Members of MTSU’s Women in Film Club just wrapped up their entry for the 54 Film Fest, an event during which professionals and newbie filmmakers alike have 54 hours to create a short film.
Women or nonbinary people held nearly all of the positions on this year’s team.
The club’s officers aim to create uplifting spaces for women interested in filmmaking because they understand that marginalized groups have historically experienced setbacks in the entertainment industry.
“A lot of the sets I’ve been on I found through Women in Film,” WIF Vice President Rowan Barberry 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 their weekly meeting on March 4. They asked members who didn’t participate to exit the room in order to avoid disqualification, as information regarding the contents of WIF’s short film can not be shared due to the nature of the 54 Fest rules.
The club is determined to keep the project under wraps until April — when industry professionals will judge each film and feature WIF’s during the 54 Film Fest screening.
After the showing, the group discussed their experiences on set. The majority 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,” WIF Secretary Grace 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.”
Throm said that by supporting WIF, people contribute to a broader narrative about women’s place in the world.
“Everything we learn or highlight in our classes are typically [by] men,” WIF Treasurer Mac Mantia said. “Prior to Women In Film, every set that I participated in was male-dominated.”
After some of their meetings, WIF showcases movies that are ostracized for being “too queer” or “too feminine.” Throm said these movies display diversity and promote open-mindedness — both highly valued ideas within the club.
Club member Riley Hudson said that having mostly male professors and colleagues can be discouraging. Having a resource like WIF available on campus has 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.
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