Bad Feminists Making Films

Latest Episodes:

Embracing Abundance in Business w/ Reaa Puri Jan 14, 2020

In this episode, we talk to bad feminist filmmaker Reaa Puri, an award-winning filmmaker, TEDx speaker, and co-founder of Breaktide Productions. Reaa talks about her journey of overcoming imposter syndrome and understanding her worth and value as a filmmaker. She shares how a twist of fate pushed her to overcome a mindset of scarcity and embrace one of abundance both individually and collectively through the work she does with the collective she co-founded, Breaktide. Reaa gets into the nitty gritty of filmmaking collectives such as deciding on projects, creating a sustainable model, and finding clients that align with collective visions. She ends with practical advice for women filmmakers to embrace their value and empower themselves through collectivity. Powered and distributed by Simplecast

Ethnographic Documentary & Festival Interventions w/ Patricia Alvarez Astacio Oct 28, 2019

What makes a documentary ethnographic? How is this rad programmer of color changing film festivals? We talk with filmmaker, programmer, and anthropologist Professor Patricia Alvarez Astacio about her ethnographic documentary ENTREJIDO and her refined and critical approach to observational cinema. Shaped by the Universidad de Puerto Rico and her doctoral studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz, Patricia offers a blueprint for festivals to step into their full potential as inclusive and creative sites for the communities they descend upon. As co-director of the Society of Visual Anthropology Film Festival, she watches all film submissions-- a radical practice in today’s networked industry! How will you show up? Listen for ideas… Powered and distributed by Simplecast

Nothing About Us, Without Us, is For Us Sep 30, 2019

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Filmmaking as Activism? with Mona Nicoara Sep 19, 2019

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In It for the Long Haul with Ameesha Joshi & Anna Sarkissian Sep 13, 2019

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Healing through Filmmaking w/ Rebecca Byerly Sep 03, 2019

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Women Behind the Camera with Alexxiss Jackson May 03, 2019

Director and cinematographer Alexxiss Jackson shares her journey as a visual storyteller committed to social justice: from being an eight-year-old making home movies starring Transformers and Barbie dolls, to being one of few women of color in film school, to working double to get half the recognition on film sets. To our question "What is it like to be a woman of color in the film industry?" Alexxiss offers nuanced insights based on her personal experiences, touching on the racialized dynamics of the filmmaking industry and the absolute necessity of unrepresented voices to create spaces and opportunities of their own.

Speaking My Truth: Organizing & Filmmaking in These Times Mar 12, 2019

Filmmaker, organizer, and impact producer Set Hernandez Rongkilyo waxes lyrical about how to bring together the worlds of storytelling and organizing in the service of building movements. They share their journey of feeling like the only person without a social security number to being connected to an entire universe of undocumented superheroes fighting in the migrant justice movement. Set reflects on how film is a sharp weapon that can be wielded in toxic or healing ways, and the unique role of the impact producer to support directors and producers in shaping film into a powerful tool for organizing and movements.

MIXED: What it means to be biracial in a black and white world Feb 22, 2019

Filmmaker, photographer, and professor Leena Jayaswal joins the show for a deep-dive into her current film project MIXED. She describes her filmmaking journey with fellow director Caty Borum Chattoo, as they--two mothers, one brown, one white--set off to explore the experiences of mixed race families fifty years after Loving v. Virginia legalized interracial marriage in the U.S. Leena reflects on the vulnerability of sharing her own family’s story on screen; why filmmaking sometimes feels like therapy; and what the work of inclusion looks like in the film and academic worlds.

The Art of Taking up Space: A conversation with Hilary Hess Feb 01, 2019

Artist and filmmaker Hilary Hess describes her journey from doing social media at a public television station to directing a PBS digital series, becoming the videographer for Bernie Sanders and working with Melinda Gates. She created her own opportunities and intensely focused on what she was passionate about rather than the limitations she or others may have perceived about her. Maggie, Emily and Hilary discuss the difficult questions and “catch 22s” that women often face in terms of how they choose to show up and lead in historically white male dominated work cultures.

LIVE FROM SAN JOSÉ! Jan 07, 2019

BFMF goes on the road for an evening of storytelling with emerging and seasoned feminist filmmakers from across the U.S. who break down the “how tos” of mounting a decolonial lens onto your camera. Whether it's challenging stereotypes, forging a space for alternative narratives, or digging into solidarity work, we hear from Tricia Creason-Valencia, Elena Herminia Guzman, Laura Menchaca Ruiz, and Nadia Shihab about filmmaking as an act of resilience, love and courage.

Women Rising up through Art & Activism Nov 08, 2018

Artist and activist Monica Jahan Bose describes “rising up” to challenge the Kavanaugh nomination by teaming up with other women media-makers. Monica reflects on where her fearlessness comes from—her background as an environmental lawyer and performance artist. She shares her unique approach to filmmaking and other art forms as one of “forming community”—using storytelling and shared artistic authority with women to tackle climate change and other social justice issues.

Collaborating Consciously with Community Nov 08, 2018

Dawne Langford, DC-based filmmaker and creative producer tells us about “discovery syndrome”--or what happens when women and people of colors’ ideas are picked up without credit--and the hard lessons she’s learned about film collaborations with communities. Describing her journey from her beginnings at a black-owned public TV station (Howard University’s WHUT) to attending the highly selective PBS Producers Academy, Dawne offers some important ethical principles for filmmakers.

A Case Study in Decolonial Documentary: Call Her Ganda Nov 08, 2018

What does it mean to decolonize film not just in theory, but in practice? In episode 2, Maggie and Emily speak with filmmaker PJ Raval, who recently led an all-Filipino directing and producing team to create Call Her Ganda, which tells the story of three women intimately invested in justice for Jennifer Laude, a Filipina trans woman who was brutally murdered by a U.S. Marine; together they galvanize a political uprising, pursue justice and take on hardened histories of US imperialism. We speak with PJ about how he came to realize his responsibility to work on this project, the process of creating a transnational production team with the depth of experience and sensitivity necessary to execute it across borders, and what he learned about U.S.-Philippine colonial history and himself along the way.

What the hell is feminist filmmaking, anyway? Sep 24, 2018

Emily and Maggie kick off the podcast by dropping some bad feminist facts about the sad state of the filmmaking industry. Our guests Elena Guzman and Miasarah Lai talk about why feminism needs an asterisk, and how it has come to be a shorthand for knowing who you want to work with. Elena and Miasarah discuss the importance of feminist filmmaking as an anti-racist and anti-oppressive practice, and share some bad feminist moments they’ve had along the way.

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