Girls Make Movies
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| Girls Make Movies | |
|---|---|
| Name | Girls Make Movies |
| Formation | 2002 |
| Type | Nonprofit youth media organization |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles, California |
| Region served | United States |
| Leader title | Executive Director |
Girls Make Movies
Girls Make Movies is a nonprofit organization based in Los Angeles dedicated to empowering young women and non-binary youth through filmmaking, media production, and storytelling. The organization offers year-round programs, summer intensives, school residencies, and community workshops that combine hands-on technical training with mentorship from industry professionals. Its model emphasizes practical experience in screenwriting, directing, cinematography, editing, and producing to increase representation in film and television industries such as Hollywood, Sundance, and the Academy Awards.
History
Girls Make Movies was founded in 2002 amid a period of growing advocacy for gender equity in media represented by organizations like Women in Film, National Organization for Women, Sundance Institute, Film Independent, and initiatives linked to Smithsonian Institution programming. Early collaborators included educators and filmmakers connected to University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts, Columbia University School of the Arts, New York University Tisch School of the Arts, and American Film Institute. The nonprofit built its reputation through partnerships with community centers in Los Angeles County, aligning with campaigns akin to Annenberg Foundation grants and municipal youth arts initiatives in City of Los Angeles. Over the 2000s and 2010s, Girls Make Movies expanded programs following precedents set by groups such as Ghetto Film School and 826 National, and received attention from outlets like Variety (magazine), Los Angeles Times, The Hollywood Reporter, and The New York Times for its role in diversifying pipeline access to studios including Warner Bros., Paramount Pictures, Walt Disney Studios, and Netflix. The organization’s growth paralleled national conversations prompted by events such as the #MeToo movement and awards recognition at festivals like Sundance Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival that spotlighted female filmmakers.
Program Structure and Curriculum
Curricula integrate modules influenced by pedagogical practices used at Juilliard School, California Institute of the Arts, Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and film departments at Stanford University, Yale School of Drama, and Princeton University. Core modules cover screenwriting techniques referencing formats promoted by Writers Guild of America, directing methods taught in workshops modeled after American Film Institute Conservatory labs, camera operation with equipment familiar to professionals at Panavision, and nonlinear editing workflows in software from Avid Technology, Adobe Systems, and Blackmagic Design. Programs follow cohort models similar to Girls Who Code and Black Girls Code with mentorship structures linking participants to industry mentors from companies such as Amazon Studios, HBO, Showtime, and Pixar. Partnerships with school districts including Los Angeles Unified School District support in-school residencies aligned with learning objectives comparable to those at California Department of Education arts standards.
Workshops and Events
Regular offerings include weekend workshops, multi-week intensives, pitch nights, and film festivals inspired by models like Sundance Institute’s Ignite Program and Tribeca Film Festival panels. Signature events have included short-film showcases held at venues such as Walt Disney Concert Hall, Geffen Playhouse, and local cultural institutions like The Getty Center and LACMA. Guest instructors and panelists have come from studios and organizations including Sony Pictures Entertainment, Universal Pictures, CBS, NBCUniversal, Lucasfilm, DreamWorks Animation, and advocacy groups like Women Make Movies and Directors Guild of America. Annual showcases have been programmed alongside community events like LA County Fair exhibitions and youth arts celebrations supported by foundations such as The Ford Foundation and Rockefeller Foundation.
Impact and Outcomes
Quantitative outcomes include increased enrollment of participants in collegiate film programs at institutions such as New York University, University of Southern California, Columbia University, and Chapman University. Alumni have progressed to roles at production companies including A24, Focus Features, Blumhouse Productions, and networks like FX Networks and PBS. Program evaluation citing metrics similar to those used by National Endowment for the Arts shows gains in technical proficiency, storytelling confidence, and industry placement. The organization’s alumni work has screened at festivals including Sundance Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival, SXSW, AFI Fest, and Telluride Film Festival, and has received awards from bodies such as the Emmy Awards and Peabody Awards adjudicated productions. Broader cultural impacts align with shifts noted in campaigns like Time's Up and increased representation in lists such as Variety's Women's Impact Report.
Partnerships and Funding
Funding sources have included private foundations and corporate partners following models of support seen at Guggenheim Foundation and Knight Foundation, as well as corporate philanthropy from companies like Google, Apple Inc., Microsoft, Netflix, and Walt Disney Company. Institutional partners have encompassed universities and cultural institutions such as UCLA, CalArts, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles. Public support has come through grants and civic partnerships with agencies analogous to California Arts Council and National Endowment for the Arts. Collaborative projects have been produced in partnership with public broadcasters and media organizations including PBS, NPR, and KCET.
Notable Alumni and Projects
Alumni have included filmmakers, producers, editors, and cinematographers who advanced to credits on feature films and television series produced by studios such as Universal Pictures, Warner Bros., Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Studios, and independent labels like A24 and Neon (company). Selected alumni projects have screened at Sundance Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival, SXSW, Cannes Film Festival, and Berlin International Film Festival, and some alumni have been recipients of fellowships and awards administered by organizations like Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Fulbright Program, Ford Foundation Fellowship, and MacArthur Fellows Program. The program’s network has enabled apprenticeships with companies including Industrial Light & Magic, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Sony Pictures Imageworks, and internships with newsrooms at The New York Times and Los Angeles Times.