Women in Technology Highlights Victoria Alonso At Luncheon

Victoria Alonso, executive vice president of Physical Production for Marvel Studios, will appear in a featured conversation at the annual Women in Technology luncheon on 24 October, presented by Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) Women in Post and the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers® (SMPTE®). The luncheon will be held in conjunction with the SMPTE 2016 Annual Technical Conference & Exhibition (SMPTE 2016) and will take place at Hollywood and Highland Center in Hollywood, California.  The conversation with Alonso will be moderated by Kari Grubin, co-chair of HPA Women In Post and Vice President, Mastering at The Walt Disney Studios.

Alonso is an exuberant and consistent voice advocating for women to play key roles in the visual effects (VFX) sector of the industry. Born in Argentina, she moved to Los Angeles at age 19 to study psychology and drama and quickly realized that she preferred working behind the camera. She started as a production assistant and then discovered her passion in VFX, working at RSA, Digital Domain, Rhythm & Hues, DreamWorks, and Sony, before joining Marvel in 2006. Over the course of her career, Alonso's extensive credits include an array of VFX-driven projects, including Big Fish, Kingdom of Heaven, Guardians of the Galaxy, Thor, The Avengers, Thor: The Dark World, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Iron Man, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, and Ant-Man, to name a few. Dr. Strange, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2., Thor: Ragnarok and Avengers: Infinity War are on the horizon between now and 2018. Alonso was executive producer and executive VP of VFX at Marvel until 2015, when she became one of the few women to ever hold a position as physical production chief at a major studio. She has been a member-at-large of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) since 2013.

The Women in Technology luncheon is held each year in conjunction with the SMPTE Annual Technical Conference & Exhibition, and features industry leaders speaking to engaging and relevant topics. Last year's featured speaker was AMPAS President Cheryl Boone Isaacs, and previous years have included Michelle Munson, Ron Bailey, Rob Kaufman, Wendy Aylsworth, Jacki Morie, and Poppy Crum. With a limited number of seats, the luncheon consistently sells out, and early registration is encouraged.

Tickets for the Women in Technology luncheon are available with SMPTE 2016 conference registration packages or may be purchased separately as "ticket-only" registration. For registration and other information, visit www.smpte2016.org. Those interested in attending only the Women In Technology luncheon should select "HPA Women In Post and SMPTE Present the Women In Technology Luncheon" from the list of ticketed events during registration.