Girls in the Director's Chair

So the Creative Director of Fresh Films noticed something interesting. For every five boys that applied to Fresh Films, we only got one girl. And he wondered- are girls just not as interested in filmmaking, or is something else holding them back?

To find out, he created Girls in the Director's Chair. It's a program just like Fresh Films in form and function- teens apply and send in their ideas, we bring the studio to them and teach them how to make a film from beginning to end - but with one big difference. It's for young women only!

The response has been amazing- our first year, we partnered with Women in Film to create a national public service campaign. Our second year, we made two shorts, one starring That 70s Show's Laura Prepon, and one starring She's All That's Rachael Leigh Cook. That film, "Halfcourt Press," won at the El Cajon film festival!

So it looks to us like, girls want to make movies just as much as their male counterparts, and they're making pretty great ones, at that. What's really nice is that since we started Girls in the Director's Chair, female applicants for Fresh Films have skyrocketed. Those teams, which used to be 80/20 at best, are now 50/50, just the way we hoped they'd be.

Girls in the Director's Chair is all about empowering young women to try new things, and to succeed in every ambition. If you'd like to learn more about the program, or watch the films last year's team made (or even, perhaps, apply,) check out the GIDC website. It has all the latest news, and lots of information about becoming a filmmaker, from top female filmmakers like director Katherine Brooks.

And don't hesitate to apply- there is no cost to participate in this program. All you need is time and a willingness to work! No experience necessary!