The Inspiration Women in Literature Conference awards ceremony, now in its sixth year, will take place in Atlanta, Georgia on Oct 15th at the historic Swan House Mansion, the ticket sales from the annual awards ceremony will go to support charities such as Enough Abuse in the UK, Echo Foundation and Powerful Beginnings that support women in crisis. The historic organization has decided to award their Inspirational Woman supporter Award, which is the only award given out to a male during the award ceremony to Actor Idris Veliu.
The award is to recognize & award men who support women who have motivated and supported others in their industry to inspire female empowerment and inspire newcomers to their industry. Veliu garnered the committees attention during a recent interview and new article spoke about how he supported his mother in her business despited the demands of working as a successful actor in Hollywood.
After attending NYFW with other celebrities or filming his latest Hollywood project Veliu would be right back working for his mother at her construction sites, along side her to support her in her business in a male dominated industry. He did this after seeing his mom sacrifice and struggle with her business in order to travel with him to his work sites. Idris has said: "Whether it was NYFW, taking pictures of me for my social media accounts or on location at a movie project, my mom put her business and life on hold for me, I felt I needed to support her back." Veliu's mom had to learn early on how to navigate the construction industry which is heavily dominated by men and are not accepting of women business owners. "I would witness how abusive other male business owners were toward her and how she would struggle with this emotionally. She spent a lot of time on her own late at night studying the industry and learning it better than most of the male counter parts ." - Idris Veliu
Veliu spends a lot of time traveling from photo shoots (this past year he was shot by Kanye's photographers and celebrity photog Jon Clarke), red carpets (he attended Vogue Fashion Week and NYFW), movie sets, etc. His mom travels with him both domestically and for his overseas projects. "What most do not know is how courageous my mom is, she has been sacrificing her whole life for me, 5 weeks after she had me, she took me on a plane all alone to be with my dad after he was deported back to Albania. She wanted me to be with my father as she felt it was important to keep our family together. She was willing to sacrifice and give up her native home country, the only world she knew to travel overseas to a country where she had no money and possibility of income to keep our family together. Unknowing what the future would hold." - Idris Veliu
Veliu has spoken a lot about his close connection to the women in his life and how he has supported them through their struggles. If you know Idris you know he is close to the women in his life especially his sister. When Idris learned his sister wanted to work on a campaign to get their high school to recognize their religious holiday that currently the school did not recognize officially. Veliu worked with his sister on the campaign and lobbied the school board, it was so successful the school finally recognized the holiday and gave the students off with out it counting against their school attendance.
Veliu support of women outside his family is equally impressive, a lot of times women who are screen writers have a hard time getting the scripts reviewed by Hollywood studio and give serious consideration. Recently a female screen writer sent/pitched him a script to review and comment on it as she wanted his opinion and feedback on it. He read it and liked, in working with her she said that she had trouble getting it seen by Hollywood studios who refused to look at many told her she needed some one of note attached to it for them consider it. While other male screen writer friends that she knew where being told differently by the studios. When Veliu heard this he offered to help her pitch it to the studios.
He has also worked with his fellow female actors, providing them support and advice in order to navigate the industry. What most do not know is that when he receives an invite to a a red carpet event or high profile event, in order for him to attend, he requires the event to give him a plus one, which he reserves for one of his fellow new-comer actresses who would not have access to the industry event, putting them in the room and giving them access to industry leaders that they would not have access to. He has refused to attend events that would not extend this offer to his fellow actresses.
For Veliu's support, encouragement and for being an ally of women, the committee felt that Idris deserved recognition for his unsound support of the women in his life and others. in his career field.
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