The Reel Women

Category: Director

  • Alexandria Morgan

    Alexandria Morgan

    “Not everything is going to go your way. It’s simple, but sometimes you do lose sight when you’re zoned in on a particular goal.”

    Director, Writer, Production Design — @a.kmorgan

    What pulled you into film and TV in the first place?

    I loved watching movies and TV as a kid; so much so that whenever I got in trouble, I’d usually get my TV privileges revoked. I always enjoyed escaping into another world and watching characters that you get to grow up with or aspire to grow up to be was always inspirational to me growing up. I knew that I had to be a part of it.

    What do you think the industry gets most wrong about women like you?

    I’m an introvert, so I think that whenever people look at me, it means that I’m a pushover, or I’ll agree to anything. What they don’t know is that I’m stubborn, so if I set my mind to something, or gather an opinion, it’s getting done.

    What does success mean to you?

    To me, success means achieving what you set out to do; even if it takes a long time to do it.

    What are you most proud of that most people don’t know about?

    It’s such a cliché, but my resilience. It’s so easy to give up, and I’ve had moments where I’ve questioned if I’m meant for this, but I know that I am, and that’s enough to keep me going.

    What keeps you going when the industry makes it hard?

    Knowing that there are so many Black stories waiting to be told; and knowing that I’ll be one of many Black filmmakers to tell them.

  • Lada Egorova

    Lada Egorova

    “Go make your own projects. Never wait for someone to approve of your project. Just because someone rejects your project doesn’t mean you should give up. You just haven’t found the right team yet.”

    Producer, Director, Writer — @lada.egorova_

    What pulled you into film and TV in the first place?

    The day I went to a movie theater as a kid and felt totally immersed into the story of the film that was playing on the screen. The power of stories to immerse you, inspire you and make you forget about the world for a moment and care about someone else’s story.

    What do you think the industry gets most wrong about women like you?

    That we are not as tough as men in terms of being able to work in the film industry. Which is totally false, women creatives are always the most organized and efficient on set. We are often given lower budget projects because men refused to take them and we are expected to “make it work” which we do always. We always pull it off, come with incredible ideas to bring a project to life, we never complain. We are as tough and skilled as men.

    What does success mean to you?

    Being able to financially be stable in my career, having the power to bring stories that I want to be seen on screen and support other filmmakers by helping them get their projects be made and seen.

    What are you most proud of that most people don’t know about?

    My streaming app Pocket Cinema that I have cofounded. It launches mid August 2026. It was created by me and my cofounder, two young creatives who are coming from the indie film world. Two Gen-Z who got tired of waiting to be greenlit and who wanted to make series too. So we created this platform where we aim to release elevated genre series in vertical formats as well as horizontal. Stories that push the filmmaking techniques, series made by a diverse cast and crew, series made by other indie filmmakers who are as passionate as we are about bringing stories to the screen.

    What keeps you going when the industry makes it hard?

    My love for movies and stories. A great movie will always inspire me again and make me want to get back into writing and creating.

  • Debra Markowitz

    Debra Markowitz

    “You are the only writer and filmmaker who can create with your heart.”

    Screenwriter & Director — @debramarkowitzfilms

    What pulled you into film and TV in the first place?

    I was a novelist first, and then I helped others create their stories through indie film while I acted as producer and casting director. When I tried my hand as screenwriter and director, I never looked back.

    What do you think the industry gets most wrong about women like you?

    Do not confuse my/our quiet demeanor, age, sex, potential differing abilities or stature for submissiveness. When we set a goal, we figure out how to do it. Our unique and empathetic way of creation can be boundless.

    What does success mean to you?

    Success to me is being able to tell the stories I want to tell using whichever medium works best and getting those stories and films to the people who need to see them while being able to pay my bills.

    What are you most proud of that most people don’t know about?

    My creativity is pretty boundless. It doesn’t take me long to build a world around a single thought, look, person or event.

    What keeps you going when the industry makes it hard?

    I’ve set myself up with income streams so that when things are tough financially, I can still make movies, albeit smaller movies. If things are really tight, I can write novels, stories and scripts. It’s all about the art of creation, and there are different ways to achieve that.

    Anything else you’d like to share?

    My latest feature, Wait List: A Love-ish Story became a Spotlight Film on Prime Video, is now screening on Tubi and GooglePlay and is headed to the Youtube channel next. You can find out more about Wait List: A Love-ish Story, my features which are currently in post production; Couple of Guys and From the Embers, where my short films are screening as well as upcoming projects at www.IntentionFilmsandMedia.com under Explore Our Films.  Some of my older shorts are our youtube channel @debramarkowitz On Instagram, I post news about the projects as well as casting and crew notices and many, many pictures of my dog at @debramarkowitzfilms

    As far as collaborators, the most important thing we need are producers who are able to raise funds, or those who understand how to promote the projects, find locations or other services for little or no money – the bane of every independent filmmaker’s existence.