Making It: Women in Film

Gillie Jones is an actress and producer, known for her work on The Curse of La Patasola. This episode includes… the psychology and physicality behind getting into character, filming in a horrifying, giant spider-infested forest, her advice for producing an ultra-low-budget feature film, and a discussion on gender roles and relationships within the realm of horror! Join our community of women in film on Instagram @MakingItWomenInFilm and check out our website, womeninfilm.co.uk! Episode notes: Gillie’s Instagram (@Gillie_Jones) Credits: Making It: Women in Film is produced by Redeeming Features (@Redeeming_Features & redeemingfeatures.co.uk) Host & Editor: Malin Evita (@MalinEvita & malinevita.com) Production Supervisor: Ruth Aitken (@RaitkenFilm) Researcher: Lauren San Miguel (@Laur.VSM) Production Assistants: Shania Bethune (@ShaniaBethune) & Abbie Wise Got any feedback for us? Email MIWIF.feedback@gmail.com!

Yixi Sun is a Chinese filmmaker and the founder of the Filming East festival in the UK, celebrating Asian filmmakers and cinema history. In this episode she sat down to talk all about becoming a filmmaker: From refining your skills, getting funding, learning on the job, and casting sea lions (and that's not a metaphor.) Follow us on Instagram @MakingItWomenInFilm and tag us on your stories to get a shout out in the next episode! Visit womeninfilm.co.uk for more. Episode notes: Follow Yixi on Twitter @YixiSun Credits: Making It: Women in Film is produced by Redeeming Features (@Redeeming_Features & redeemingfeatures.co.uk) Host & Editor: Malin Evita (@MalinEvita & malinevita.com) Production Supervisor: Ruth Aitken (@RaitkenFilm) Researcher: Lauren San Miguel (@Laur.VSM) Production Assistants: Shania Bethune (@ShaniaBethune) & Abbie Wise Got any feedback for us? Email MIWIF.feedback@gmail.com!

Lorna King is a Ghanaian-Scottish screenwriter and filmmaker. In this episode, she opens up about her journey into the film industry, and the good and bad that's come alongside it. She specifically talks about her process of studying for a Masters in Screenwriting, how she has navigated the industry as a Black neurodivergent woman, balancing work/life when work is life, and how the industry really treats the mental wellbeing of its workers. Follow us on Instagram @MakingItWomenInFilm and tag us on your stories to get a shout out in the next episode! Visit womeninfilm.co.uk for more. Episode notes: Follow Lorna on Twitter @Lorna_King Read her piece for the Black Ballad, "How Systems Of Oppression Use Storytelling To "Hack" Our Brains" Credits: Making It: Women in Film is produced by Redeeming Features (@Redeeming_Features & redeemingfeatures.co.uk) Host & Editor: Malin Evita (@MalinEvita & malinevita.com) Production Supervisor: Ruth Aitken (@RaitkenFilm) Researcher: Lauren San Miguel (@Laur.VSM) Production Assistants: Shania Bethune (@ShaniaBethune) & Abbie Wise Got any feedback for us? Email MIWIF.feedback@gmail.com!

Nani Casillas is a Hairstylist, known for her work as Department Head on HBO's newest apocalyptic drama Station Eleven, as well as Get Shorty. She has also worked on the hair for projects including Big Little Lies*, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire**, and Lost***. In this episode, Nani walks us through her journey from working with drag queens in Hawai'i, to moving to L.A. at 25 with three kids, and working her way up the ladder. She also reveals the nitty-gritty details of working on Station Eleven and her process of characterisation through hair! Follow us on Instagram @MakingItWomenInFilm and tag us on your stories to get a shout out in the next episode! Visit womeninfilm.co.uk for more. Episode notes: Watch Station Eleven on HBO Max (U.S.) and through Starzplay from Jan 30th (U.K.) Follow Nani on Instagram (@ic_nani) Listen to episode #18 with costume designer Helen Huang here. Credits: Making It: Women in Film is produced by Redeeming Features (@Redeeming_Features & redeemingfeatures.co.uk) Host & Editor: Malin Evita (@MalinEvita & malinevita.com) Production Supervisor: Ruth Aitken (@RaitkenFilm) Researcher: Lauren San Miguel (@Laur.VSM) Production Assistants: Shania Bethune (@ShaniaBethune) & Abbie Wise  Got any feedback for us? Email MIWIF.feedback@gmail.com! * Head of Department: Michelle Ceglia ** Head of Department: Linda D. Flowers *** Head of Department: Doreen F. Schultz

Rebecca O'Brien is one of Europe's leading producers within independent filmmaking. Some of her credits include the Cannes Palm d'Or winners The Wind that Shakes the Barley (2006) and I, Daniel Blake (2016), as well as Land and Freedom (1995) and You Were Never Really Here (2019). In this interview, Rebecca tells host Evita about her career journey, her long term collaboration with writer Paul Laverty and Ken Loach, and how making political movies have changed her views on the world. Follow us on Instagram @MakingItWomenInFilm and tag us on your stories to get a shout out in the next episode! Visit SixteenFilms, created by Rebecca O'Brien and Ken Loach. Follow @KenLoachSixteen on Twitter. Making It: Women in Film is produced by Redeeming Features (@Redeeming_Features & redeemingfeatures.co.uk) Host: Malin Evita (@MalinEvita & malinevita.com) Production Supervisor: Ruth Aitken (@RaitkenFilm) Researcher: Lauren San Miguel (@Laur.VSM) Production Assistants: Shania Bethune (@ShaniaBethune) & Abbie Wise Visit womeninfilm.co.uk for more. Got any feedback for us? Email MIWIF.feedback@gmail.com!

Evita and Shania sit down with writer, director, editor, and producer Sonejuhi Sinha. Sonejuhi has produced two award-winning documentaries, had her short film "Love Comes Late" presented at the Cannes Film Festival, and last year her directorial feature debut "Stray Dolls" was released. In this episode, the three talks about going from editing to writing, organic diversity in front of the screen bloomed by diversity behind, how to create flawed characters when they aren't white men, as well as answer some listener questions about producing and the New York film scene! Join our community of women filmmakers on Instagram @MakingItWomenInFilm Follow Sonejuhi on Instagram: @Sonejuhi, and check out her website (here) to get in touch with her. Rent "Stray Dolls" on Amazon Prime (free for people in the U.S. with Prime membership) for $4.99! Follow Shania on Instagram: @ShaniaBethune & @ShaniaFilm Follow Evita on Instagram: @MalinEvita This episode was hosted by Malin Evita and Shania Bethune, guest-starring Sonejuhi Sinha, and edited by Shania Bethune.

Alexandra Shipman is the documentarian behind "BAM BAM - Female, Fifty, Fighting" which tells the story of Sandra Shipman, her boxing mum. In this episode the director came on to speak about the filmmaking journey behind, lessons learned, and the unique experience of documenting the life of a person so close to you. Join our online community of women in film on Instagram @MakingItWomenInFilm, and check out womeninfilm.co.uk! Follow @BAMBAMFilm and @AlexShipmanFilms on Instagram for more Follow Evita on Instagram @MalinEvita, malinevita.com.

Mariah Goolsby is a California based actress, writer, and activist. In this episode, she sat down with Evita to talk about the power of storytelling through acting, being vulnerable with your art, and telling your own stories. They spoke about her upcoming short film MESSY (support them here) and about subverting audience expectations by telling the story of the stereotypical side character. Join our community on Instagram @MakingItWomenInFilm and check out our website, womeninfilm.co.uk! Follow Mariah on Instagram, @MariahGoolsby -- mariahgoolsby.com Follow Evita on Instagram, @MalinEvita -- malinevita.com This episode was produced by Malin Evita. Get in touch through makingitwomeninfilm@gmail.com.

Elan Vital McAllister is a former theatre producer and current doula who worked as the birth consultant for Pieces of a Woman (2020, dir. Kornél Mundruczó), a film known for its captivating 24-minute one-shot birthing scene. In this episode, Elan shares how she got involved with the project and how she petitioned to meet with the producers and the day before shooting, sat down with the team and completely rewrote the script. She also details what it was like to work with lead actress Vanessa Kirby and shares her passion for bringing truth to screen. Join our online community on Instagram @MakingItWomenInFilm and check out our website, womeninfilm.co.uk! Watch Pieces of a Woman now on Netflix. Get in touch with Elan through her website, elanvital.love Malin Evita produced this episode; follow her on Instagram @MalinEvita, malinevita.com

Donate to Galop - An anti-violence charity for LGBTQ+ people. Happy Pride! This week, Evita sat down for a solo episode talking all about memorable moments of queer representation, the power of representation, as well as shedding light on several LGBTQ+ filmmakers and their movies. Join the conversation over on Instagram @MakingItWomenInFilm and check out our website, womeninfilm.co.uk! Follow Evita on Instagram @MalinEvita, malinevita.com Media mentioned: Rowan Ellis' YouTube Channel Womxn In Film Zine Pretty Little Liars Grey's Anatomy Love, Simon Brooklyn Nine-Nine Blue is the Warmest Color Atypical Booksmart Fleabag Scream Tomboy Moonlight Schitt's Creek The Haunting of Bly Manor The Arrowverse The Last of Us Perks of Being a Wallflower Victim I Killed My Mother Heartbeats Laurence Anyways Matthias and Maxine Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown All About My Mother Pain and Glory Kaboom Totally Fucked Up Mysterious Skin The Matrix franchise American Horror Story Pose The Assassination of Gianni Versace Portrait of a Lady on Fire Waterlillies The Watermelon Woman Pariah Bessie Mudbound Appropriate Behaviour The Miseducation of Cameron Post The Bisexual Lingua Franca The Half of It Saving Face

Best known for critically acclaimed series 'Call It a Day' and nominated film 'Say Your Name', Actress & Producer Oriane Pick has played many multi-dimensional characters with a unique story, always aiming at subverting taboos, across all topics and genres. She is also the founder of Candid Broads Productions, a production company dedicated to amplifying diversity and emerging artists. This week, Oriane sat down with host Evita to talk all about her journey, thoughts on conscious inclusion, educating yourself on topics, and the line between spreading awareness and exploiting said topic. Don't forget to follow @MakingItWomenInFilm on Instagram and check out womeninfilm.co.uk for more! Instagram: @Oriane_Pick (itsoriane.com) & @Candid_Broads_Productions (candidbroadsproductions.com) Hosted and produced by Malin Evita, malinevita.com

Summer Spiro is an editor and actress who joined Evita to talk about the underrated power and musicality of editing, and how editing the web series 'PLATONIC' (watch it here), an LGBTQ+ show about modern relationships, where she also starred as the lead, led her to an intense confrontation of acceptance. Don't forget to follow us on Instagram @MakingItWomenInFilm and read our online zine, womeninfilm.co.uk! IG: @SummerSpiro | summerspiro.com If you would like to ask us any questions or find out more, feel free to email us at makingitwomeninfilm@gmail.com This episode was hosted and produced by Malin Evita.

Roxy Shih is a Taiwanese-Dutch-American director of horror projects such as Dark/Web and Mira Mira. In today's episode, she sat down with Evita to talk about the true filmmaking experience: From failure to microbudgets, hope, and fighting for the 'Magic'. Don't forget to follow us on Instagram @MakingItWomenInFilm and check out our online magazine womeninfilm.co.uk Instagram: @RoxyShih | RoxyShih.com Dark/Web: Available on Amazon Prime Video Mira Mira: Available through Crypt TV (watch here) Listen to her podcast, Two Horny Goats, on all major podcast platforms | twohornygoats.com This episode was produced and edited by Malin Evita (@MalinEvita).

Nikki Petersen is an American, Paris-based filmmaker who runs her own business and has worked with Vogue, Armani, Lancôme, YouTube Original, and more! In today's episode she spoke with Evita about her career journey, differences between the French and American film industry, key advice on being a successful freelancer and running your own business, and developing healthy work/life balance habits. Don't forget to follow us on Instagram @MakingItWomenInFilm and check out our online magazine, womeninfilm.co.uk Follow Nikki on Instagram @NikkiPetersenFilm / nikkipetersenfilm.com This episode was hosted and edited by Malin Evita.

Happy Earth Day (Week)! Jade Zaroff and Sarah Franco are the makers and leads of the environmentalist comedy web series, Jade & Jaded. In today's episode, Evita sat down with the two talk about everything from how to tell activist stories without coming off as "pushy", their journey through creation and filmmaking, to the most valuable things they have learned from each other and the four-year process of this project. It is an episode filled with love and creative nourishment, I really hope you enjoy it. Follow us on Instagram @MakingItWomenInFilm and check out our website womeninfilm.co.uk for more! For updates on Jade & Jaded, follow them on all socials at @JadeandJaded and watch their pilot here! This episode was hosted and edited by Malin Evita, follow her on Instagram @MalinEvita.

Caris Rianne is a British filmmaker and founder of Rianne Pictures - a volunteer-run production house of everything features, shorts, etc. a mentor programme ("Evolve") and a film festival ("Women X")! In today's episode, Evita and Caris spoke about everything from her upbringing, (lack of) working-class accessibility in the industry, taking direct action to be the change you want to see, female and queer stereotypes that need to GO, the Women X festival, and so much more. It is an incredibly inspiring, open, and entertaining conversation. Follow us on Instagram @MakingItWomenInFilm and check out our website, womeninfilm.co.uk! For updates on everything they do, follow @RiannePictures on all social media platforms and find out more about them on riannepicture.com Submit your short film to Women X (at least one person who directs, writes, or produces must identify as a woman or non-binary) on Film Freeway. Hosted and edited by Malin Evita. Follow Evita on Instagram @MalinEvita

Read about more women throughout film history here. Women's History Month is an annual declared month that highlights the contributions of women to events in history and contemporary society. In honour of that, Shania and Evita sat down to highlight key women in the film industry, their experiences and successes, aswell as discuss their own views on the part women play with the film industry. Watch the restored version of The Curse of Quon Gwon on YouTube. Read the full Persephone Magazine article on Marion E. Wong Read the full transcript of Francis Coppola talking about women in film and history. Follow us on Instagram at @MakingItWomenInFilm for more content like this, and check out our website, womeninfilm.co.uk. This episode was hosted by Shania Bethune and Malin Evita and edited by Shania Bethune. Additional sources include: Domestika, The New York Times, Atlas Obscura, and Women Film Pioneer Project.

Suzanne Smith is an Emmy-award winning casting director - most recently, you might be familiar with her work on shows like Outlander, Good Omens, and Warrior Nun. She has years of experience in the industry and has worked with both live theatre, cinema, and television - all the while watching it grow and evolve. For this episode, she spoke with Evita about how the casting industry as changed over the years, focusing on creating a safer work environment (discussion around sexual harassment and the "casting couch" at 35.00-46.00) and the increase of diverse roles. Follow us on Instagram at @MakingItWomenInFilm for more content like this, and check out our website, womeninfilm.co.uk. This episode was hosted and edited by Malin Evita, guest-starring Suzanne Smith.

Happy Women's Day! In celebration, we wanted to hear from you listeners - your thoughts, opinions, people you wanted to celebrate. So we made a call-out on our Instagram (keep an eye out for future ones, @MakingItWomenInFilm) asking for submissions. So here's what we've got on the programme today: 1.00 - Nancy Clarke: Women in the Film Curriculum (IG: @NancyRoseClarke, nancyroseclarke.wixsite.com) 6.20 - Lauren & Reilly: Celebrating Eachother and (laurenpiskothy.com & reillyshanahan.com) 14.00 - Abiola Olaitan: Is the Femme Fatale Archetype Sexist? 18.30 - Flaminia Marchetti: Representation in Italian Cinema (IG: @flaams) 25.30 - Olivia Morrison: Working Class Cinema in the U.K. (IG & Twitter: @OliviaGMorrison) Thank you all so much for your contribution and support - you're incredible. This episode was hosted and edited by Malin Evita, guest-starring Nancy Clarke, Lauren Piskothy, Reilly Shanahan, Abiola Olaitan, Flaminia Marchetti, and Olivia Morrison. womeninfilm.co.uk

Find resources and support for dealing with eating disorders at beateatingdisorders.org.uk or call their helpline 0808 801 0677 (UK) or go to nationaleatingdisorders.org or call their helpline at (800) 931-2237, reach their crisis text line by texting NEDA to 741741. Brooke Trantor is an actor, filmmaker, and improviser who joined Evita for a discussion around eating disorder awareness, her movie Yours Are Mine, how our body image is influenced by the media, and the depiction of ED in film and television. You can watch Yours Are Mine here on Flixa - a free trial is available. For updates, follow Brooke on Instagram @BrookeTrantor and check out her website, brooketrantor.com. TRIGGER WARNING: This is a very vulnerable conversation about ED and ED recovery. Please skip this episode if this is a triggering subject for you. Here are the topics and timestamps so you can jump back and forth comfortably and safely. 00.00 - 24.00: Talk about ED recovery and fear of relapsing. Vulnerable, in-depth. 00.45 - Meet Brooke: Her journey into acting and filmmaking. 04.40 - The making of Yours Are Mine; creating a safe space on set. 20.00 - How to stop second-guessing yourself 24.00 - 51.00: Personal stories of poor body image and discussion around the portrayal of eating disorders in the media, recovery and healing. Vulnerable, in-depth. 24.00 - How pop-culture influences our body image 30.00 - Beauty standards and the need for reflecting truth 35.40 - How eating disorders are represented on screen (the mentioned article) 47.10 - How to support someone with an ED 51.00 - Women who inspire shout out 54.20 - A last message to the people listening For more content on women in the film industry, follow us on Instagram @MakingItWomenInFilm and check out our website, womeninfilm.co.uk. Happy Women's History Month - we will see you next week! This episode was hosted and edited by Malin Evita, guest-starring Brooke Trantor.