CineCause Women's Initiative - 'F3: Fueling Female Filmmakers'

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WOMEN’S INITIATIVE +

[F3] OCTOBER 15, 2014 ONE DAY WITH ONE OBJECTIVE

FUELING FEMALE FILMMAKERS

IT’S TIME. !

IT’S TIME TO CLOSE THE GENDER EQUITY GAP IN THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY. REAL SUPPORT IS NEEDED FOR WOMEN WRITERS, PRODUCERS AND DIRECTORS IN THE SOCIAL IMPACT SPACE.

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THE CINECAUSE WOMEN’S INITIATIVE (CWI) EMPOWERS A GROWING GLOBAL COMMUNITY OF EXCEPTIONAL FEMALE FILMMAKERS, CONNECTING THEM WITH THE CRITICAL FINANCIAL, PROFESSIONAL, TECHNOLOGY AND DISTRIBUTION RESOURCES THEY NEED TO COMPETE IN AN EVER EXPANDING ENTERTAINMENT MARKETPLACE.

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WOMEN’S INITIATIVE +

A DAY AT THE REDBURY !

ON WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15TH, 2014, THE CINECAUSE WOMEN’S INITIATIVE WILL HOST ITS FIRST ONEDAY INTENSIVE ENTITLED ‘F3: FUELING FEMALE FILMMAKERS’. UP TO TWENTY-FIVE EMERGING WOMEN WRITERS, PRODUCERS & DIRECTORS WILL BE SELECTED TO PARTICIPATE IN AN ALL-DAY EVENT CONSISTING OF PRESENTATIONS, DIALOGUE, SKILL-BUILDING SESSIONS & PROJECT PITCHES LED BY WOMEN WHO ARE LEADERS IN THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY. AT THE END OF THE DAY, FIVE ATTENDEES WILL RECEIVE FUNDING & DISTRIBUTION RESOURCES FOR THEIR PROJECTS.

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THE SPECIAL GUESTS !

THE SPECIAL GUESTS WHO WILL BE SPEAKING & SHARING ARE INDUSTRY LEADERS WHO HAVE VALUED INSIGHT AND INSPIRATION TO OFFER. IT IS BOTH AN HONOR AND A PLEASURE TO HAVE THEM PRESENT.

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GINA BELAFONTE* PRODUCER & ACTIVIST

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LINDA BROWN PRESIDENT, INDIE PR

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MICHELE FARINOLA PRODUCER

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RHA GODDESS

ENTREPRENEURIAL SOUL COACH, FOUNDER & CEO, MOVE THE CROWD

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DANIELA KON

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SIMA & PRODUCER, DEEDA PRODUCTIONS

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BETH PORTELLO

CO-FOUNDER, CINEMA LIBRE STUDIO

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JOCELYN TOWNE*

DIRECTOR, WRITER & PRODUCER

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CHRISTINE VACHON

PRODUCER & CO-FOUNDER, KILLER FILMS

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SONYA WATERWORTH

FOUNDER & DIRECTOR OF ACQUISITIONS, YEKRA

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AALIYAH WILLIAMS PRODUCER & STRATEGIST

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* Jury Committee Members

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GINA BELAFONTE !

Gina Belafonte is the producer of Sing Your Song, a film focused on the personal history and extraordinary events of her father Harry Belafonte’s life and legacy. A committed social activist, Belafonte has dedicated the last ten years of her life to gang intervention and issues of youth incarceration. For the last six of those years, she followed her father around the world to bring together her art and activism with Sing Your Song. Prior to helping found The Gathering For Justice, a multi-cultural, multi-generational nonprofit organization that deals with youth incarceration and the criminalization of poverty, Belafonte spent several years acting on stage and television with notable roles with the National Shakespeare Company and in the TV Series “The Commish.” She works internationally with artists and organizations developing the concepts and promoting the belief in interdependence. She continues to produce, act, and direct for theater, television and film.

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LINDA BROWN !

Linda Brown started her career at PMK Public Relations where she worked for almost 6 years. She then went on to create a Film Division at Bragman, Nyman, Cafarelli, and later head up the Motion Picture Department (west coast) for Rogers & Cowan where she remained for three years. In 1996, she formed her own company, INDIE PR, with partner Jim Dobson. The company does publicity for Independent and Studio films, all film festivals, directors, producers and production companies, actresses, comedians, premieres and special events. The company also acts as Producer's Reps when necessary. She has spearheaded the campaigns for such award-winning Independent films as "Bloody Sunday� (winner Sundance 2002, Berlin 2002), "Artists & Orphans" (doc winner Santa Barbara Film Festival and Oscar Nominee 2002), "Amy's Orgasm" (winner Santa Barbara 2002), "On Tiptoe: Gentle Steps to Freedom" (Oscar nominee 2001), and "20 Dates" (winner Slamdance, later released for Fox Searchlight) among others.

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MICHELE FARINOLA !

Michele Farinola has been working in documentary features and television for over twenty years. Most recently as Co-Head of Documentary Features at Spitfire Pictures, a unit of Exclusive Media, where she was an executive producer of the 2012 Academy Award® winning documentary, UNDEFEATED, released by The Weinstein Company and the 2012 Grammy® Award winning documentary, FOO FIGHTERS: BACK AND FORTH. In addition, Michele was the executive in charge of production of HBO’s 2012 Emmy® and Critics’ Choice Award winning documentary, GEORGE HARRISON: LIVING IN THE MATERIAL WORLD, directed by Martin Scorsese; and THE LAST PLAY AT SHEA, released by Lionsgate and Showtime. Michele started her entertainment career at Paramount Pictures and 20th Century Fox, working for a studio chairman, eventually segueing into producing and directing dozens of high-profile, award winning cable documentary series and specials for AMC, A&E, USA Network, SciFi Channel, Starz and Animal Planet under the Fox Television Studios banner.

Michele is currently independently producing a feature documentary on the incredible personal journey of exonerated football player, Brian Banks. The film aims to shed light on wrongful accusations, and intrinsic flaws in our judicial and incarceration systems. During her free time you can find Michele playing with her 9-year-old son and volunteering for Drop in the Bucket, a non-profit dedicated to building wells and sanitation systems at schools in Uganda and South Sudan.

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RHA GODDESS !

Rha Goddess is the entrepreneurial soul coach behind hundreds of breakthrough change makers, cultural visionaries and social entrepreneurs who are revolutionizing how we live, work, play and handle our business.

Combining her hard-earned business savvy with her long-standing passion for social change, Rha founded Move The Crowd to help the next generation re-imagine "work" as a vehicle for creative expression, financial freedom and social change. Her unique methodology integrates deep inner exploration and mindset work with powerful leadership and strategic skills training to empower entrepreneurs to achieve their own flavor of success. From the onset of her more than 30 year career as a cultural innovator, Rha has drawn on the power of arts, culture, and community to move hearts, minds and policy. As an internationally acclaimed performance artist and activist, Rha's helped to elevate the state of racial justice and equality, electoral politics, offender aid and restoration, mental health and youth and young women's empowerment. In 2008 she received the National Museum of Voting Rights prestigious Freedom Flame Award and in 2009 she was awarded the Herb Alpert's Hedgebrook Prize. Later that year, the White House invited her to participate in a special delegation and to serve as a United States Cultural Envoy to Rwanda. Rha's work has also earned rave reviews from international media outlets like Time, Variety and Source Magazines. As a much sought after keynote, she has led the conversation around conscious entrepreneurship, speaking at respected venues such as SVN, Emerging Women, LOHAS and TEDxBroadStreet.

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DANIELA KON !

Kon is the Founder and Executive Director of the Social Impact Media Awards (SIMA), and award-winning documentary and impact agency, DEEDA Productions. For the past 10 years, Kon has worked with filmmakers and international organizations in Cambodia, Thailand, India, Bangladesh, Israel, Liberia, Senegal, and the US, creating documentaries and advocacy media about human rights and global development issues. Her film credits range from the award-winning documentary TALIBE, the UNFAO Ending Hunger Campaign and the United Nations GCARD, to collaborations with grassroots initiatives in Education, Voluntourism, Youth Leadership, Girls’ and Women’s Empowerment, LGBT Rights, Agricultural Development, Water Management, Children’s Rights, and Modern-day Slavery. Kon is a member of CAP with Creative Visions Foundation, a board member of the HRW Film and Women’s Rights Committee of Human Rights Watch in Los Angeles, a producer and consultant for social issue documentaries and international advocacy campaigns.

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BETH PORTELLO !

Rha Goddess is the entrepreneurial soul coach behind hundreds of breakthrough change makers, cultural visionaries and social entrepreneurs who are revolutionizing how we live, work, play and handle our business.

Combining her hard-earned business savvy with her long-standing passion for social change, Rha founded Move The Crowd to help the next generation re-imagine "work" as a vehicle for creative expression, financial freedom and social change. Her unique methodology integrates deep inner exploration and mindset work with powerful leadership and strategic skills training to empower entrepreneurs to achieve their own flavor of success. From the onset of her more than 30 year career as a cultural innovator, Rha has drawn on the power of arts, culture, and community to move hearts, minds and policy. As an internationally acclaimed performance artist and activist, Rha's helped to elevate the state of racial justice and equality, electoral politics, offender aid and restoration, mental health and youth and young women's empowerment. In 2008 she received the National Museum of Voting Rights prestigious Freedom Flame Award and in 2009 she was awarded the Herb Alpert's Hedgebrook Prize. Later that year, the White House invited her to participate in a special delegation and to serve as a United States Cultural Envoy to Rwanda. Rha's work has also earned rave reviews from international media outlets like Time, Variety and Source Magazines. As a much sought after keynote, she has led the conversation around conscious entrepreneurship, speaking at respected venues such as SVN, Emerging Women, LOHAS and TEDxBroadStreet.

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JOCELYN TOWNE !

Jocelyn Towne was born and raised in Los Angeles, attended Crossroads School for the Arts & Sciences and got her B.A. in Comparative Literature from UC Berkeley. She has worked as an actor in theatre and film. In 2011, Jocelyn raised funds for her first feature (as director/writer/actress), "I Am I," on Kickstarter and won the Kickstarter Video of the Year for her campaign. "I Am I" premiered at the Newport Beach Film Festival in 2013, where she won "Outstanding Achievement in Directing." The film made its international premiere at the Champs Elysees Film Festival. "I Am I" also won a Special Jury prize at U.S. in Progress in 2012. Jocelyn’s 2nd film, “We’ll Never Have Paris,” premiered at SXSW in 2014, was the closing night film at the Edinburgh Film Festival this summer and won the Audience Award at the Newport Beach Film Festival. “Paris” is being released in early 2015.

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CHRISTINE VACHON !

Christine Vachon is a film producer active in the independent film sector. She produced Todd Haynes' first feature, Poison, which was awarded the Grand Jury Prize at the 1991 Sundance Film Festival. Since then, she has gone on to produce many acclaimed American independent films, including Far From Heaven (nominated for four Academy Awards), Boys Don't Cry (Academy Award winner), One Hour Photo, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Happiness, Velvet Goldmine, SAFE, I Shot Andy Warhol, Go Fish, Swoon, I'm Not There, Gigantic, Cracks. and Cairo Time. Her latest and upcoming projects include a short film collaboration with ACE Hotel and online film content producers Massify entitled "Lulu at the Ace Hotel" as well as a five-part HBO mini-series adaptation of James M. Cain's 1941 novel, Mildred Pierce. Vachon also participates as a member of the Jury for the NYICFF, a paramount New York City Film Festival dedicated to screening films for children between the ages of 3 and 18.

With fellow New York producer Pamela Koffler, Vachon currently runs Killer Films, which was established in 1996.

The company celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2005 and was honored with a retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

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SONYA WATERWORTH !

Sonya Waterworth is YEKRA’s Founder & Director of Acquisitions. With an immense passion for analyzing the emotional and psychological impetus behind the online behavior of consumers, Sonya lends her expertise from leading shows such as "Entertainment Tonight" and "The Insider" and from brands including Clear Compass Media to CBS. Sonya was responsible for acquiring the film that shattered revenue records for internet only distribution of a film, and is passionate about creating a fair digital playing field for independent filmmakers.

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AALIYAH WILLIAMS !

Aaliyah Williams is a creative producer and strategist who loves to bridge digital and TV by crafting compelling narrative and unscripted formats that engage audiences. She loves the challenge of telling a story in under 5 minutes and getting you hooked in less than 30 sec. Paradoxes are her jam.

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After producing the award-winning short film The Young and Evil (a 2009 Sundance Official Selection), Aaliyah developed and produced Buppies, a dramedy web series that was purchased by BET, garnered a CoverGirl Queen Collection sponsorship, thrilled over 2 million viewers, and was a Webby Honoree. That was pretty dope.

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She has created and produced branded content for Fox Digital Studio and AOL. Most recently, Ms. Williams ran content for Russell Simmons' YouTube channel, All Def Digital as the VP of Development and Production. Aaliyah conceived and produced comedy, music, and pop-culture series and sketches that have amassed over 54 million views and sustained 280,000 subscribers. Notable projects that have brought a twinkle to her eye are The Drop (a fantastic daily show), Dr. Reasons (featuring Spoken Reasons of The Heat), Pedro's Auto (featuring SuperEeeGo), and All Def Comedy Nights (starring Tony Rock and Erik Griffin of Workaholics).

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A member of the International Academy of Web Television and a Film Independent Project:Involve alum, Aaliyah went to Harvard and thought it was fabulous. She was raised in Arkansas and Oklahoma and is proof that Black people live in both states. You can catch her daydreaming about her next adventures in several coffee shops around Los Angeles. If you do, say hello.

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THE COMMITTEE !

THE SELECTION COMMITTEE FOR THE F3 IS COMPRISED OF FOUR CINECAUSE TEAM MEMBERS WHO HAVE WORN SEVERAL HATS IN THE DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF THIS EVENT.

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JLOVE CALDERON

CWI FOUNDER & FUND MANAGER

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ALLIE MERRICK

CWI PROGRAM DIRECTOR

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AMANDA HORVATH

CWI FILM ACCREDITATION DIRECTOR

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NATALIE IRBY

CWI FILM ACCREDITATION ADVISOR FOUNDER & CEO, CORNER TO CORNER PRODUCTIONS

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JLOVE CALDERON !

JLove is an activist, author, and conscious media maker who has spent over two decades working on issues of social justice, race, and gender She has co-created and written numerous unscripted TV shows including Ride or Die, Voices for Change, Green Mama, and Denver Earthships. Her short film, Asia-One; Expect the Unexpected, was screened at the 2013 X Games and the Hollywood Film Festival and she completed her second film, From Gangs to Gardens. She was associate producer on the TV pilot Nobody’s Nobody’s, and is a producer on the feature film 11:55 Holyoke, as well as a film about her life story, That White Girl, Additionally, JLove has authored and co-edited five books. Her book Conscious Women was nominated for a NAACP Image Award, and Occupying Privilege won the social change category of the National Indie Excellence Awards. JLove consults with technology, entertainment and lifestyle companies as a Social Impact Strategist connecting and curating innovative, transformative products, live events and experiences with a triple bottom line impact: people, planet, profit.

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ALLIE MERRICK !

Allie Merrick is an independent content producer & social entrepreneur who creates original material (photos, videos, blog posts) & organic concepts (social media projects/campaigns) to tell the story of a brand. In addition to working as an independent contractor through her personal label 'The Allie Way', a lifestyle platform & publication, Allie holds the following positions: Executive Producer for CineCause, Hospitality Director of the Hollywood Film Festival, Program Director for the CineCause Women's Initiative & Co-Host of My Wine Words

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AMANDA HORVATH !

Amanda Horvath is a graduate from Loyola Marymount University with a degree in Film Production and a minor in Screenwriting. As a documentary filmmaker, she aims to create positive content that will inform and inspire audiences, as well as bring fascinating, untold stories to the big (and small) screen. At CineCause, she managed the campaign for The Milky Way, creating and coordinating over fifty screenings nationwide, in addition to designing numerous tool kits and resources for all screening promoters. In her role as the Programming Coordinator at the 2014 Hollywood Film Festival, she viewed hundreds of submissions and made critical decisions in the selection and scheduling process. Furthermore, she organized numerous presentations based on socially relevant issues such as 'alternative education' and 'the water crisis'.

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NATALIE IRBY !

Natalie Irby is a filmmaker and the Founder/CEO of Corner to Corner Productions, an independent film production company based in Los Angeles. The company's mission is to create Narrative fiction content in-house, under the guidance and creative umbrella of Corner to Corner. With Natalie at the helm, the company handles everything from inception to completion, fostering content that is not only captivating, but also brimming with artistic integrity. Corner to Corner also seeks to support and partner with talented, passionate filmmakers and organizations, who promote social action and affect change through the medium of documentary films.

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THE PARTICIPANTS !

THE FOLLOWING WOMEN WERE SELECTED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE FIRST ANNUAL CINECAUSE WOMEN’S INITIATIVE ‘F3’ INTENSIVE. THEIR PROJECTS WERE REVIEWED AND FOUND TO BE THE BEST IN CLASS AMONG ALL THE SUBMISSIONS RECEIVED.

JACQUELYN ALUOTTO

HEIDI MARSHALL

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NATALIE METZGER

THAT WHITE GIRL

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NIMBY EXPERIENCE

BRITTANY BALLARD

SPECIAL BLOOD

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REPEAT AFTER ME

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ELISHA MIRANDA

SUMITA BATRA

THE GO GIRL CHRONICLES

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EM DIDI

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JOAN OSHATZ

RADHA BLANK

KIDNAPPING MARGO STERLING

THE FORTY-YEAR-OLD VERSION

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SOOJIN CHUNG

RAEESAH REESE

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HUNGRY FOR LOVE

DE COLORES

LAINIE LOVE DALBY

ROBIN HAUSER REYNOLDS

GLOBAL LOVE BRIGADE

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CODE: DEBUGGING THE GENDER GAP

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ANNIE ESCOBAR

ELLA TURENNE

SPREAD LOVE CAMPAIGN

HAIRITAGE

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ALISON FAST

SAHRA VANG

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BEYOND BARS

MAKER’S LANE

JULIA AHUMADA GROB

PING-WEN WANG

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EAST WILLYB

CHRISTMAS DANCE

AMY KESSLER

JILL WHEELER

UNDER THE HOOD

BYSTANDERS

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PROJECT

NIMBY EXPERIENCE VETERAN ACTOR LUIS GUZMAN GOES UNDERCOVER HOMELESS TO SHED LIGHT ON THIS EPIDEMIC IN AMERICA.

JACQUELYN ALUTTO !

Jacquelyn Aluotto is a producer, director, and activist dedicated to saving shelters for homeless people through the eradication of poverty, violence, and abuse across America. Jacquelyn created, produced, and directed three new shows proving that making a difference is entertaining and inspiring. She is the go to girl for celebrities, activist, and advocates who want to be featured on her shows and highlight their causes. Currently she hosts the Real Beauty Real Women series where her goal is to make activism the most fashionable thing in America. She directed and produced the Award Winning Documentary “Not In My Backyard” with never seen before powerful footage of abused and homeless women and children. In 2012 NIMBY screened in Washington and received a standing ovation at "The World's Women Conference Of Shelters." Labeled ‘The Socially Conscious Fashionista’ she is a constant face on popular TV shows making giving back look glamorous with exclusive interviews of celebrities and red carpet charity events. She has presented at conferences, colleges, and universities. She has received congressional recognition for her work. Two Citations’ from the State of New Jersey Senate and General Assembly. She is the recipient of many awards to name a few the B.O.S.S. "Influencer" Award, Winnie Mandela Award, Community Service Award, and was a finalist in the Russel Berrie Foundation’s People Making A Difference Award. In 2010 she was voted a top 10 CEO women in America. She is the founder and creator of RBRW.ORG, Pick It Up Pictures, and her non-profit Break The Cycle. Jacquelyn's main focus and dream is to inspire people through Socially Conscious Entertainment to make a difference and give back.

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PROJECT

REPEAT AFTER ME ELAINE GOODMAN (60’S) IS NEWLY RETIRED AND READY TO SET SAIL AROUND THE WORLD WITH THE MAN OF HER DREAMS, BUT WHEN HER ESTRANGED DAUGHTER MAKES A TRAGIC MISTAKE, ELAINE IS FORCED TO CONFRONT HER PAST, LET GO OF HER FUTURE AND DISCOVER WHO SHE IS TODAY.

BRITTANY BALLARD !

Brittany Ballard produced and music supervised The American Dream, an award-winning narrative feature, which premiered at Santa Barbara and Edinburgh Film Festival and over 30 festivals and educational workshops before it’s DVD/VOD release by Image Entertainment. Brittany and Jamil are developing Repeat After Me, the screen adaptation of Ayelet Waldman’s novel Daughter’s Keeper while they prepare to shoot their next feature, Steal That Horse in 2014. In 2013, Brittany completed her 8th year as Director of Programming for Urbanworld. From 2009-2012 she served as Manager of FILM FORWARD, a joint initiative between Sundance Institute, Presidents Committee on the Arts and Humanities, National Endowment for the Arts and Institute for Museum and Library Services. Before forming little plow films, she was Head of Acquisitions at Newmarket Films, Programmer at Santa Barbara Film Festival, and the Media Literacy Instructor for Step Up Women’s Network. Brittany studied with Directing/Acting Coach Joan Scheckel and participated in USC’s Directing Intensive. She graduated with Honors, Double Majoring in Black Studies and Comparative Literature with an Emphasis in Media Studies from University of California at Santa Barbara. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for New Leaders Council Los Angeles and Oakland.

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PROJECT

EM DIDI A DOCUMENTARY ON TEACHING THE ANCIENT ART FORMS OF THREADING AND MEHNDI TO WOMEN AT RISK IN SIEM RIEP, CAMBODIA, SO THEY CAN HAVE THE ONE THING THAT ELUDED THEM ALL THEIR LIVES: DIGNITY.

SUMITA BATRA ! " People often ask me, ‘What do you do?’ I tell them I make the world a less hairy place, one eyebrow at a time,” says Sumita Batra. “It’s not really just about money for me, but building something and leaving a legacy behind.”

Batra is Ziba Beauty’s CEO. For her, Ziba Beauty is more than a business. It’s her passion. Like her mother, Batra has always been enchanted with the beauty practices of her native country and wanted to share them with the public.

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In addition to making Ziba Beauty a popular brand with celebrities, Batra is considered to be a worldwide expert on the Art of Threading® curriculum. She developed a highly specialized training curriculum that all Ziba Beauty artists go through.

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Batra has written a top-selling book, “The Art Of Mehndi,” that illustrates step-by-step directions about how to apply henna. It was featured in publications such as Rolling Stone, the New York Times Magazine and Vanity Fair.

Now she has set her eyes on a long time passion of hers: making documentaries and movies. Batra had her first documentary “Namaskaar” featured in film festivals such as the Sikh Film Festival and now hopes to expand her horizon with her newest project, Em Didi. The word “Em” means little sister in Vietnamese and “Didi” means big sister in Hindi.

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PROJECT

THE 40-YEAR-OLD VERSION WHEN A PLAYWRIGHT FROM NEW YORK GETS DOWN ON HER LUCK, SHE REINVENTS HERSELF AS A 40-YEAR-OLD RAPPER.

RADHA BLANK !

Radha Blank is the author of nine plays. She is a 2013 Sundance Institute UCROSS Playwright, a 2011 Helen Merrill Award recipient, a 2011 NEA New Play Development Award recipient (for SEED), a New York Foundation for the Arts Fellow and a Nickelodeon Writing Fellow. Radha’s plays have been developed and/or presented by The New Group, Luna Stage, Penumbra Theater, Arena Stage, Classical Theater of Harlem, The City Parks Foundation, Dixon Place, Here, The Lark, Voice and Vision,Hedgebrook, Tofte Lake Center, The New Black Fest and several seasons of The NYC Hip Hop Theater Festival. She has written for Nickelodeon and has written several screenplays, including FOH, Winner, Best Screenplay at the 2013 BlackStar Film Festival. When not writing plays, Radha performs as emcee RadhaMUSprime. Her forthcoming mixtape,The 40-Year-Old Version, is an original, self-produced Hip Hop/Comedy mash-up of dope beats, catchy hooks and thought-provoking rhymes that beg the question: where is the overweight, undersexed, single, 40-year-old Black woman's voice in Hip Hop? RIGHT HERE YO! Radha currently works as a staff writer on a new Baz Lurhman series for Netflix about two friends and the beginnings of Hip Hop in New York, 1977.

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PROJECT

HUNGRY FOR LOVE WHILE BILLBOARDS SUGGEST THAT BEING THIN IS THE ONLY WAY TO BE BEAUTIFUL, TWO FULL-FIGURED FOODIES DISAGREE. THROUGH A FIVE BOROUGH DINING ADVENTURE IN NYC, THEY PROVE THAT TRUE BEAUTY IS LIVING LIFE TO ITS FULLEST, ONE ENTREE AT A TIME.

SOOJIN CHUNG !

Soojin Chung recently produced ESCAPE FROM TOMORROW which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2013 generating buzz throughout the industry. The LA Times called it “one of the most provocative movies ever seen” and Variety said, “Its cult status will remain immortal.” Chung’s feature film follow-up will be HUNGRY FOR LOVE. Previously, Chung produced numerous award winning short films that have screened at festivals worldwide such as THE 8TH SAMURAI and PORTRAIT FOR LEONORE as well as worked as an editor on eight major feature films including Park Chan-Wook’s Venice winner LADY VENGEANCE. After graduating from the American Film Institute, Chung participated in the IFP Trans Atlantic Partners Program, Film Independent’s Project Involve, CAAM Fellowship and Berlin Talent Campus (Tokyo).

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PROJECT

GLOBAL LOVE BRIGADE PART INTERVIEW, PART REALITY TV AND PART DOCUMENTARY SERIES, GLOBAL LOVE BRIGADE IS AN IN-DEPTH EXPLORATION OF UNLIKELY LEADERS AND FEARLESS CHANGE AGENTS THAT ARE CREATIVELY TRANSFORMING THEIR LOVE INTO ACTION TO HELP AWAKEN THE CONSCIOUSNESS OF HUMANITY AND MAKE LOVE THE NEW BOTTOM LINE IN OUR WORLD.

LAINIE LOVE DALBY !

Lainie Love Dalby is a visionary artist, author, media personality & transformational leader with her own brand of multimedia ministry. Recently pegged as a “Global Midwife for the 21st Century,’ she will activate you to amp up your aliveness, claim your deep gifts & create your life as a great Masterpiece for the good of all. As a spiritual guide & ordained Interfaith Minister she is helping individuals and organizations lead more heart-centered, morally courageous and radically authentic businesses and lives. She’s also igniting a movement of He(art) Warriors™ that are merging heart-centered living with creativity and sacred activism, leaving normal in the dust while they SPARKLE shamelessly and shake the world! Her work has been featured in online global summits, TV & radio shows; presented at institutions such as Cornell University, The New School, Rush Arts, One Spirit Learning Alliance & SCOPE, and sought after by high profile art collectors as well as the stylists of Nicki Minaj & Paris Hilton. Her diverse talents & finesse have also appeared in the New York Times, NY Arts Magazine, Marie Claire Magazine, Paper Magazine, V Magazine, Time Out New York, and several other publications & blogs where, because of her marriage of unmistakable style & profound consciousness raising, she is often referred to as “The Lady Gaga of Consciousness.”

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PROJECT

SPREAD LOVE CAMPAIGN A YOUNG WOMAN TRAVELS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES ON A HUMAN CONNECTION SCAVENGER HUNT. THE AMAZING RACE MEETS PAY IT FORWARD.

ANNIE ESCOBAR !

Annie Escobar first learned how to tell a captivating story by competing for the attention of her nine siblings at their massive dinner table. She is the founder of Awake Storytelling, an impact driven film company fueling a conscious storytelling revolution. By documenting the stories of activists and change makers in over 25 countries around the world, Annie has seen first hand the role that storytelling plays in building movements and catalyzing change. As a filmmaker, she’s created emotional, story driven videos for over 50 social movements and organizations. Annie is obsessed with unleashing stories that change the way we see ourselves, each other and the world.

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Annie is the author of The Starter Guide to Non-Profit Video Storytelling and has been a key note speaker at TEDxNYU, Google, The Foundation Center, and NYU. Additionally she has led workshops in Palestine, Uganda, Macedonia, Kazakhstan and the United States.

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PROJECT

BEYOND BARS BEYOND BARS IS THE STORY OF JAMEELA JACOBS, A DEVOUT MUSLIM GIRL TURNED FEMALE GANGSTER, WHOSE HARROWING STORY EMBODIES THE INTERGENERATIONAL WOUNDS OF APARTHEID AND ROOT CAUSES OF VIOLENCE IN SOUTH AFRICA’S MOST DANGEROUS NEIGHBORHOODS, HANOVER PARK. JAMEELA’S JOURNEY TO REPAIR HER HEART AND MIND, AGAINST ALL ODDS, BECOMES THE STEPPING STONE TO HER NEW LIFE AND A TESTIMONY OF HOPE TO WOMEN EVERYWHERE.

ALISON FAST !

Alison Fast is a Peabody Award-winning producer who has worked for such networks as NBC/Universal, BBC Worldwide and MTV Networks in Los Angeles. Through Barefoot Workshops, she has also designed and led filmmaking workshops for more than sixty organizations across Africa and the Middle East, including Libya during the country's first free elections. Her most recent film, WILL TO CHANGE, explores the topic of violence and recidivism in the rural south. Her goal is to use storytelling to drive bottom-up change, in partnership with community leaders.

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PROJECT

EAST WILLYB AN EDGY WORKPLACE COMEDY IN WHICH A WHIMSICAL BAR OWNER AND HIS DYSFUNCTIONAL REGULARS COME UP WITH WACKY WAYS TO STAY RELEVANT IN THEIR RAPIDLY GENTRIFYING BROOKLYN NEIGHBORHOOD. ‘ALWAYS SUNNY’ MEETS ‘DO THE RIGHT THING’.

JULIA AHUMADA GROB !

Julia Ahumada Grob is a writer, performer, and creative producer of Chilean and Jewish heritage. She is cocreator, producer and actor of the hit digital comedy East WillyB, named the “Latino Show for a New Generation” by the NY Times. Prior to her success as a digital content creator, Julia’s one-woman show He(R)evolution toured nationally and internationally, and her interactive video, "The Beat Back Bush Workout," won the coveted Crowd Pleaser Award at the New York Hip-Hop Odyssey Film Festival. Her writing has been published in Oxford Encyclopedia for Latinos and Latinas in the U.S. and We Got Issues! A Young Woman's Guide to a Bold, Courageous and Empowered Life, along with numerous blogs. She is a graduate of National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP) Latino Producers Academy and Latino Artist Mentoring Program, and a semifinalist for the 2013 CBS TV Writing Mentorship Program. She holds a B.A. from Brown University.

CineCause

WOMEN’S INITIATIVE +

PROJECT

UNDER THE HOOD VETERANS DEFEND A SOLDIER’S RIGHT TO HEAL AT A CAFE NEAR THE U.S. ARMY’S LARGEST MILITARY BASE

AMY KESSLER !

Mentored by veteran filmmaker Robert Richter (from the acclaimed Friendly-Murrow CBS team) Kessler produced, edited and distributed independent social impact documentaries. She has worked on issues related to nuclear disarmament and chemical weapons, global peace activism, the IMF and World Bank policies, the infamous School of the Americas, women’s rights, children’s rights, culture and economy. Kessler moved back to Los Angeles in 2013 and is currently a freelance producer and documentary filmmaker. Her most recent productions include two short fundraising videos and one short documentary for Homeboy Industries called Project Missing Ink, dedicated to helping gang members transform their lives in positive ways. Currently, Kessler is producing and directing a documentary about how a cafe near the largest army base in the U.S. turns ex-soldiers into peace activists.

CineCause

WOMEN’S INITIATIVE +

PROJECT

THAT WHITE GIRL IN HER SENIOR YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL, A TEENAGE WHITE GIRL IN A SMALL TOWN STARTS LEADING A DOUBLE LIFE WHEN SHE BECOMES A MEMBER OF THE CRIPS, THE NOTORIOUS AFRICAN-AMERICAN STREET GANG. INSPIRED BY A TRUE STORY.

HEIDI MARSHALL !

Heidi Miami Marshall’s career has spanned 20 years as a professional Director, Casting Director, and Actor Coach from Broadway to the screen. Heidi began her career as the Lead Casting Director for the musical RENT on Broadway at Telsey + Co. She collaborated with Baz Luhrmann on the Broadway production of LA BOHEME, recipient of Tony Awards, as both Casting Director and Resident Director. Heidi later re-mounted Luhrmann's LA BOHEME in Los Angeles at The Ahmanson Theater. On Oprah Winfrey’s Broadway production of THE COLOR PURPLE, Heidi directed the performances of Chaka Kahn, Bebe Winans, and Fantasia (American Idol winner) for whom the NY Times said “a mega-star is born”. Other Broadway credits include: Hairspray, Aida, Paul Simon’s The Capeman, The Rocky Horror Show, Saturday Night Fever. On film, she directed the short film A THROUGH M that received over 20 official film festival selections and awards, developed and filmed several television pitches, and is currently in development with a short film, webseries, and feature film. For the past seven years she has devoted her filmmaking passion to the development of the feature film THAT WHITE GIRL to share a true story that has the potential to save lives and inspire accountability around race and class. Heidi has received directing awards, including The Drama League Directing Fellowship and the American Film Institute’s Directing Workshop for Women. www.HeidiMarshall.com

CineCause

WOMEN’S INITIATIVE +

PROJECT

SPECIAL BLOOD FACED WITH A LIFE-THREATENING, RARE DISEASE, FIVE PATIENTS JOIN TOGETHER TO CONQUER ADVERSITY, FINDING STRENGTH IN EACH OTHER AND THEIR SMALL BUT STRONG COMMUNITY.

NATALIE METZGER !

Natalie Metzger is an award-winning filmmaker whose work explores the dark, surreal side of human nature and is recognized for being "visually rich and thoughtful". Currently completing healthcare documentary SPECIAL BLOOD, Metzger’s directing credits include BARELY (winner of Jury Award for Best Director at L-Dub Film Festival), FOR WATER (Best Short and Best Experimental Film nominee at Female Eye Film Festival), ARENA (official selection of Silent River Film Festival), and SURGEON GENERAL'S WARNING (official selection of International Video Dance Festival of Burgundy). Metzger is currently in production for music documentary CHASING JULES and in development for science thriller IMMORTAL. In the advertising world, Metzger’s public service accouncements have received the Platinum Best of Show Aurora Award, Gold Aurora Award, and Bronze Telly Award. Metzger created and executive produced SACRAMENT (winner of HARC Emerging Choreographer Award and official selection of Sao Carlos Videodance Festival) and also produced OUT OF HER ELEMENT (official selection of Cinema at the Edge Festival) and THE EMPTY MORNING by Romanian filmmaker Carina Tautu. She is currently producing Southern thriller THE BEAUTIFUL DEAD (winner of Script Pipeline's First Look Contest). Metzger holds a Master of Fine Arts from California Institute of the Arts and a Bachelor of Arts from Emory University, where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa and Summa Cum Laude and received the Sudler Award in the Arts and the Pioneer Award. www.nataliemetz.com

CineCause

WOMEN’S INITIATIVE +

PROJECT

THE GO GIRL CHRONICLES THE GO GIRL CHRONICLES IS A FISH OUT OF WATER SCI-FI WEBSERIES THAT FOLLOWS LARES LEBRON, AN IMMIGRANT DOMINICAN TEENAGER WHO IS ATTENDING A PREDOMINANTLY WHITE HIGH SCHOOL, WHILE STRUGGLING TO SURVIVE ADVERSITY AS SHE IS LEARNING TO UNDERSTAND THE PARAMETERS OF A NEWLY DISCOVERED GIFT SHE’S CARTOKINETIC. MEANING, WHATEVER SHE DRAWS COMES TRUE.

ELISHA MIRANDA !

Miranda under her pen name, E-Fierce wrote her debut young adult novel, THE SISTA HOOD: ON THE MIC, about a multi-racial, all female hip-hop crew (Atria Books/Simon & Schuster, 2006). She is also a contributing author to the anthologies JUICY MANGOS (Atria Books/Simon & Schuster, 2007), OTHER RICAN (Random House, 2013) and THE FIRE THIS TIME (Anchor Books, 2009). She is the co-publisher of the hip-hop feminist curriculum CONSCIOUS WOMEN ROCK THE PAGE which is based on three novels that centers young women’s voices in hip-hop culture including her. As a screenwriter, Elisha has also garnered awards from her scripts such as OUTSIDE THE WALL (Tribeca All Access 2005, Sundance Feature Film Lab Finalist 2006, NALIP Writer’s and Producer’s Lab 2006 and 2007) explores the prison industrial complex and BETTY’S GARAGE (Sundance Feature Film Lab Finalist 2012) looks at domestic violence in the futuristic Americas and her current feature STAINLESS explores the psychological impact of racial profiling and bullying on a mixed raced teenager in this thriller. She cowrote and directed the off-Broadway multimedia show - Pandora’s which dealt with Latino LGBTQ experience. She has also directed and produced short films that have garnered awards and screened domestically and internationally. Currently, SANGRIA STREET, her television show she co-created was recently optioned. Her webseries, THE GO GIRL CHRONICLES was awarded a 2014 artist grant from the National Association of Latino Arts and Culture. Miranda is also a seasoned cultural activist and educator who has co-founded and built diverse organizations, programs and initiatives. For more information visit www.elishamiranda.com.

CineCause

WOMEN’S INITIATIVE +

PROJECT

KIDNAPPING MARGO STERLING AN AWARD-WINNING ACTRESS STRUGGLING WITH THE FACT THAT HER YOUTH HAS ENDED AND HOLLYWOOD AS FORSAKEN HER IS KIDNAPPED BY AN UNKNOWN FEMALE WRITER DESPERATE TO WRITE A SCREENPLAY THAT WILL REVIVE THE ACTRESS’S DECLINING CAREER AND JUMP START HER OWN.

JOAN OSHATZ !

Joan Oshatz has a Master of Fine Arts in Screenwriting from UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television and a Bachelor of Arts in Motion Picture-Television from UCLA . In graduate film school Joan was dubbed by her writing professor the female version of Woody Allen, Mel Brooks and Neil Simon all rolled into one. Her passion is writing strong character driven screenplays for female actors. She also writes a blog called A Bad Marriage Is Fattening, www.abadmarriageisfattening.com, which will be published as a memoir and adapted into a screenplay. Joan has published articles in the Los Angeles Times newspaper and she has written, starred in and produced her own Public Access Television series.

CineCause

WOMEN’S INITIATIVE +

PROJECT

DE COLORES WHEN AN AMBITIOUS YET GUARDED PRE-MED STUDENT MOVES BACK HOME TO HELP HER WILDLY IRRESPONSIBLE, SPIRITED AND NOW UNEMPLOYED MOTHER, SHE IS FORCED TO CONFRONT HER COMPLEX IDENTITY AS AN UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANT AND QUEER LATINA.

RAEESAH REESE !

A recent graduate of Loyola Marymount University, Raeesah Reese studied screenwriting and theology for the insight into story the topics gave her. She has explored her interests in social justice through storytelling, having worked on projects that examine immigrant rights and the struggles of undocumented youth in the U.S. Raeesah has also dedicated her time to women’s issues. Recently, she was able to reconnect with her background as a Muslim woman through co-leading a delegation of students to Jordan to learn about women’s empowerment through arts and media. Her passion for women’s justice lead her to India to meet with world-renowned ecofeminist Dr. Vandana Shiva on topics of food justice and women’s sovereignty. Lately, Raeesah's work has been local as she received a grant to develop a Muslim women’s empowerment program in South Los Angeles.

CineCause

WOMEN’S INITIATIVE +

PROJECT

CODE: DEBUGGING THE GENDER GAP CODE EXPOSES THE DEARTH OF AMERICAN FEMALE AND MINORITY SOFTWARE ENGINEERS AND EXPLORES REASONS FOR THIS GENDER GAP.

ROBIN HAUSER REYNOLDS !

Robin Hauser Reynolds of Finish Line Features, LLC brings a longstanding history of creativity and photographic production to her innovation as Director/Producer of CODE: Debugging the Gender Gap, her second documentary film. Her first documentary, award-winning Running for Jim, follows high school running coach Jim Tracy and the impact of his battle with ALS on his championship teams.

CineCause

WOMEN’S INITIATIVE +

PROJECT

HAIRITAGE A HAIR STORY ABOUT LOVE, LOCS AND LIBERATION

ELLA TURENNE !

Ella Turenne is an artist, activist and educator. Her work has been published in various anthologies including Letters from Young Activists: Today’s Rebels Speak Out, Check the Rhyme: An Anthology of Female Poets and Emcees (nominated for a 2007 NAACP Image Award), Woman’s Work: The Short Stories, and most recently in Turning Teaching Inside Out. She is the editor of a volume of visual art and poetry commemorating the Haitian revolution entitled revolution|revolisyon|révolution 1804-2004: An Artistic Commemoration of the Haitian Revolution. Ella’s film woodshed was an official selection of the Hollywood Black Film Festival and the Montréal International Haitian Film Festival, where it was nominated for Best Short Film. In response to the January 2010 earthquake in Haiti, Ella co-edited a volume of poetry on Haiti called For the Crowns of Your Heads; the funds raised were used to aid a library that was destroyed in Port-au-Prince. Ella is on the Executive Steering Committee of the Inside Out Prison Exchange Program and an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. She was also a member of the Blackout Arts Collective where she participated in Lyrics on Lockdown, a national tour where she performed and facilitated workshops educating communities about the prison-industrial complex. She was also co-founder of SistaPAC Productions, whose mission is to develop original creative works from women of color.

With SistaPAC she co-produced, co-wrote and performed in Kindred, a web series featuring the lives of Black women.

CineCause

WOMEN’S INITIATIVE +

PROJECT

MAKER’S LANE MAKER’S LANE IS A WEB SERIES THAT DOCUMENTS AMERICA’S SELF-MADE SUCCESS STORIES, CELEBRATES THE COURAGE AND CREATIVITY OF ENTREPRENEURS AND INSPIRES VIEWERS TO CARVE THEIR OWN PATH WHILE FIERCELY PURSUING THEIR PASSIONS.

SAHRA VANG !

Sahra Vang Nguyen is an artist, writer, and producer currently based in Brooklyn, New York. She has served as the Director of the Writing Success Program at the University of California, Los Angeles where she helped undergraduate students develop their critical thinking, self-empowerment and agency through the writing process. Sahra has self-published an e-book of poetry titled, "One Ounce Gold," and she has been published in the print anthology, "Pho For Life." Her writing primarily explores themes of identity, race in America, the Vietnamese American experience and the power of human potential. She has toured over 40 Universities and cities speaking, performing poetry and facilitating workshops on topics related to student empowerment. In Fall 2013, Sahra was invited to perform at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC in a celebration of Asian American artists. In Spring 2014, Sahra created a web series about NYC entrepreneurs called, "Maker's Lane," which is copresented by the Smithsonian APAC and featured on Colorlines.com, NBCNews.com and Huffington Post. The series celebrates innovation, creativity and trailblazers in the entrepreneurial spirit of the American Dream. In September 2014, Sahra was honored with the May Takayanagi Making Waves Award by social justice leaders at Asian American Resource Workshop's 35th Anniversary celebration in Boston, MA. Currently, Sahra continues her passion for storytelling and giving living to underrepresented stories as a contributor for NBC News, blogger for Huffington Post and co-owner of a new Vietnamese restaurant in Brooklyn, NY.

CineCause

WOMEN’S INITIATIVE +

PROJECT

CHRISTMAS DANCE A LONELY OLD WOMAN SUFFERING FROM ALZHEIMER’S ENTERS A DREAM WORLD DURING CHRISTMAS EVE AND MEETS HER LONG LOST FAMILY AND FRIENDS. SHE MUST REMEMBER HER MOST IMPORTANT MEMORIES AND SHARE ONE FINAL DANCE WITH HER DAUGHTER BEFORE SHE FORGETS EVERYTHING.

PING-WEN WANG !

Writer and director, Ping-Wen Wang, a burgeoning filmmaker from Taiwan, is currently a third year graduate student at Loyola Marymount University (LMU) in Los Angeles. Prior to LMU, Wang worked in the commercial and film industries of Taiwan, for which she received a substantial scholarship to study in the US.

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Wang’s past work The Clown (2013) is the “Best Fantasy” winner of International Student Film Festival Hollywood (ISFFH). It has been purchased and screened on Public Television in Taiwan. Her last project, Between Us (2014), is officially selected to screen at Palm Springs International ShortFest, Boston LGBT Film Festival, Out Takes Film Festival in New Zealand, Los Angeles Diversity Film Festival, Los Angeles International Student Film Festival, Taiwan International Queer Film Festival and won the Special Prize of Excellence at the Screwdriver International Short Film Contest in Taiwan.

CineCause

WOMEN’S INITIATIVE +

PROJECT

BYSTANDERS EVERYONE HAS A RAPE STORY. WE KNOW SOMEONE, WE’VE WITNESSED, WE’VE PERPETRATED AND WE’VE SURVIVED. THIS STORY GOES FAR BEYOND PSA’S, EDUCATION AND COMFORTABLE CONVERSATION.

JILL WHEELER !

Jill Wheeler is a therapist, speaker, writer, yoga instructor and adventurer specializing in creating empowering and transformational experiences. Jill has treated a range of psychosocial issues as a therapist for 15 years. As a climbing guide and outdoor educator, she has led high impact, life-changing adventures for more than 20 years.

Currently in post-production, Warrior One documentary is her first venture bringing it altogether on camera as producer and writer.

CineCause

WOMEN’S INITIATIVE +

THE PARTNERS !

PARTNERS OF ‘F3: FUELING FEMALE FILMMAKERS, PRESENTED BY THE CINECAUSE WOMEN’S INITIATIVE, ARE OPENING THE DOORS FOR WOMEN IN THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY BY PROVIDING THE SUPPORT THAT’S NEEDED TO IDENTIFY PROBLEMS AND INSPIRE SOLUTIONS.

STEPHENS COLLEGE WWW.STEPHENS.EDU

THE CONFIDENCE FUND

CINEMA LIBRE STUDIO

WWW.CORNERTOCORNERPRODUCTIONS.COM

WWW.NURSHAPROJECT.COM

WWW.CONFIDENCEFUND.COM

WWW.CINEMALIBRESTUDIO.COM

MOVE THE CROWD WWW.MOVETHECROWD.ME

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY:

ELAN MCALLISTER ICONIC32

WWW.ICONIC32.COM

RAW REVOLUTION WWW.RAWREV.COM

CineCause

WOMEN’S INITIATIVE +

ANDY AVERBUCH

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WOMEN’S INITIATIVE + www.cinecause.com