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HISTORY: Reel Women began in April 1996 as an informal networking organization for women interested in filmmaking. It has since become a valuable service organization with more than 200 members, offering a wide variety of services to women at all levels of experience in the film and video industries. In June 1998, Reel Women began compiling a book consisting of resumes of local film crews. The book is lent at no cost to both visiting and local productions to assist in meeting their crew needs. The Crew Book now contains more than 200 resumes and has gotten repeated work for many of its participants. Reel Women also began compiling a book of headshots for productions that are casting local actors and extras. Equinox Knocks and Sleeping Dogs, two low-budget features made in Austin, were primarily cast from the Reel Women Casting Book. It was so useful to A Slipping Down Life that Reel Women received a $500 donation as thanks for aiding their production. Both the Crew Book and the Casting Book are open to women and men. Membership in Reel Women is not required. Reel Women produces a weekly email newsletter containing audition and production notices and upcoming meetings and special events (for Reel Women and other community groups). It is sent to more than 900 recipients. In September 1997, Reel Women launched its website: www.reelwomen.org. That same month Reel Women began its hugely popular Production Group. (In following with the mandate of the mission statement, the Production Group is available for the female members of Reel Women only.) The Production Group offers a different approach to filmmaking. A group of women are chosen, regardless of their experience, for crew positions for a short film or video project. Once the project is crewed, the members are required to attend regular meetings and workshops for the position they are to fulfill and encouraged to attend workshops for other positions. The workshops are given by local professionals and provide hands-on training for all aspects of film production. The women then take the project to completion. The only out-of-pocket expense for the participants is their $35 yearly Reel Women membership dues. Reel Women has hosted monthly meetings since April 1996. The meetings began at W.A.T.E.R., moved to the conference room of GSD&M Advertising and are now held in the gallery space at Women & Their Work. These monthly meetings are free and open to the general public. Each features a speaker from the film industry followed by an informal discussion and includes time for networking. In 1997 and 1998, Reel Women organized three screenings of films by local and national women filmmakers. These events were widely attended and gave emerging filmmakers a chance to have their work viewed by a large and diverse audience. We presented the world premiere of Temporary Girl by Lisa Kotin and for two years sponsored an evening of short films by women during the Austin Film Festival. In December 1999, filmmaker Nancy Savoca presented her film Dogfight and led a workshop on producing/directing an independent film. During the SXSW Film Festival in March 2000, Reel Women brought in filmmaker Julia Wallace for the regional premiere of her first film Live Nude Girls Unite! In April 2000, we co-hosted Laurie Collyer's Nuyorican Dream during the Cine Las Americas festival. In August 1999, Reel Women presented its first film forum, "Women Make Movies," highlighting the works of women filmmakers. Along with the three evenings of films, a panel discussion was held with visiting filmmakers Jo Andres and Gail Noonan and local filmmakers Elizabeth Avellán, Nancy Schiesari, Anne Lewis and Ellen Spiro. Ms. Andres and Ms. Noonan also gave a presentation on filmmaking techniques to GigaGals, an all-girl multi-media club sponsored by the Austin Children's Museum. In August 2000, Reel Women presented its second annual film forum, "Reel Women Presents Real Stories: Documentaries by Women." During the course of three days, four features and several short films were screened. Local film professionals gave one-on-one mentoring sessions, a panel discussion was held and visiting filmmakers Deann Liam Borshaw and Arlene Donnelly introduced their work and answered questions following their screenings. Ms. Borshay also gave a presentation to GigaGals at the Austin Children's Museum. The third annual film forum, "Reel Women Presents Digital Divas," was presented in September 2001. Three evenings of films, all shot on digital video, including the southwestern premiere of internationally acclaimed French filmmaker Agnes Varda's documentary The Gleaners and I. Falling Like This, a coming-of-age feature written and directed by Dani Minnick and produced by Lulu Zezza, was also screened with the producer in attendance. Kathy High's documentary, Animal Attraction, was also shown. Austin filmmaker Francesca Talenti showed her animated short films and local filmmaker Stacey Schoolfield screened her PSAs for the Town Lake Animal Center (TLAC). Ms. Zezza and Ms. High participated in Q&A sessions after their films and participated in mentoring sessions along with local film professionals. A community-outreach event included the participation of a TLAC representative discussing the "No Kill Millennium" policy and the Emancipet spay/neuter mobile clinic. Additionally a morning-long children's event, "Digital Kids," presented opportunities for children ages 7-15 to write, film and edit a short movie, to sing karaoke on videotape and to watch movies made by or about kids. 2002 and 2003 continued to provide networking opportunities for Reel Women, with the introduction of the First Monday Mix at Cafe Mozart. The informal monthly gathering continues at Mother Egan's Irish Pub, and offers an opportunity for members and non-members to congratulate and comiserate on projects and life in general. Spring 2002 brought with it "Ladies of the Silent Screen" (cosponsored with the Austin Film Society), Bike Like U Mean It, which screened at SXSW, and Salsa Caliente, which screened as part of Cine Las Americas Film Festival. Other screenings Reel Women sponsored in 2003 were Morvern Callar in February (with the Austin Film Festival), Hansel Mieth: Vagabond Photographer by Nancy Schiesari, in May (with the Austin Film Society), and the documentary Shelter by Anne Lewis, in June (as a fundraiser for Every Woman's Self Defense. Reel Women was the local sponsor of LunaFest for both 2002 and 2003. 2005 brought several great interviews and discussions, including an evening with Producer Sarah Green, a discussion on the making of a great Hollywood script (with Ron Bechtel), a PR/Publicity panel with Jill McGuckin and Melissa Smalensky, and a session on making the most of SXSW (with Matt Dentler) About Us | Membership | Calendar | Contact | Links | Home © Copyright 2003 Reel Women. All rights reserved. Reel Women is an Austin, Texas non-profit organization that provides a support system for women at all levels of experience in the film and video industries. | |||
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