Madeline McGuire is a sophomore at UWM with a passion for her craft: film. But she worries about going forward in the film industry as a woman of color in the Midwest. “I definitely do have a lot of fears,” said McGuire. “I feel that women are overlooked in the industry.”

Despite her fears, McGuire hopes to move to Hollywood to pursue film.

McGuire’s fears are not invalid. Many women in film face discrimination all across the country.

“Art is so interesting to me because everyone has different experiences, especially being a person of color,” said McGuire.

McGuire’s fears are not invalid. Many women in film face discrimination.

According to 2021 Statistics | Women and Hollywood, for every female director of color, there are 60 white male directors. More than 60% of female characters in speaking roles were white, about 19% were Black, 9.5% were Latina, 8% were Asian or Asian American, 0.3% were Native American, 0.5 were MENA, and 1.4% were of multiple races or ethnicities.

The Graduate

Zoe Osskarson graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2021 with a degree in Acting and a minor in Film. She currently works at the Milwaukee Repertory Theater. Osskarson said she is struggling to find work in the Milwaukee film industry and has decided to pursue work in Chicago.

“As a woman, when you’re into film making, you always have to explain why you like something,” said Osskarson. She said she felt like she always had to justify her opinions, but her male classmates weren’t asked for the same justifications.

“I learned very quickly not to ask questions,” said Osskarson. She said that her teachers never made her feel dumb like her classmates did. “They never did anything bad, it just made me uncomfortable. I learned to keep my questions to myself, ask a friend, or ask a teacher,” she said. 

Osskarson’s goal is to do more student films in Milwaukee. She checks the UW – Milwaukee Actors and Filmmakers Facebook page frequently, hoping to find an opportunity.

The Instructor

Camila A. Guarda Velasco is the video production instructor in the JAMS department at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She is also a freelance documentarist who had a film featured in 2019 at the Milwaukee Film Festival.

“I noticed how important the film festival was for the whole community and what a big deal it was,” said Guarda Velasco. “That really motivated me to submit my short documentary.” She wanted to feel like a part of the community and to get to know more filmmakers, and to allow people from Milwaukee to learn about her home country, Chile. Her short documentary is titled “The Woman and the Sea.”

“It was very special for me to know that the people of Milwaukee could see my home country and the stories that come out of it,” said Guarda Velasco. She said that she enjoyed her experience and it allowed her to make connections with other women of color.

“I wish there were more fundraising opportunities for women of color in Milwaukee or in Wisconsin,” said Guarda Velasco. “There are one or two, but it does not feel like enough. In a world that is so dominated by males, and white males, it’s tough to try to make your way through.” Guarda Velasco said that she does believe there has been progress with it over the past five years, but there is still a long way to go.

The Organization

Andrea Thompson created an organization called Film Girl Film Festival in 2015. Thompson’s goal is to showcase female content creators, as well as films with strong female leads in Milwaukee. Thompson is a film critic and a writer who is based in Chicago.

“I was tired of just writing about the problem, ” said Thompson. “I wanted to actually do something.”

Thompson said the submissions must be female focused, but men can make submissions as well. She said that oftentimes, all-female crews were overlooked, and needed a man to speak for them to be heard. She said that meeting allies was a silver lining, but the need for a male director to speak for a team of women only proves the need for festivals such as the Film Girl Film Festival.

“I do not have intentions of bringing the film festival to Chicago because it already has a lot of women in film-focused stuff,” said Thompson. Thompson said that Milwaukee is a small market that needs festivals like hers to showcase women’s work, unlike Chicago, which already has multiple festivals dedicated to female filmmakers. Thompson said she has met many artists and has had support from local businesses across Milwaukee.

Due to Covid-19, Film Girl Film went on a pause. Thompson hopes to host the festival in a theater again in future years.