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By Sophie Ewh

I fully realized the power of film the first time I watched Blackfish. I was just a baby Floridian who had grown up going to Seaworld every week, spending hours sitting at the tank watching Tilikum sulk in the corner of the tank. I loved it because my family loved it, and because they gave me pudding in a little whale cup. To watch Blackfish would have been to sin in my family. But it was exactly that rush of taboo-infused adrenaline that pushed me to finally watch it. I made sure that my mom was at work, closed all the blinds, and logged onto a secret Netflix account. My heart was pounding when I first pressed play and I told myself that I would only watch the first ten minutes of it. But as the last scene of the documentary came to a close, I was a new woman. The film moved me to take action- I made my friends watch the it ad nauseum and I refused to back to that place. Plus Seaworld agreed to stop trainer-whale physical interaction- Blackfish made real change in the real world, and every documentary can do the same.

Every documentary has the opportunity to inspire creation and progress through the hearts and minds of their audience. Documentaries have the power to change our opinion, open our eyes, and make us more empathetic human beings. They give us what we as a species has been searching for since Aristotle’s Poetics- the opportunity to see the world through another pair of eyes, to walk a mile in another pair of shoes. And it is our job as part of the human collective to tell the stories that influence us.  To tell the stories of the past that empower the present and enlighten the future.

It is exactly that assertion which makes me believe that you must attend “Monkey Business- A Master Class in How to Make and Fund a Hit Doc” on Friday, December 1st at 721 Broadway Room 006. The Master Class will be led by the creators of Monkey Business: The Adventures of Curious George’s Creators, which is a documentary that follows the lives of the Reys, the creators of the quizzical monkey, through their trials and tribulations as two immigrant refugees in search of the American Dream. In the words of the director, Ema Ryan Yamazaki,  “At a pertinent time to highlight the work of two Americans who were once refugees and immigrants, we must turn to the Reys’ extraordinary story as an example of a triumph in partnership, creativity, and above all, resilience.” The class will cover how the project found success, from research to distribution. It will help you build a platform from which you can create real change. Find what it is you care about, and share it with the world- consider the power of a compelling story in the hands of the people.

By Madison Raye Mitts

Fusion is happy to announce that it will be accepting submissions for this years festival beginning October 26th.  Apply to Fusion to share your unique experience!  Submitters last year had the chance to win a wide-variety awards, in categories, including Feature Screenplay, Sight & Sound, Web-Series, Docs-in-the-Works and many more.

Since Fusion’s inception, it has been a pioneer for encouraging women in the entertainment industry to follow their passions.  Its dedication to inspiring and normalizing gender collaboration has brought in so much talent from students and professionals alike who believe in its powerful message.  The opportunities that Fusion presents to upcoming filmmakers is unbelievable, from the myriad of panels, and the ability to network and glean insight from industry professionals.  The festival is also a chance to showcase their work amongst other talented artists.  The festival is truly an opportunity to gain feedback on one’s projects, learn from others, and build new skill sets. In fact, Giuliana Monteiro Pinheiro, who was awarded ‘Docs-in-the-Works’ this past festival for her film, Bento, highlighted how she felt incredibly fortunate to show her film and receive great feedback during the editing stage.

Furthermore, and most importantly, Fusion builds a community within an industry that is not only incredibly competitive, but relies on collaboration, making true connections, and encouraging others.  Through these invaluable connections, more and more women are feeling confident in their voices as filmmakers.  Previous ‘Rising Star’ winner, Ewruakua Dawson-Amoah, stated that, “Knowing that there was a group on campus of brilliant female minds and people empowering women like me in the entertainment field gave me confidence and drive.”

By feeling less alone, other women can become more empowered to follow their dreams and tell stories that will enlighten others of different perspectives and experiences.

In March of 2017, Fusion hosted its 15th Annual Festival, a testament to how dedicated its members are to making a difference in the world of entertainment for women.  Especially in the light of recent events, female filmmakers are needed more than ever. Through the continued participation of submitters and volunteers alike, Fusion will continue to promote the excellency of some of the best up-and-coming filmmakers.

By Emma Levine, Editorial Staff Writer

Writer, actress, and producer Fawzia Mirza is a triple-threat force to be reckoned with. She has worked in theater, film, and television; she aims to use storytelling, performance, and comedy to break down identity stereotypes. Mirza identifies as a “lesbian, Muslim, Pakistani, actor, activist, writer, producer, lawyer, [and] creature of passion,” Mirza often focuses her projects on LGBTQ issues, women, and stories of people of color.

She co-wrote, produced, and starred in her upcoming film Signature Move, which has gained traction on the festival circuit. It centers on a Muslim Pakistani lesbian who falls in love with a Mexican woman and tries to find her identity through love and professional wrestling. The film is inspired by Mirza’s own life experiences and explores the ways in which people can connect across cultures. Mirza explained: “Part of my job is connecting seemingly different communities together through art and stories.”

Mirza said that she feels responsible to “bring in authentic voices” through Signature Move and tell a different, lesser known story about the city of Chicago: “When people tell stories about Chicago, they talk about jazz, shootings, or mob life, but they don’t talk about how Chicago has one of the country’s largest populations of South Asian and Mexican people.”

Mirza has effectively combined entertainment and political activism on numerous occasions. She got her start in the theater world at Catharsis Productions, which produced her one-woman show called Me, My Mom and Sharmila. The piece tells the story of Mirza’s relationship with her mother through a shared love for actor Sharmila Tagore, and it was subsequently produced at the International Theatre Festival and Steppenwolf’s 1700 Theatre.

Mirza is also known for her web series following the adventures of Kameron Kardashian, the fictional lesbian sister of the Kardashian family. The series was named Project of The Week by Indiewire and has been applauded for its representation of LGBTQ characters. Mirza also appeared in Her Story, which is a six-part series on the lives of trans and queer women. In her political mockumentary The Muslim Trump, Mirza also recently created the character of Ayesha Ali Trump, who is Donald Trump’s fictional, illegitimate Muslim daughter. According to Jezebel, the “darkly satirical” piece “delivers an unconventional study on intersectionality, multiculturalism, and what it means to be American – which is something we desperately need now, more than ever.”

Through all of her work, Mirza is committed to dispelling the myth of the “model minority.” Her work humanizes people and breaks down stereotypes regarding race, religion, gender, and identity, refusing to create “safe” minority characters created to cater to the majority. Mirza believes that “all of us – whatever kind of minority or category we fit into or identify with – we are all flawed and we’re all just human beings… I just want to be able to portray people and those people end up being whatever identity they are.”

Look for Mirza’s stereotype-busting, humanizing feature film Signature Move, which hit theaters on October 13th. To hear more about the co-writer, producer, and star of the film, attend Fusion’s screening of Signature Move on Thursday, October 26th and stick around for a conversation with Mirza herself!

By Sophie Ewh.

Do you ever watch the news and cry at the political state of the country, and frankly the entire world? Do you ever watch the news through Snapchat just so that you can replace the current president’s face with Hillary Clinton’s? Do you ever wonder why RuPaul has won two Emmy’s, but still has yet to be made Glamazon ruler of the universe? Then you should follow these fabulously queer women that bring every faction of humanity to the limelight.

Television

Cameron Esposito and Rhea Butcher: You may know this dynamic duo from their stand-up tour, “Back to Back,” or from their myriad of appearances in Adam Ruins Everything, Comedy Bang! Bang!, and Adventure Time. But their most comprehensive and underappreciated work is their semi-autobiographical TV show Take My Wife. This prototypical twenty-one minute sitcom is far from typical; it features two gay women, both trying to make it in the comedy world while paving their way through the toils of marriage, homophobia, and misogyny. Aside from having some of the best dry and poignant humor on television, the show brings together a diverse crew, whose varying perspectives flow into every line and camera angle. With an all-female writers’ room, 43% writers of color, mostly female production heads, and music from eight different queer musicians, the show is truly diverse and representative.

You can watch the first season of Take My Wife on Seeso; however, as of Seeso’s announcement to shut down, the show is searching for a home. To support this endeavor, and hopefully view the already-made Season 2, you can visit Twitter and voice support for Esposito and Butcher, or you can write to VRV and Netflix, asking them to save the show that celebrates diversity.

Music

St. Vincent: Otherwise known as Annie Clark, St. Vincent is an alternative, electronic rock artist, whose music has empowered women of all types since 2003. Her first album, Marry Me, celebrates the darkness of everyday life with such songs as “The Apocalypse Song,” and nods its head to gay culture with the song, “Paris is Burning.” Her classic mix of orchestral instruments with a heavy rock tone is enough to catch any human’s attention, but her open woman-ness and sexuality will leave women embroidered with strength and hope. You can listen to her latest album, Masseduction, as well as her past albums, on iTunes and Google Play. Be sure to catch Cara Delevingne’s appearance on the cheerfully dystopian song, “Pills.”

Film

Fawzia Mirza: This up-and-coming writer/actor has been the star of the 2017 film festival circuit and the bell of the gay community due to her latest film, Signature Move. Mirza plays a closeted lesbian wrestler named Zaynab, who begins to fall in love with a free-spirited girl named Alma. The movie’s title is a double entendre for a wrestling move and a romantic pass; it weaves the stories of Zaynab’s love for Alma, coming to terms with her caring-yet-heteronormative mother, and preparing for a wrestling tournament, into one brightly colored and beautifully shot package.

You can watch Signature Move at a Fusion-run screening on October 26th from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Cantor Film Center. The event will be filled with women of various backgrounds, talents, and personalities, so join us to make new friends and watch a wonderfully progressive film. After the screening, Fawzia Mirza will be there to answer questions and discuss the film.

By Guru Ramanathant, Editorial Staff Writer

Jennifer Reeder’s new romantic comedy-drama “Signature Move” is hitting theaters soon, having made the festival rounds for about a year. The film is bolstered by a script co-written by star Fawzia Mirza and Lisa Donato. “Signature Move” is considerably mainstream compared to Reeder’s previous experimental short films, “A Million Miles Away” (2014) and “Blood Below the Skin” (2015). She is known for exploring the lives of adolescent girls and their use of music and fashion to express themselves. However, “Signature Move” presented an interesting challenge for Reeder who said in an interview with the Chicago Sun Times, “not only was this the first film I’ve directed that I didn’t write, but it’s a story about women who do not mirror my own life experiences.”

Reeder completed her undergraduate degree at Ohio State University and later went to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. In Chicago, she was inspired to make her breakthrough project “White Trash Girl.” The wild eight-minute short is about an infant child of incest who is flushed down a toilet and has to grow up in the sewers. She becomes a superhero later in her life and uses her bodily fluids to kill her enemies. Reeder received critical acclaim and an invitation from the Whitney Museum in New York. In a 2003 interview with the Chicago Tribune, Reeder reflected on the film saying, “I just felt like I was raging… [it] felt forthright, righteous, totally powerful.”

Post-“White Trash Girl” Reeder became committed to creating art that was still inciting but more accessible to mass audiences. Her feature film debut, “Tiny Plastic Rainbow,” focused on alienated urban characters suffering from a tragedy. When speaking of the evolution of Reeder’s work, Julia Friedman of the West Loop gallery said in 2003: “Jennifer’s earlier work was more political in nature and more aggressive in tone… Her later work has become more universal and ambiguous.”

For the past decade Reeder has continued to make experimental shorts revolving around adolescent female characters and dangerous parent figures. Dissatisfied with the contemporary offerings for young audiences, Reeder has been intent on crafting coming-of-age stories, believing teenage girls, especially, offer rich narrative opportunities. In an interview with National Post Reeder explained, “I can be a feminist filmmaker […] but I don’t have to make films that have likeable female protagonists… I can still portray real female states and experiences.” Her unconventional narratives have paved the way for selections to prestige film festivals including Sundance Film Festival and the Berlin Film Festival. Her 2015 film, “Blood Below the Skin”, won the Grand Jury Prize at the Chicago Underground Film Festival.

Reeder also founded a social justice initiative called Tracers Book Club, which was featured at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago. Tracers’ aim is to be an inclusive program attempting to give students a broader history and viewpoint of feminism. The name “Tracer” originated from one of Reeder’s scripts but has found a new meaning in “tracing out” sexism.

The writer/director is currently developing a teenage feature length drama set in rural Kentucky titled “As With Knives and Skin.” Reeder is also an educator, serving as associate professor of Moving Image and is the current head of the School of Art and Art History at University of Illinois at Chicago.

We asked this year’s Fusion winners to tell us what Fusion Film Festival has meant to them, here is what some of these talented women had to say about Fusion:

“This is my fourth year entering the Fusion Film festival. In the past four years, I’ve entered in the short film category, the pilot category, and now the feature category. Being able to go to the brunches and screenings that Fusion puts on, especially ones featuring director Reed Morano and producer Christine Vachon, has been a great tool to hear from these pioneers in the industry. Not only has Fusion been integral to learning from working women in the industry, but it’s also been great to see my peers’ work and partner with companies like Final Draft and the Will & Jada Smith Family Foundation, who sponsor the festival. Fusion has also been a great platform for me to show my parents the work that we do here at NYU.”- Jennifer Helen Coats (Undergrad Feature Screenplay)

“Fusion is immensely significant. It is so important that we celebrate and applaud the women in our industry. Even though women should be applauded and recognized daily that is not the case…yet. So this festival at least gets people thinking about women in the industry. The majority of, my film, Ocean Song’s team are hardworking, extremely talented women and they should all be honored. I’m glad that there’s a festival that brings light to women especially during these times.” – Erica Lu (Animation)

“It’s such an honor to be a part of the Fusion Film Festival this year! There is nothing more important right now than a festival like Fusion to represent new voices of incredibly diverse women.   I absolutely love watching the film presentations during the festival and as a writer there is nothing more exciting than seeing your name on the big screen as it’s presented in a category! I thank Fusion for recognizing my screenplay. I hope one day I can tell the story of how it all started at Fusion!” – Shamar S White (Grad Feature Screenplay)

“I’m so honored to be part of the Fusion Film Festival for the second year in a row. Fusion has been such an integral part of my time here at NYU. It’s illuminating and thrilling to be part of a festival supporting women’s voices, especially in light of the current state of our country where our female voices need to be heard now more than ever.” – Jennifer A Rudin (Grad Half Hour Pilot)

“I remember learning about fusion from a friend, early in the school year. I was expressing my annoyance when, looking at a credit list of my favorite movie, I came to realize that most of the names listed, were men. She told me she had joined fusion as a volunteer, and I immediately became interested in the group. Knowing that there was a group on campus of brilliant female minds and people empowering women like me in the entertainment field gave me confidence and drive. When I sat in lecture, I began to stop dwelling on the lack of females in film, but basking in the fact that we are present and growing in numbers. When I learned my piece was the winner at the fusion festival, I knew my voice, not as a female director, but a director, was being heard. Seeing the amazing works my fellow peers was an incredible experience, and extremely inspiring.” – Ewruakua Dawson-Amoah (Rising Star)

“I feel honored to have had the opportunity to participate in Fusion this year. As a woman entering the film and TV industry, I have been getting apprehensive about the lack of space for women filmmakers and creators to tell their story. Hearing HBO’s Kelly Edwards speak and seeing the work of my peers screened at Fusion, I feel hopeful about the future of the industry.” – Leah Gross (Undergraduate Half-Hour Pilot)

“I love the positive spirit of the festival.  The support, dedication and encouragement of the organizers are amazing.  This is my 2nd time winning and I’m eager to be back again with another project.“- Laima Alami (Web Series)

“Fusion means so much to me. I’ve been attending the festival since my freshman year, and being able to finally participate has been such a great experience. To me, Fusion is a place to celebrate the work that women are doing in film, and more importantly to encourage more and more female artists to make their voices heard.” – Nyssa Shaw-Smith (Undergraduate Hour Pilot)

“Fusion creates great opportunities for you, to show your work and to receive feedback from Faculty and Industry people. I feel very lucky, to be able to show the documentary film that I’m working on and receive feedback on it in the editing stage. More than a festival, I believe that Fusion has a huge respect and interest in the filmmaker and in their work what makes it a very special film festival.” – Giuliana Monteiro Pinheiro (Docs-in-The-Works)

Read more about the winners below!

[Read more…] about Fusion Winners’ Statements 2017