Awards, Films, News, Women Directors

Glamour and Girlgaze Announce #NewView Film Competition Winners

Brittany “B.Monet” Fennell is one of the winners: Instagram

A jury including directors Sam Taylor-Johnson, Dee Rees, Kimberly Peirce, and Victoria Mahoney have selected the winners of the #NewView short film competition, a press release has announced. Originally launched in April in order to give emerging female filmmakers a leg up, #NewView received over 800 submissions. The five winners are Brittany “B.Monet” Fennell (“Q.U.E.E.N.”), Molly Fisher (“Party Dress”), Valerie Schenkman (“Pocket Sized Feminism”), Jess Colquhoun (“The Black Mambas”), and Fany de la Chica (“The Looking Ceremony”).

The winners will all be covered in Glamour’s January issue and on the publication’s website. Each winner will also receive $8K — $3K from Glamour and Girlgaze and $5K from The Utah Film Center, an organization supporting diverse female voices in film. Plus, they all will have the chance to direct a short film for a #NewView sponsor.

“Q.U.E.E.N.” — which Women and Hollywood named as the NYC runner up of its First-Time Female Filmmaker Contest — is about a young woman who uses rap to process a trauma. Documentaries “The Black Mambas” and “Pocket Sized Feminism” center on all-female antipoaching group in South Africa and a modern feminism-themed poem, respectively. “The Looking Ceremony” traces a pre-marriage ritual practiced by Spanish gypsies, while “Party Dress” explores the intersection of adolescence, gender, and social convention.

“These films are different in location, style, and subject, but on some level, they are all about women who defy convention,” stated Cindi Leive, editor-in-chief of Glamour. “I loved every one of them and believe these talented young directors have the power to change how we see.”

“I don’t think there is any doubt that how girls see the world is a powerful and needed perspective,” added Amanda de Cadenet, CEO and founder of Girlgaze. “These exceptional filmmakers reinforce our excitement in highlighting the girl gaze in mainstream media.”

Both Leive and de Cadenet served on the #NewView jury alongside Shonda Rhimes, Jill Soloway, Jada Pinkett Smith, Chloë Grace Moretz, Geena Davis, and others.

More information about the winning directors, their films, and their upcoming #NewView directing gigs can be found below, courtesy of Glamour. Head over to Glamour’s website to watch the winning films.

“The Black Mambas” (by Jess Colquhoun, 24)

Jury reactions:

  • “Impressive, powerful visual storytelling. The strength of the director’s vision creates real impact.” — Geena Davis, Academy Award–winning actor, founder of the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, and cofounder and chair of the Bentonville Film Festival
  • “The images of ‘The Black Mambas’ are incredibly evocative, combining the deep, conflicted feelings of fear and pride that these women face every day to show up to work and protect the land against poachers.” — Jill Soloway, artist
  • “This group of women’s sheer bravery and dedication is powerful. They are strong, devoted, fearless, and blow up any traditional gender stereotypes.” — Bela Bajaria, vice president of content acquisition, Netflix

Prize: Paid job directing a Women of the Year–related film for Glamour.

“The Looking Ceremony” (by Fany de la Chica, 33)

Jury reactions:

  • “I love how [‘The Looking Ceremony’] instantly creates an atmosphere of a culture with strong traditions, but with a modern protagonist taking her destiny into her own hands.” — Crystal Moselle, filmmaker
  • “A stunningly portrayed, compelling perspective and peek into a young woman’s life struggling to find her own path while being confronted with the confines of her family’s gypsy traditions.” — Chloë Grace Moretz, actress and activist
  • “[‘The Looking Ceremony’] submerges you in the feverish anxiety of a modern bride-to-be in today’s gypsy culture and then gives you a chance to breathe with the most stunning vistas of this old-world town.” — Jill Soloway

Prize: Paid job directing a fashion campaign film for THEOUTNET.COM.

“Party Dress” (by Molly Fisher, 30)

Jury reactions:

  • “‘Party Dress’ was so simple yet deeply poignant. I thought it was perfect storytelling through pictures. This short still captivates my thoughts.” — Jada Pinkett Smith, actress, producer, and activist
  • “‘Party Dress’ beautifully captures the overwhelming unease of what it means to be a child that does not identify with the norms and expectations of their assigned gender. Telling these stories is crucial because gender-nonconforming and trans-identified characters are so rarely depicted in the media.” — Jill Soloway
  • “Gender has nothing to do with the way we dress, yet society puts so much pressure on us to look a certain way. ‘Party Dress’ shows why it’s important to stop pushing this simplified image of femininity onto young girls and women. We must be allowed to express ourselves however our hearts desire.” — Lilly Singh, entertainer

Prize: Paid job directing a fashion film for South Coast Plaza.

“Pocket-Sized Feminism” (by Valerie Schenkman, 30)

Jury reactions:

  • “Learned some things I never knew about, like about nail polish that changes colors in drugged drinks and underwear to prevent rape. It reminded me how rampant sexism still is.” — Gia Coppola, filmmaker
  • “These women speak for millions of other women globally who may not be able to speak up for themselves. They should always be heard and not just listened to.” — Bela Bajaria
  • “‘Pocket Sized Feminism’ combines film and poetry in a way that moves us and inspires us and reminds us of the power of our medium. It reminds us of the power of raising our voices.” — Shonda Rhimes, writer, executive producer

Prize: Paid job directing a promotional film for Birchbox.

“Q.U.E.E.N.” (by Brittany “B.Monét” Fennell, 27)

Jury reactions:

  • “‘Q.U.E.E.N.’ is a short film that crackles with personality and originality. It has such a strong, clear voice and takes us on an emotional journey in such an impressively short amount of time.”
     — Shonda Rhimes
  • “B.Monèt manages to break my heart in under two and a half minutes with her original, moving mother-daughter relationship that’s at the core of this piece. ‘Q.U.E.E.N.’ also shows us the healing power that lies in the poetic nature of rap music and performance.” — Jill Soloway
  • “Such a simple and impactful way to tell a story. You immediately are thrown into the shoes of this young woman, who is for the first time spilling her truth out in the form of slam poetry. Poetic, moving, and powerful storytelling.” — Chloë Grace Moretz, actress and activist

Prize: Paid job directing a film for LuMee shot with LuMee lighting.


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