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28 cgw m ay . j u n e 2 0 1 7 F E A T U R E hile women are indeed leav- ing their mark across all as- pects of the film, games, and television industries, they are still in the minority when it comes to power positions. One person who has broken this gender barrier is Victoria Alonso, producer and executive vice president of physical production at Marvel Studios. Alonso is revered for her cutting-edge work, and the fact that she is a woman in what some would consider a male-dom- inated sector of this male-dominated in- dustry is just an added footnote. She very much is a person at the top of her game. Earlier this year, she was the recipient of the prestigious Visionary Award from the Visual Effects Society (VES), presented in recognition of her "enormous contri- butions to visual arts and filmed enter- tainment, and for her dedication to the industry and advancement of unforget- table storytelling through visual effects." Alonso began in the industry as a commercial VFX producer, working closely with leading directors, such as Ridley Scott (Kingdom of Heaven), Tim Burton (Big Fish), and, in 2008, Jon Favreau on Marvel's Iron Man. She went on to play a key role in Marvel Studios' development, serving as executive producer on its string of Hollywood blockbusters, including the Iron Man franchise, Captain America, Thor, The Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, Ant-Man, and more. Lately she's been working on eight Marvel films – having just finished Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, with Spider-Man: Homecoming and Thor: Ragnarok coming this year, and then next year, Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War, and Ant-Man and the Wasp, followed by Captain Marvel in 2019. Following in the footsteps of such past VES Visionary Award recipients as Ang Lee, JJ Abrams, and Christopher Nolan, this year marks the first time a woman has received the honor. "There's only been five or six other recipients, and they're all men – incredible, successful, talented, and creative men. It's amaz- ing company to be in. It's humbling and Marvel's Victoria Alonso sets a high bar in a traditionally male-dominated industry By Linda Romanello W POWE R P OS ITI O N GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2