DUPLICATE Looking Back And Forward: A Conversation About Women Make Movies
Abstract
Debra Zimmerman, executive director of Women Make Movies, talks about the organization on the occasion of its fortieth anniversary with Camera Obscura editorial collective member and Women Make Movies board chair Patricia White. Women Make Movies was formed in 1972 to address the under- and misrepresentation of women in film and media; today, the New York–based nonprofit supports the creation and circulation of independent film and media by and about women through its production assistance program, extensive distribution service, and advocacy role. The conversation covers the growth of the organization since the 1970s, the close connection between feminist film theory and independent filmmaking in the 1980s, changes in the culture of documentary, gender inequities in film directing and in financing of films about women, the impact of digital culture on educational distribution, and new trends in women's film festivals. Women Make Movies's strategy of advocating for women within the film world is highlighted.