Female film collective Final Girls aims to raise the profile of female filmmakers

Photo Courtesy: Final Girls Detroit

Female Filmmakers Are Still Underrepresented In The Film Industry

In the early years of the film industry, countless women shaped the language of cinema. Fearless filmmakers like Alice Guy Blache, Lois Weber, and Mabel Normand enjoyed remarkable creative freedom and addressed a wide range of topics and worked in every genre. As the industry matured, and men took over almost exclusively behind the camera, women’s innovations and contributions were lost to time.

The 2019 Celluloid Ceiling report from Dr. Martha M. Lauzen, Executive Director of the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego University, shows that despite increased media attention on gender disparity in the filmmaking industry, no real progress has been made.

The study reports, “In 2018, women compromised 20 percent of all directors, writers, producers, executive producers, editors, and cinematographers working on the top domestic grossing films.”

The figures have hardly budge since 1998, according to the Celluloid Ceiling report. “Only 1 percent of films employed 10 or more women in the above roles. In contrast, 74 percent of films employed 10 or more men.”

Additionally, “women accounted for 8 percent of directors working on the top 250 films in 2018.” This is down three percent from 11 percent in 2017 and one percent below the nine percent achieved in 1998, according to the study.

Other research conducted by the Media, Diversity, & Social Change Initiative at USC Annenberg states, “four percent of all directors who worked on the 1,000 top-grossing films released between 2007 and 2016 were female...only three black females, two Asian females and one Latina worked as directors on the films over the last 10 years.”

Based on those findings, founding director of the MDSC Initiative, Stacy Smith, concluded there has been no change in the film industry for not only women, but women of color.

“For the last decade, female directors of color have been nearly invisible in the director’s chair,” says Smith. “The data speaks loud and clear. When Hollywood thinks female director, they think, ‘white woman.’ When only seven directing opportunities across 1,000 go to women of color, hiring practices need to change.”

The Film Inquiry, an independent film magazine, states women didn’t use to encounter the discrimination they do now in the filmmaking industry. Their article, “Pioneers: First Women Filmmakers,” states, “In the early 1900s, the film industry was still very new and not yet as hierarchical as it is today… one thing is clear though: women’s voices were frequently heard and celebrated.”

Times have changed, unfortunately, and female filmmakers find themselves swimming with the sharks. According to an intersectional feminist film journal, Another Gaze, institutional biases now exist.

Nicole Davis, writing contributor for Another Gaze, says, “The central issue is that their [female filmmakers] visibility and ascendancy continues to be hampered by outmoded systems of thought surrounding the capability of women directors and producers. Despite progressive movements, female filmmakers constantly have to prove themselves again and again before gaining the same level of trust and opportunities bestowed upon their male peers.”

As Davis mentioned, movements made an attempt to change the narrative for female filmmakers. In the wake of the #MeToo and TimesUp movements, there has been an increased focus on women in film with regards to how they are treated and the roles they are given.

Variety Magazine columnist, Martha Lauzen, says while these movements brought attention to a long-existing issue, no action has taken place to change the nature of the industry, only promises.

Lauzen says, “The sheer volume and often contradictory nature of the coverage on the issue of women working in film have created the simultaneous feelings that everything has changed, and nothing has changed.”

According to the study, Gender & Short Films: Emerging Female Filmmakers and the Barriers Surrounding their Careers, women still face barriers in the filmmaking industry that men do not. These barriers include: “work and family balance, project financing, interest in subject matter, and networking and mentorship.”

Even though female filmmakers face barriers and are a minority in the film industry, small organizations and initiatives continue to form and encourage gender parity both on camera and behind the camera.

Rather than simply sit back and despair at these dismal figures and statistics, a Detroit film collective called Final Girls is working towards changing the narrative for female filmmakers.

Final Girls Gives Female Filmmakers A Platform

After premiering a short film at SXSW and meeting with members of New York-based film collective, Film Fatales, Andrea Morningstar, wanted to establish a similar network of support for female filmmakers in Detroit.

In 2014, Morningstar, who moved to the city from Los Angeles, reached out to fellow Detroit filmmaker, Jasmine Rivera. During their meeting at The Ghostbar at The Whitney, the two bonded over their shared experiences and the empowerment they felt from connecting globally.

“You know we’re not in LA and we’re not in New York, but we’re in an amazing creative city where a lot of things are happening. There are a lot of voices here that haven’t been seen in the mainstream, and so it’s very important they get heard and are given a beautiful medium to use,” says co-founder, Rivera.

Morningstar says her and Rivera formed Final Girls after they kept meeting women who thought they were the only female filmmakers in Detroit.

“We wanted to create a group that would help bring these women together. Not only does this group do that, but Final Girls also allows women to learn from each other and help each other succeed in a rather male-dominating industry,” says Morningstar.

Today, their group consists of more than twenty female directors, producers, and screenwriters. Eden Sabolboro, Juanita Anderson, Tinisha Brugnone, Katie Barkel, Jamie Lynn Hackney, and Oksana Mirzoyan are some of the many women who make up Final Girls.

“I joined Final Girls in 2016. I heard about it through Jasmine Rivera and she invited me to come to a meeting,” says Final Girls member and Wayne State University professor, Juanita Anderson. “She knew that I had been in the media industry for quite some time and wanted me to know about this group she created for women in the filmmaking industry. I wanted to join Final Girls immediately because of the comradery of women that were there. I had this feeling that this was a place where I could help nurture and sustain the industry.”

The “meeting” Anderson attended is Final Girls’ monthly meeting. Morningstar says in these meetings, members check-in with one another and discuss a topic relevant to their experience as women in the industry. Aside from these meetings, Final Girls also host other collaborative events.

In October 2016, Final Girls applied for and won the Knight Arts Challenge from the James L. Knight Foundation to support the continued growth of the group. This grant allowed the group to host workshops and master classes, screen each other’s work and offer constructive criticism, and throw public networking events aimed at connecting women in the industry to one another and directly to professional opportunities.

“It’s crazy how much work this group has accomplished,” says Morningstar. “We began five years ago as a support group for women in the film industry and quickly grew to a membership of around twenty professionals from all over the Metro area. It was one of those magical things: the right thing at the right time for so many of us. It clearly fulfilled a need.”

The co-founders admit that being female filmmakers takes a lot of stigma and grit. Morningstar and Rivera say, in an industry that’s largely dominated by men, women can face what feels like an epic struggle for survival. It’s no wonder why they identify themselves as “final girls,” a term coined by film theorist Carol J. Clover to describe the trope of a sole surviving woman in slasher movies.

“The statistics are pretty shocking when it comes to women filmmakers in the film industry. I came across a study a couple years ago that said like 7 percent of films were directed by women. We as women face pretty challenging professional odds despite our talents, accomplishments, and drive. So, the point of Final Girls is to really beat our odds and change the narrative for female filmmakers,” says Morningstar.

Morningstar explains the film industry is a reflection of our culture which she says is dominated by men, particularly by white men.

“Men have control and they don’t want to give it up unfortunately,” says Morningstar. “Regardless whether or not we consciously want to fight men, women are pushed into a position where they have to in order to get equality and the basic respect and resources we need to tell our stories.”

Rivera added not only do female filmmakers have to fight in order to be heard, women also have to deal with being talked down to.

“The hardships we as women face is endless. Throughout my film career, I’ve experienced men yelling at me telling me I don’t know what I’m doing and then proceed by telling me how to do what I already know how to do. The film industry is pretty unfriendly to women, but I’m hopeful there will be a day when I walk on a set and I’m treated as an equal and working with more women,” explained Rivera.

In response to the 2019 Celluloid Ceiling report, both co-founders agreed gender disparity remains an issue in the filmmaking industry.

“Of course gender representation remains an issue in this industry. When you look at it, we’re undoing a millennia of power structures which will take a very long time to undo. Women have been dealing with patriarchy and oppression for hundreds of years. As much as we want quick change in the filmmaking business, that probably won’t happen,” says Morningstar.

Morningstar says she hopes there will be a time where women no longer are a minority in the filmmaking industry. She says she encourages filmmakers to make change happen as opposed to wishing for change.

“I think it should be everyone’s responsibility to make sure there is a woman in the room. In any situation where a story is getting told and choosing who’s going to be represented, it’s going to be a responsible and efficient thing to do to make sure a woman is in the room,” says Morningstar.

Morningstar and Rivera aren’t the only ones making it their responsibility to make sure a woman is in the room. According to Forbes Magazine, actress, producer, and director Regina King promised at the 2019 Golden Globes “that everything she produces in the next two years will be 50 percent women.”

Additionally, Marvel Studios president, Kevin Feige, said at the 10th annual Produced By conference the next 20 Marvel movies will majorly be directed by women.

“Anna Boden is co-directing Captain Marvelwith Ryan Fleck, making it the first Marvel film to have a female director. Also, Ava DuVernay will be directing DC’s New Gods, and Cathy Yan is directing Birds of Prey. We’ve forgotten that diversity is something that is necessary to be able to continue to tell stories,” says Feige to Complex Magazine.

The co-founders of Final Girls expressed their organization is very important to them. Morningstar says that something she admires about Final Girls is it’s about women helping and supporting other women as opposed to pinning women against each other.

“Society has a bad habit of pinning women against each other. We’re also taught too that to succeed we have to compete with and beat all these other people and that’s so far from the truth. There’s room for everyone to grow and succeed in this industry,” says Morningstar. “I’m hoping by being a part of Final Girls, members gain the confidence to ask for the help that they need to help make their dreams come true and to keep fighting despite the odds.”

Final Girls member, Nellie Smydra, says being a part of Final Girls gave her the opportunity to make movies and work with other female filmmakers in Detroit.

“I’ve made movies with some of these women and that wouldn’t have happened without this group existing. I’m so invested in this group continuing and growing. All I want to do is have a blast and celebrate each other. This group ensures that that happens,” says Smydra.

Like Smydra, other members of Final Girls were able to grow as a filmmaker. Juanita Anderson has accomplished many things throughout her career and gives credit to many people and organizations like Finals Girls for her success in the film industry.

Juanita Anderson’s Successful Career As A Female Filmmaker

Juanita Anderson’s film career began in 1972 as a student double majoring in journalism and Radio-TV-Film at the University of Michigan. Anderson initially started in television before she got into film.

“My first experience working in television was with a community access program called For My Peoplewhich aired on channel 56. People from the community came out and produced and taped the show on a weekly basis. I was asked by the director of the show to come in and train as a director because the director at the time was going to be in the hospital for a period of time,” says Anderson. “I came in one day and the director was actually already in the hospital, so I had to sit down and direct. I wasn’t nervous, but my adrenaline was pumping.”

After that, Anderson worked in public television for 17 years. She worked as producer, director, and production manager at WSIU-TV, an executive producer at WTVS Detroit, a series producer for WGBH radio, and an executive producer for Detroit Public Television.

“Part of my role as executive producer was to help independent producers who were coming through our station to help get their work into the National PBS system. I also developed several projects that brought in independent filmmakers including Who Killed Vincent Chin?”

Who Killed Vincent Chin? is a documentary film about the murder of Detroit automotive engineer, Vincent Chin. The film recounts how this murder escaped justice in the court system. Who Killed Vincent Chin?was nominated for an Academy Award in 1988. Additionally, Anderson won a Peabody Award and DuPont Columbia Silver Baton for her work as executive producer on the film.

“I’m very proud of this project. I think one of the reasons I’m most proud of the film, other than all the awards it received, is for how groundbreaking it was. There were three women of color who were involved in making this film in a time when women of color were not expected to be journalists and artists at the same time. I was very happy to be a part of a project like this,” says Anderson.

After her time at Detroit Public Television, Anderson embarked on a career as an independent executive producer in 1993. Her concentration predominantly focuses on documentary filmmaking, but Anderson has mentored and produced in multiple genres.

As executive producer, Anderson says she has launched over 20 projects into the national public television schedule and developed the work of over 30 independent filmmakers across the United States. Her executive producer credits include Positive: Life with HIV, The Favorite Poem Project: Chicago, Vine: A People’s Journey, and her most recent documentary film Hasting Street Blueswhich won a Murray Jackson Creative Award.

“When Juanita joined Final Girls, we knew we were doing something right. She is so inspiring, talented, and is a true warrior of cinema,” says Morningstar.

Anderson joined Final Girls in 2016 and says she is proud to be a Final Girl.

“Final Girls really provides a space for us to celebrate our individual and collective achievements. It’s nice knowing that there’s a body of women that are mutually supportive of each other in what they’re doing. It helps energize me to be the best filmmaker I can be and not let certain obstacles or challenges get in my way,” says Anderson.

Being a Final Girl gave Anderson the opportunity to work on various projects. She says women from Final Girls would talk with other filmmakers and encourage them to hire Anderson. Anderson says it meant a lot to her knowing other Final Girls spoke highly of her.

“Having the support of Final Girls and having the space to talk about the projects I’ve worked on like Hasting Street Blues informally and formally with members of the organization has helped tremendously,” says Anderson.

Anderson says she has accomplished a lot in her career, but with every high she’s experienced, Anderson has also experienced some lows. She says female filmmakers are often discriminated against, especially if they’re a woman of color.

“The moment I was confronted about my gender and race was when I applied to work for a small public television station. The director of the broadcast service asked me ‘did I feel I had been discriminated against more because I was black or because I was a woman?’ I sort of looked at him and went ‘I can’t distinguish between black and being a woman because I’ve always been both.’ It was the dumbest question I’ve ever heard. The idea that a white man would ask me this question during a job interview I felt was strange,” says Anderson.

Anderson also explained people within the industry often thought she wasn’t capable of telling stories because of her gender.

“I’ve had to fight hard to be in the place I am today. Women have always been looked at as weak or incompetent. I’ve made it point to show everyone I’ve worked with that I am neither of those things,” says Anderson.

Anderson says despite recent efforts, woman of color are still a minority in the filmmaking industry.

“Even though there are some female directors and producers, how many of them are black? When you think female director you think of an older white woman. Black women are still a minority in filmmaking thanks to the gatekeepers in the film industry,” says Anderson.

What’s Next For Final Girls?

Though Final Girls meetings have been consistent and productive, Morningstar says their organization is constantly evolving. Morningstar says she anticipates Final Girls becoming a non-profit organization with need to employ full-time administrative positions to grow their programming.

“Final Girls is committed to supporting members as filmmakers, with activities organized on a rotating volunteer basis to avoid burdening these women with administrative duties that could take their time away from being filmmakers,” says Morningstar. “In the beginning Jasmine and I would send newsletters, run our social media, schedule classes and workshops, but now that our membership is growing and we’re becoming more visible in the community, we’re starting to realize we need more structural support.”

Morningstar says she is excited to see where Final Girls will be in the next few years. She says she hopes the organization keeps growing and members continue to celebrate each other.

“It’s not easy being a female filmmaker. The film industry has served a certain hierarchy for so long and I hope our organization teaches woman that they can be a successful director, screenwriter, producer, or cinematographer in male-dominated industry,” says Morningstar. “I hope woman gain the confidence to reinvent the rules too. Its time woman are seen and heard on set and applauded for their accomplishments.”