Women of the Year 2024 Honorees – Lorraine Sovern & Deborah Wiggins
Meet Lorraine Sovern & Deborah Wiggins, two of our amazing 2024 Women of the Year Honorees.
Lorraine Sovern
LOCAL FILMMAKER AND FILM FESTIVAL CURATOR/ENZIAN THEATER
Lorraine Sovern has been drawn to filmmaking since the first time she was trusted to hold the family video camera in her shaky little hands.
“For as long as I can remember, I’ve been looking through my own eyes as if they were a lens of a camera,” says Sovern. “Both the processes of creating and witnessing the art of films have shaped who I am today. I believe that films are a truly transcendent art form with a unique power to build empathy, expand perspectives and shift individuals into a sense of belonging.”
Throughout her childhood, Sovern wrote and directed films, and when in school, took TV production classes. She is currently finishing her master’s in film production at the University of Central Florida and has run the Central Florida Film Slam at Enzian Theater since 2019.
“I truly believe that films can change the world,” says Sovern. “Film is a miraculously effective tool for building empathy through examining stories untold. It is my goal to create art that captures the complexity of being alive. I want my films to create a bridge for open communication and commiseration on the path to growth and resolution, both communally and individually.”
Sovern has been hitting the film festival circuit herself with her short film “Forward Fast.” It won Best Short Film at the 2023 Tallahassee Film Festival, Best Documentary at the LA Underground Film Festival and Best Micro Short at the Atlanta Underground Film Festival.
Her mission is to create accessibility for independent filmmakers and to provide support for all those in the industry.
“I want to encourage everyone out there to see that their voice has value. It can be so easy these days to fall into toxic comparisons and limit yourself before you even try something. I want young filmmakers, and artists of all kinds, to know that their stories have immeasurable value,” says Sovern.
Deborah Wiggins
FIRST LADY OF THE HOPE CHURCH AND DIRECTOR OF HOPE CARES
Deborah Wiggins feels that “if God did it for me, He can do it through me to the benefit of others.”
Wiggins is an ordained minister and has been involved in the ministry for 37 years. She is also the pastor’s wife of The Hope Church and the director of Hope Cares.
“As the director for Hope Cares, I oversee several campaigns throughout the year that benefit those experiencing homelessness, residents in nursing homes and the low-income population of our community,” says Wiggins. “We have given away over 20 tons of food, provided over 10,000 pairs of socks and over 200 blankets to those experiencing homelessness, 2,500 pairs of socks and 500 blankets or throws to residents of nursing homes,” she adds.
In addition, Hope Cares has assisted 25 families with housing that were previously homeless and has provided more than 100 nights at local hotels. “I am blessed to be in a position to give a hand up to someone who needs it,” says Wiggins.
“I believe my purpose is to share the love of God with those who don’t know him or those who are going through a difficult period in their life. I am motivated by that purpose and calling on a daily basis.”
Wiggins says her greatest moment so far “has been seeing the smiles on the faces of a family as they walk into their new home after having been homeless for a year or more.”
Back to Orlando Magazine’s 2024 Women of the Year Honorees ➥
