Women Make Movies

Women Make Movies (WMM) is a multicultural, multiracial, non-profit media arts organization which facilitates the production, promotion, distribution and exhibition of independent films and videotapes by and about women. Established in 1972 to address the under representation and misrepresentation of women in the media industry, the organization provides services to both users and makers of film and video programs, with a special emphasis on supporting work by women of color. Women Make Movies facilitates the development of feminist media through an internationally recognized [http://www.wmm.com/about/general_info.shtml#dist Distribution Service] and a [http://www.wmm.com/about/general_info.shtml#paprogram Production Assistance Program] . [ [http://www.wmm.com/about/general_info.shtml About Women Make Movies] . Women Make Movies web site. Women Make Movies. Retrieved on 2008-04-24.]

WMM has also worked with dozens of local women's organizations in Asia, Latin America and in the Middle East to support new International Women's Film Festivals. In the coming years, Women Make Movies looks forward to continuing to increase the visibility of women both in front of and behind the camera.

Releases

The film catalog of WMM includes more than 500 titles and is expanded bynew releases every year.
2008 New Releases:

* "3 Times Divorced"- by Ibtisam Salh Mara'ana
* "Bloodlines"- by Cynthia Connop
* "The Education of Shelby Knox"- by Marion Lipschutz & Rose Rosenblatt
* "Finding Dawn"- by Christine Welsh
* "Four Wives - One Man"- by Nahid Persson
* "Girl Inside"- by Maya Gallus
* "Hold Me Tight, Let Me Go "- by Kim Longinotto
* ""- by Lisa F. Jackson
* "Iron Ladies of Liberia"- by Siatta Johnson & Daniel Junge
* "Motherland"- by Dai Sil Kim-Gibson
* "My Brother"- by Yulie Cohen Gerstel
* "My Daughter the Terrorist"- by Beate Arnestad
* "My Home - Your War"- by Kylie Grey
* "Tillie Olsen - A Heart in Action"- by Ann Hershey
* "To See If I’m Smiling"- by Tamar Yarom
* "The Women's Kingdom"- by Xiaoli Zhou, Produced by Xiaoli Zhou & Brent E. Huffman

History

Women Make Movies was established in 1972 with the specific mission of training women to become film and video makers. Through the 1970s and early 1980s, hundreds of women participated in Women Make Movies’ training programs, collectively producing 70 films and videotapes. During the late 1970's, in response to the lack of distribution and exhibition opportunities for women’s films, Women Make Movies initiated its distribution service, began presenting on going screenings in New York, and sponsored two international women’s film festivals.

In 1984, Women Make Movies exhibited a ground-breaking program of media by Latin American women, Punto de Vista: Latina, and the next year co sponsored the conference Viewpoints: Women, Culture and Public Media with Hunter College, which was attended by more than 700 artists, practitioners, theorists, and community activists. In 1988, a new production assistance program was initiated, which included artist in residencies, a technical assistance program and workshops. The following year, Women Make Movies launched two international touring programs, Changing the Subject: An International Exhibition of Films by Women of Color and The Feminist I, a survey of contemporary women’s video. [ [http://www.cinematropical.com/2002schedules/2002apr.html April 2002 Program Women Make Movies Latin Style] . Cinema Tropical. Retrieved on 2008-06-13.]

Over the past decade, Women Make Movies distribution service has rapidly grown into an internationally recognized resource. WMM now distributes more than 500 documentary, dramatic and experimental films representing more than 400 emerging and established women artists from nearly 30 countries around the globe. The films are shown in media arts centers, museums, television, theaters, libraries, universities and used by thousands of educational customers and community groups throughout the United States and the world.

WMM distributes films by renowned filmmakers such as Jane Campion, Julie Dash, Sally Potter, Trinh T. Minh-ha, Lourdes Portillo, Tracey Moffatt, Valie Export, Kim Longinotto, Pratibha Parmar, Ngozi Onwurah and Ulrike Ottinger, among others, as well as films that have garnered top prizes at prestigious film festivals such as Cannes and Sundance. The Production Assistance program continues to support the production and development of film and video projects. In the past four years over 200 projects were completed with the assistance of the Fiscal Sponsorship Program. Projects that WMM has supported and distributed have won all of the most prestigious media awards including the Academy Award, Emmy Award and the Peabody Award, among others. [ [http://www.digitaljournalonline.com/news/121/ARTICLE/1313/2007-03-12.html Digital Journal Online] Retrieved on 2008-06-13.] [ [http://ibwff.com/?p=218 THE GREATEST SILENCE Wins Special Jury Prize at Sundance] . IBWFF. Retrieved on 2008-06-13.]

WMM has also worked with dozens of local women's organizations in Asia, Latin America and in the Middle East to support new International Women's Film Festivals. In the coming years, Women Make Movies looks forward to continuing to increase the visibility of women both in front of and behind the camera. [ [http://www.moma.org/about_moma/press/1997/women_retro_4_15_97.html MOMA] Retrieved on 2008-06-13.]

Executive Director: Debra Zimmermann

Debra Zimmerman has been the Executive Director of Women Make Movies since 1983. She is in great demand around the world as a speaker on independent film distribution, marketing and financing as well as on women's film. Most recently she has moderated panels and given master classes at the Sundance Film Festival, MIPDOC and Reel Screen as well as film festivals in Greece, Uganda, Mexico and Italy. Debra is a member of numerous Advisory Boards for media and film organizations, including Docu Club (NY), the Australian International Documentary Conference (AIDC), the Banff World Television Festival’s Advisory Committee, American University’s Center for Social Media and Cinema Tropical. She has also been a jury member for many international film festivals, and regularly sits on foundation and government funding panels. [ [http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/artists/debra_zimmerman_and_women_make_movies/ Featured Artist: Debra Zimmermann] . Center for Social Media School of Communication American University. Retrieved on 2008-06-13.]

Notes and References

External links

* [http://www.wmm.com/ WMM Official Site]