If we only rely on the people who are being disenfranchised to solve that disenfranchisement, then it will never change. In today’s episode we speak with Director and Filmmaker Jen McGowan whose recent feminist horror, Rustcreek was lauded by Harper’s Bazaar as being “Exactly What Hollywood Needs Right Now”. Jen is the founder of Glass Elevator, an international skill-sharing, networking, and jobs resource for professional women in film and television. The organization has over 4000 members and has been featured in Forbes as well as named Best in LA by LA weekly. In our conversation, Jen shares how she originally trained as an actor because she was good at it and enjoyed it, but realized that she didn’t find the working life of an actor fulfilling and decided to pursue directing in order to have a more active career. She worked her way up by starting out in production roles that are generally more open to women. Jen reflects on how it was only once she actively started pursuing directing that she realized she had never worked with a female cinematographer, sound engineer, or first assistant director in her working life. Later we discuss Glass Elevator and how it has helped women connect, and we hear some of the success stories of women who have found work through the platform. We also speak about the #MeToo movement and why disenfranchised people alone can’t solve disenfranchisement, the dominant culture needs to get onboard. For all this and much more, join us today!
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