Dear Friends of Women Make Movies,
As we watched the film event cancellations and postponements, especially the major festivals, this week, we were both stunned and deeply saddened. With people losing lives, public school children at risk of missing meals, and minimum wage workers losing jobs overnight, it can be easy to feel like our sadness about the loss of a film premiere is trivial. And yet, at Women Make Movies, we are keenly aware of how pivotal these events are for filmmakers -- and how significant they are for all of us from a cultural, artistic, and educational perspective. We want to assure you that in the midst of these turbulent times, we are here to support filmmakers, as well as the audience for their films.
As we globally move into an era of physical social distancing, it doesn't have to mean social isolation. Technology, while sometimes the cause of disconnection, has the potential to bring us together across vast distances. Many of you know we are currently hosting a virtual film festival for #WomensHistoryMonth, which we launched before reports of the rapid spread of COVID-19 in the United States. More than 600 people from every continent have been viewing films and sharing in this common virtual experience. We are currently exploring how we can expand the virtual film festival model to best meet the needs of both filmmakers and the organizations that use our films. If you have questions or thoughts, please reach out to at info@wmm.com.
We will continue to support films through our distribution catalog and Production Assistance Program including our upcoming webinars for our filmmakers which will go on as scheduled. We're also brainstorming how best to shine a spotlight on films whose festival runs have been interrupted. And we have begun to compile a list of resources for artists with lost or reduced wages, which we will be updating regularly.
Logistically, our staff is working remotely. That means our work is proceeding as usual (well, as usual as it can be in these unusual times), but it does mean that if you stop by our offices, we won't be there. And if you call, no one will pick up the phone for a little while. But send us an email or leave us a voicemail, and we'll get back to you.
Be safe, take care, stay healthy.
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