AWD works to support and promote the work, visibility, and professional development for women-identifying and gender non-conforming directors through a variety of programs including screenings, educational events, and networking events both for their members, and the general public.
Let's Make 2018 the Best Year Yet for AWD!
Happy New Year to our members and supporters! It is my honor to share with you an overview of AWD's goals for 2018 and how you can be part of it.
As AWD expands and builds on the successes of 2017, we are focused on hiring an Executive Director who will strengthen our relationships with industry leaders and make AWD a bigger presence in the entertainment industry. There is currently no position in the industry that is dedicated to advocating for gender parity and inclusion for women directors; our Executive Director will be that person. The Executive Director, with the endorsement of AWD’s Board, will also expand our Career Advancement Programs, spearhead our Film Development Pipeline, and oversee a Film Finishing Fund. You can support our 2018 goal of hiring an Executive Director by donating here. All contributions will be deeply appreciated.
In February, our new website will launch which will include a searchable database for our directors. This powerful tool will allow producers, executives, and agents to easily find AWD directors who fit their projects. And, as always, we will preserve and expand our robust partnerships with diversity programs, managers, agents, and other industry professionals; and continue to offer mentorships, career advancement opportunities, and craft enrichment both within and outside of the organization. Additionally, AWD will work with Executive Service Corps’ Developing Development Program to create a sustainable development plan so AWD will be able to serve its members and community for years to come.
Alliance of Women Directors is, and has always been, the voice of both emerging and experienced directors, whose talents behind the camera make them a force to be reckoned with. AWD would not be what it is today without the efforts of our former and current Board Members, Committee Chairs, and member volunteers. I want to thank them for all of their hard work and encourage you to get involved and volunteer with AWD this coming year. We need you and welcome you to volunteer for a committee. Let’s make 2018 the year of record-breaking success and achievements!
With gratitude,
Jennifer Warren
AWD & We Do It Together Drive the Conversation
AWD is proud to partner with We Do It Together for a series of panels on shifting the culture of sexual harassment. The expert panelists will discuss the origins of the current dangerous and pervasive culture and propose targeted and concrete solutions that favor exchange and inclusion. The filmed panels will serve as the basis for development of a detailed plan of action and pro-active strategies.
AWD member Carey Lundin's five-episode web series The WORST Travel Show premiered on Facebook Watch. New installments are released every Thursday mid-day.
AWD member Varda Bar-Kar's Cage Free project premiered on YouTube and Facebook and accumulated 3 million views combined within a week.
Dog Park, a film by AWD member Jade Jenise Dixon, had its VOD premiere on multiple platforms. The film can be enjoyed on DISH Network (on demand), Amazon, iTunes, Vudu, and Google Play.
AWD member Trish Sie's feature film Pitch Perfect 3 premiered theatrically in US and 15 other territories coming in third at the box office during the crowded Christmas weekend.
Cartwheels music video by AWD member Samantha Shada for Alicyn Packard premiered on Facebook as part of the singer's new album Heartbeat of the Universe.
The AWD Craft Enrichment Series presented a TV Director & DP Relationship Workshop as its closing event of 2017. TV Director of Photography John Smith broke down, step by step, what it takes to get through pre-production, production, and post. Attendees also benefited from the input of other AWD members who work regularly in the episodic field. CES looks forward to developing more practical workshops and events in 2018.
Members Successes and Updates
AWD board member Kate Rees Davies and AWD member Rachel Feldman participated in the FiveThirtyEight initiative to develop the next Bechdel Test. Read to find out which top 50 films of 2016 passed the 12 updated test versions.
Rebel without a Crew and AWD member Bola Ogun is one of the five filmmakers participating in Robert Rodriguez's new $7k feature challenge.
As an all volunteer-run organization, AWD prospers because of the hard work and enthusiasm of our earnest volunteers. Here we recognize some of our talented members who invested their time, energy, and positive attitudes into helping AWD and its members reach their fullest potential.
Nicolette Daskalakis has been a member of AWD since 2016, when her former directing professor Jennifer Warren suggested she check out the organization. Nico got involved with AWD after her first meeting, photographing the events, designing promotional materials, and assisting with running the events.
Because of volunteering, Nicolette enjoys the opportunity to interact with fellow members on a more personal level and was inspired by the advice and the AWD community during the Patty Jenkins Fireside Chat. A passionate, intuitive, and rebellious director, Daskalakis directs, shoots, and edits short form and digital content, focusing on fashion, beauty, dance, and lifestyle, while also writing prose and poetry.
As the recipient of the Grand Prize at the SAC Fashion on Film Festival, she currently seeks to partner with a producer to secure financing for her first feature film - a punk, LGBTQ+, coming-of-age story. See Nicolette Daskalakis' recent short Smash Face and reach out to her about her feature.
Marcy Boyle has been a member of AWD for two years and participates and contributes her time, attention, and effort as part of her drive to increase career opportunities for women in entertainment. Volunteering on the Fundraising Committee, with its goal of bringing on an AWD Executive Director, is a natural extension of her philosophy.
Boyle's love for science fiction representations of the future stems from her past - an inspiring computer programmer mother - and manifests itself through the projects and events she leads, like the keynote lecture on VR at KAIST University and her feature Nobody Can Cool. Marcy's dedication to the craft also makes her a decisive, logistic, and prepared filmmaker.
Passionate about female representation in front and behind the camera, Marcy is the co-founder of a virtual reality startup HOT BIT VR, currently raising its seed round and looking for advisors to help strategize the build of her prototype. With a goal to meet people with expertise in building media companies, ad tech, e-commerce, and next gen entertainment, Boyle predicts a new film/video game hybrid in the VR/AR sphere that she calls XR (mixed reality). Ask Marcy Boyle to tell you more about the future of filmmaking.
AWD Tour Bus
AWD Members Attend Web Series Class
AWD member Tina Cesa Ward answered many questions during her "Web Series: Everyone's Doing It. How Can I?" class that took place at the Women In Film LA offices. AWD members in attendance learned about marketing options, budgetary constraints, and how to benefit from direct access to viewers. As an experienced creator of multiple award-winning series with distribution on multiple platforms, Ward shared her hands-on experience, highlighted the collaborative aspect of working in the new media realm, and stressed planning ahead for the long-form versions of the project.
AWD Members Enjoy Power Lunch
Entertainment attorney Nina Ameri, in an effort to represent more females in the business, hosted ten AWD members for lunch at her One LLP offices. She shared advice on legal matters and discussed client relations that affect the projects currently in development by the attending AWD members .
Found on the World Wide Web
Greta Gerwig's Lady Bird has accumulated over 100 award nominations and almost 50 award wins.
Nine Baltimore-based filmmakers, all women, and their projects will share $400,000 in grant money from the Saul Zaentz Innovation Fund in Film and Media at the Johns Hopkins University.
Patty Jenkins will receive Variety's Creative Impact in Directing Award at the Palm Springs International Film Festival & Palm Springs ShortFest, the first female director to receive the honor.
Donations to Alliance of Women Directors, a 501(c) (3) charitable organization, are tax-deductible and help us grow our programs and expand our advocacy to serve even more women directors.
Help us raise all voices!
