Women Make Movies: A Legacy of Empowerment

By Michael Jacobsohn

In the late 1960s, as a teenager, I participated in the Henry Street Settlement’s Movie Club, one of two Lower East Side workshops championing 16mm filmmaking. These storefront clubs primarily served local Puerto Rican boys. However, visionary film instructors Ariel Dougherty and Sheila Page observed that young women were being overlooked by these programs. In response, they launched Women Make Movies (WMM) in 1972. Operating out of a small garret on 19th Street in Chelsea, their mission was to introduce filmmaking to local women, a daring goal at a time when women were largely excluded from the media profession.

Remarkably, WMM will celebrate its 55th anniversary next year. Today, it stands as one of the nation’s premier documentary organizations, serving as a powerful force that enables women to produce socially conscious films and distribute them to a global audience. Only a few weeks ago, they celebrated a historic night at the 98th Academy Awards with community members winning Oscars in both the Documentary Feature and Documentary Short categories. This year’s ceremony marked a milestone for feminist filmmaking, as every nominee for Best Documentary Feature was directed or produced by a woman. Additionally, the season saw a groundbreaking achievement for the industry with Autumn Durald Arkapaw becoming the first woman in history to win the Oscar for Best Cinematography.

The Leadership Shaping WMM’s Success

Three key members continue to drive the organization’s impact. Inspired by a 1970s film conference, Debra Zimmerman joined WMM as an intern before eventually becoming executive director. Today, she leads the Production Assistance Program and scouts international talent at global festivals to connect filmmakers with U.S. fundraising. Under her leadership, WMM has secured 23 consecutive years of Academy Award recognition. Zimmerman remains concerned by industry “backsliding,” noting that the percentage of women directing top-grossing films recently dropped from 15% to 8%. She highlights that technical roles and criticism remain male-dominated, and even female-directed films often lack female-centered subjects. Viewing the current political climate as a “tremendous backlash” against women’s and immigrants’ rights, she believes WMM’s mission to amplify diverse perspectives is more urgent than ever.

As manager of the Production Assistance Program, Kyra Brands oversees nearly 400 active film projects. Over the last five years, the initiative has helped filmmakers raise more than $40 million through grants and individual donations. Beyond fiscal sponsorship, Brands manages diverse professional development services. She coordinates seasonal webinars on industry essentials, like taxes and website development, alongside “Meet the Funders” sessions featuring organizations like Sundance. Her role includes providing expert feedback via consultation services for proposals and rough cuts. Additionally, she organizes virtual and in-office work-in-progress screenings followed by moderated discussions. Under her leadership, the program has expanded its global reach, with over 20% of projects now based outside the United States.

Managing Director Kendra Hodgson describes the WMM distribution program as a “very boutique,” filmmaker-focused operation. Curating documentaries by or about female-identified individuals, WMM represents filmmakers from 65 countries. A core mission is establishing sustainable careers by returning royalties to creators. While the primary focus remains the educational market, Hodgson notes this sector increasingly requires collaborative, event-based strategies to integrate new films into curricula.

Spotlight: The Inquisitor

A prime example of WMM’s impact is Angela Tucker’s documentary The Inquisitor, which follows Texas Congresswoman Barbara Jordan. Early this year, I viewed the film at downtown’s DCTV Firehouse Cinema. The film utilizes extensive archival material to examine Jordan’s legacy as the first Black woman from the South elected to Congress.

I responded strongly to Jordan’s story. It is a reminder of an important historical figure whose legacy remains vital to our current discourse. The title, The Inquisitor, highlights her role during the Nixon impeachment hearings. While many viewed the hearings through a partisan lens, Jordan framed her position as a defense of the U.S. Constitution. She famously noted that while the Constitution did not originally include Black people like herself, through the amendment process and the “inquisitor” role of Congress, she had finally become a part of “We the People.”

At a time when our country’s leadership often represses the critical gains for which African Americans have fought, it is essential to support the WMM distribution arm, which works tirelessly to champion films like The Inquisitor.

Decades later, Women Make Movies co-founder Ariel Dougherty remains active in the independent film movement. She travels the world attending filmmaking conferences to share memories of those formative early days and participates in screenings where restored 16mm films from the original workshop are greatly admired. She recalls her early battles with distributors who claimed “women do not make for reliable audiences.” After all these years and the vast advancements made, she still hears exhibitors grumble about the “box office reliability” of female-led projects. Sadly, she observes, as I have, that the New York City exhibition scene can be surprisingly provincial regarding independent films.

While few national organizations offer a comprehensive suite of funding, mentoring, and distribution, Women Make Movies remains steadfast in providing these vital resources. Their commitment has resulted in a continuous stream of award-winning, impactful documentaries. They continue their mandate of ensuring gender equity and amplifying diverse female perspectives in the global cinematic landscape.

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Learn more about Women Make Movies: www.wmm.com

Learn more about The Inquisitor: www.inquisitorfilm.com

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About the Author: Michael Jacobsohn is an independent New York City filmmaker. Last year he completed “The Cornelia Street Café in Exile,” a full-length documentary on the legendary Cornelia Street Cafe. He curates and hosts a bi-monthly screening of short films, by New York Metropolitan filmmakers, at New Plaza Cinema, which recently celebrated its third anniversary.