Author: The Reel Women

  • What’s happening this week: November 22, 2023

    Check out what’s happening this week for women in film, TV and media! Anything in bold is a link so if you want more, make sure to click!

    🎥 Profile 🎥

    This week’s profile is @stellamay17! Check out her profile here.

    🚨 News 🚨

    💻 Resources & Opportunities 💻

    We do not endorse, or are endorsed, for any of the following. We simply came across the resource and wanted to share. Please do your own research on any programs or initiatives, especially where you are required to pay.

    🎉 What we’re excited about this week 🎉

    “Saltburn” written and directed by Emerald Fennell, wide release November 22, 2023.

    “A student at Oxford University finds himself drawn into the world of a charming and aristocratic classmate, who invites him to his eccentric family’s sprawling estate for a summer never to be forgotten.”

    Why we’re excited: Best known as an actress (Midge in “Barbie,” Camilla Parker Bowles in Seasons 3-4 of “The Crown,” and Nurse Patsy Mount in “Call the Midwife”), she’s also a writer (“Killing Eve”) and director (“Promising Young Woman” with 117 award wins out of 193 nominations). The stylized revenge thriller of “Promising Young Woman” is mired in the “Saltburn” trailer so we’re excited to see the story play out. Also, Carey Mulligan is set to make her reappearance in this new film.

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    Disney’s “Wish” directed by Chris Buck and Fawn Veerasunthorn. Screenplay by Jennifer Lee & Allison Moore, wide release November 22, 2023.

    “Wish will follow a young girl named Asha who wishes on a star and gets a more direct answer than she bargained for when a trouble-making star comes down from the sky to join her.”

    Why we’re excited: Growing up on the Disney princess movies, we have a fond place in our hearts for Disney animation. But we’re excited the stories have evolved from the girl getting the guy and, instead, the girl saving the world and “Wish” promises to be just this, with some fun twists and turns.

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    “Hannah Waddingham: Home for Christmas” releasing on AppleTV November 22nd, 2023.

    “Join Hannah Waddingham for stunning performances including Phil Dunster, Luke Evans, Leslie Odom Jr., Sam Ryder, and more.”

    Why we’re excited: Two words: Hannah Waddingham.

    🎬 The Numbers 🎬

    🎥 Interested in being Profiled? 🎥

    Are you a female filmmaker and storyteller, interested in being profiled?

    Go here to submit your profile!

    We’re excited to celebrate and support you!

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  • Profiles are back!

    After a 2 year hiatus, profiles are back!

    Are you a female filmmaker and storyteller? Interested in being profiled?

    Go here to submit your profile!

    We’re excited to celebrate and profile you!

  • “Women in the Film Industry” by Hailey, 6th Grade

    Check out this awesome article and resource that 6-grader Hailey wrote! I’m excited for the next generation of female filmmakers who can bring even more to the community.

  • @leahvbee: What are you working on next? In addition, if people want to find out more about you, where can they find you on social media?

    I’m desperate to get back on set! I’m writing & in constant search of material, so… if anyone wants to collaborate, give me a shout!

    www.leahbleich.com

    IG: @leahvbee

    Twitter: @leahvbleich

  • @leahvbee: What, if anything, do you collect?

    Hmm… I’ve accidentally built up a pretty substantial collection of VHS & VHS-C cameras as a result of doing two projects with them. It’s not an intentional collection — but it’s definitely a collection nonetheless.

  • @leahvbee: What advice do you have for other women in the industry?

    There is no shortage of opportunities. I know I struggle with my own competitive spirit, and I’m actively working on tempering that as I get older. We succeed by lifting each other up & then tossing the ladder back down, and there’s room for all of us in the sun on the other side of that glass ceiling.

  • @leahvbee: What is a successful moment in your career so far?

    Back in August, I found out I won a competition called The Six Feet Apart Experiment. Created by Justin Baldoni & his company Wayfarer Studios, this competition selected five first-time filmmakers to produce a micro-budget feature film in 2020. Just a few months later, I was suddenly on the other end of production on my first full-blown feature film. It was absolutely surreal and an incredible pivot point in my life and career.

  • @leahvbee: What is your biggest concern with the future?

    Oof! Probably the polarization of viewpoints based on online content. While I wish this year brought the world together against the common enemy of COVID-19… I’m sure we all know that’s not the case. I hope I get to participate in a stronger, less divided United States at some point in my lifetime. I’m optimistic. We’ll see.

  • @leahvbee: What’s a defining moment in your life?

    A few years ago, I found out I have the BRCA-1 mutation, which takes my likelihood of getting breast cancer in my lifetime up to something like 50-85%. But knowledge is power, and I have the ability to minimize this risk through careful monitoring and prophylactic surgeries. But I bring this up because this knowledge radically effects the way I proceed throughout the next 10 years of my life.  A focus on the “ticking clock” of fertility and family planning is often an inhibition for female filmmakers in this industry — and this is only exacerbated by the serious risks to my health if I don’t proceed along a certain, slightly accelerated timeline. But so it goes! We take our challenges & incorporate them into our lives. This is one of mine.

  • @leahvbee: Why did you decide to get into this industry?

    When I was little, I desperately wanted to believe that magic was real. I was always ready for secret doors and letter-carrying owls — but nothing ever came. But that degree of magic exists on screen, and I’ve been mesmerized since childhood by entertainment, storytelling, and the potential a person has to exist in an elevated universe onscreen. It’s truly incomparable.