying the mission of the Red Cross.
The Asian World Film Festival (AWFF), founded by Kyrgyz public figure Sadyk Sher-Niyaz, brings the best of a broad selection of Asian world cinema to Los Angeles to draw greater recognition to the region’s wealth of filmmakers and to strengthen ties between the Asian and Hollywood film industries.
Uniting through cross-cultural collaboration, the festival champions films from more than 50 countries across Asia, Turkey to Japan and from Russia to India and the Middle East.
She was given the award at the closing night gala of the AWFF held at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills, California, United States, on Friday night, where she was named among the nine recipients of the AWFF honourees, as a result of her career accomplishment.
The AWFF, in partnership with the American Red Cross and Tiffany Ladies Circle, presents the ‘Courage to Dream Award’ each year to a person in recognition of career accomplishment and philanthropic endeavours.
Each recipient is selected because not only have they had the courage to dream but they have also, through hard work and determination, achieved those dreams and gone on to utilise their success and platform for the good of others.
In her acceptance speech, she thanked the team at Asian World Film Festival for “creating the ‘Window to Africa’ section this year,” saying the AWFF has continued to be more inclusive, bridging and celebrating culture through film.
She also thanked the American Red Cross and Tiffany Ladies Circle for the “wonderful energy they are manifesting through the giving of this award and its powerful message.”
While dedicating the award to her late husband, Dr. Alex Ibru, she thanked him for the ‘push’ he gave her. “For having the courage to value the soul of a person before their form. For being a decent man,” she said.
The Guardian publisher said: “My parents raised us to be empathetic and kind—- that you take nothing with you from this life, leaving behind only what you contribute. I have always been private in this regard, and it was my late husband, Alex Ibru, who brought me into the spotlight 20 years ago—- making me chairman and publisher of The Guardian Nigeria. This was against the societal norms back then—- and from there, I was able to spread my wings and amplify what my parents instilled.”
She prayed that the decency in humanity shines bright, adding: “That we each have the courage to be a beacon of light for those around us. That we achieve our dreams and enable the dreams of others.”
The GDN Studios, a multi-media content development arm of The Guardian, sponsored ‘Window to Africa’ section.
The Guardian
