Members of MTSU’s Women in Film Club wrapped an entry earlier this month for the 54 Film Fest, an event where professionals and newbie filmmakers alike create a short film in 54 hours.
Women or nonbinary people held nearly all of the positions on this year’s MTSU team.
Club officers aim to create uplifting spaces for women interested in filmmaking. Marginalized groups have historically experienced setbacks in the entertainment industry, Rowan Barberry, vice president of Women in Film, said.
“A lot of the sets I’ve been on I found through Women in Film,” said. “It’s important because the film industry is a very male-dominated place, and that can get really overwhelming. We aim to have sets and work on sets that are led by women, so it’s a less intimidating space.”
Club leaders showcased the finished short film during a March 4 meeting in Bragg 103. They asked members who didn’t participate to exit the room in order to avoid disqualification, per the festival rules.
Club officers are determined to keep the project under wraps until April — when industry professionals judge each film. The fest takes place on April 1, 2025, and will be shown at the Premier Malco Cinema in Smyrna.
After screening the entry at the meeting, the group discussed experiences on set. Most agreed that the project fostered a highly supportive, non-judgmental learning environment.
“I feel like on predominantly male sets, it’s not necessarily a bad set, it is just a lot less of a learning space,” Throm said. “There’s a lot more shame and judgment. It’s hard to join sets and then just have to guess everything. Whereas sets I’ve been in with other members of Women In Film, it’s a very open, very engaged space where you can just ask.”
People contribute to a broader narrative about women’s place in the world by supporting WIF, Throm said.
Mac Mantia, treasurer for Women in Film liked that she had a break from male-centric sets.
“Everything we learn or highlight in our classes are typically [by] men,” Mantia said. “Prior to Women In Film, every set that I participated in was male-dominated.”
After some meetings, the club showcases movies that some ostracized for being “too queer” or “too feminine.” These movies display diversity and promote open-mindedness — both highly valued ideas within the club Throm said.
Club member Riley Hudson said that having mostly male professors and colleagues can be discouraging. Having a resource like Women in Film available on campus increased her confidence professionally and personally, whether through the films she’s watched or the female friendships she’s gained during her time in the club.
Though aimed towards minorities in the entertainment industry, WIF leaders say the club is for everyone — not just women or film majors.
“It’s about uplifting minority voices in the film industry; if you appreciate women, you can join women in film, and you don’t even have to be a film major,” Throm said.
The film premieres, along with the others in the competition, at Malco Cinema in Smyrna, Tennessee, and on 54 Fest’s YouTube page on April 1. The club will showcase its film shortly after.
WIF meets every Tuesday at 6 p.m. in Bragg 103.
To contact the News editor, email newseditor@mtsusidelines.com.
For more news, visit www.mtsusidelines.com, and follow us on Facebook at MTSU Sidelines and on X and Instagram at @mtsusidelines. Also, sign up for our weekly newsletter here.
