For the eighth year in a row, many big-name Oscar nominees started off their big weekend by attending the Women in Film Pre-Oscar Cocktail Party at Hyde Sunset Kitchen + Cocktails in Los Angeles. The event, hosted by Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson, aims to celebrate women with outstanding achievements, while at the same time bringing public awareness to the still existing gender gap in the film industry.

“On a list of nominees that’s over 200 people big, the fact that there are 44 women is both good and bad,” said Cathy Schulman, president of Women in Film, Los Angeles, and co-host of the event. “Why are there only 44? But if we don’t scream and yell and say, ‘We 44 are here this year!’ then there won’t be 88 next year. It’s about leading the charge. It’s about celebrating ourselves all together.”

The event was attended by such luminaries in the film world as actress Carmen Ejogo, producer Cathleen Sutherland, director Laura Poitras – and even actress Meryl Streep, who worried she would not make it in time due to traffic. 30 of this year’s 44 women Oscar nominees were in attendance.

“I feel very inspired,” said Hudson, addressing the crowd. “So many of these ladies have inspired my life and my career. I come from a very powerful background of women, and this is an extension of that.”

One of the key topics of the event was that of female mentorship within the film industry. Sutherland – a nominee this year for producing Boyhood – insisted that the importance of female guidance for young women following their dreams cannot be stressed enough. “It’s important to remind the young women in our lives that they should value themselves, they should never sell themselves short,” she said. “They should work hard and persevere and show their talents and believe in their own abilities, because young women are exceptional.”

Putting it more succinctly, actress Patti LuPone chanted, “Why celebrate women in film? Because we’re f–kin’ great!”