The Lensrentals Podcast – BEST OF: Women’s Weekend Film Challenge

Each week Roger Cicala, founder of Lensrentals.com, hosts conversations about the art and science of capturing images. From photography to videography, film, history, and technology, the show covers a wide range of topics to educate and inspire creators of all kinds.

Best Of: Women’s Weekend Film Challenge (Or How a Short Film Contest is Attempting to Change the Industry)

Ally is joined by Katrina Medoff and Tracy Sayre who are the executive co-directors of the Women’s Weekend Film Challenge which is a women-in-film initiative that places professional filmmakers on crews that write, shoot and edit a short film in just one weekend. Through the WWFC, they have produced 24 films to date with more than 500 professional female filmmakers in New York City. These films have already been selected for 60 film festivals and counting, including the HBO Women in Comedy Festival and Fantasia Film Festival.

Katrina and Tracy got the idea for the Women’s Weekend Film Challenge when they started to notice a lack of women within the film industry. After the suggestion of an all-female film challenge was suggested on social media, Katrina saw a huge response. Shortly their after, the Women’s Weekend Film Challenge was born. To put it directly, the Woman’s Weekend Film Challenge works for gender equity by creating opportunities for women to bring their leadership, talents, and stories to the forefront of the film industry. This program builds all-women teams who then write, shoot, edit and deliver a short film within a weekend on a free platform. But perhaps they can tell their story the best —

• Women’s Weekend Film Challenge Website
• WWFC Instagram
• WWFC Twitter
• WWFC Facebook
• WWFC LinkedIn
• WWFC YouTube

Timestamps

00:30 – Introduction to Ally Aycock-Patterson, and cofounders of the Women’s Weekend Film Challenge Katrina Medoff, and Tracy Sayre

00:45 – Katrina and Tracy talk about how they founded the Women’s Weekend Film Challenge

02:00 – Katrina and Tracy walk us throught how the Women’s Weekend Film Challenge works

03:00 – Katrina and Tracy share about their background in filmmaking

05:45 – Ally, Katrina, and Tracy discuss some of the difficulties they’ve encountered as women working in the film industry

07:00 – Talking about some of the sexist challenges they’ve run into on set

09:30 – Katrina and Tracy talk about their history and successes with film festivals and other mediums for distribution of films

13:00 – Katrina and Tracy talk about their (now past) film festival in Los Angeles.

16:40 – BREAK

17:30 – Tracy talks about her personal passion for animal activism

20:30 – Reflecing on how Women’s Weekend Film Challenge is three years old, Tracy and Katrina talk about their history and growth

24:10 – Tracy and Katrina talk about how to apply to be a part of the Women’s Weekend Film Challenge

26:00 – Tracy and Katrina talk about some of the success stories that participates have found through referrals from the Women’s Weekend Film Challenge

29:10 – They all talk about the future of the Women’s Weekend Film Challenge, from new locations to new events

The Lensrentals Podcast is a production of Lensrentals, founded by Roger Cicala. Our production staff includes Drew Cicala, Ryan Hill, Sarah McAlexander, SJ Smith, Julian Harper, John Tucker, and Zach Sutton. Other contributors include Roger Cicala, Joey Miller, Ally Aycock Patterson, Joshua Richardson, and Philip Robertson.

Thanks to Jacques Granger for our theme song.

Submit a topic idea, question, or comment, leave us a voicemail at 901-609-LENS, or send us an email at podcast@lensrentals.com.

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