Rose McGowan wants to see more episodic content “about, for, and featuring women.” That’s why the actress and director’s production company, Damage Inc. Productions, has teamed up with SeriesFest to create the “Featuring Women Initiative.”
McGowan details the inspiration behind the project on its SeriesFest launch page. “The films that have most inspired me as a young girl and as a woman are those with strong female leads,” she writes, “Women who overcame, women who brought it, women who were as strong as women can be… That is what I want to see on my screen, and since it’s largely absent these days, I have decided to make these films myself.”
McGowan’s is a name still widely associated with the much-loved ’90s supernatural show “Charmed,” yet she has taken the admirable decision to seek out scripts from outside the “Hollywood ecosystem,” as she puts it in the Initiative’s press release. She has long been a vocal critic of sexism on screen and off, most recently taking to the pages of the Hollywood Reporter to lambast Variety’s Owen Gleiberman for his critique of Renee Zellweger’s face (yes, her face, not her film) which she called a “vile, damaging, stupid, and cruel” attack that “reek[ed] of status quo white-male privilege.”
McGowan herself has already made a mark in independent filmmaking circles with her directorial debut “Dawn” which premiered at Sundance 2014, where it was nominated for the Short Film Grand Jury Prize. Now she is eager to give more creatives the opportunity to tell stories “that create unique and powerful roles for women.” “We are looking for any genre except slasher films or superhero series,” she says. “They can be psychedelic, true to life, comedy, tragedy, etc., yet must be intelligent, smart, fierce and moving. Society is in dire need of voices that are not from within the Hollywood ecosystem. I know what’s available there, which is why I am looking for you and your writing talents. If you’d like to be part of changing the system, if you’d like to see yourself or a better version of yourself onscreen, please submit.”
“We are thrilled to partner with Rose McGowan and Damage Inc. on such an essential initiative to showcase female-driven stories, highlighting the incredible and often underrepresented talent working today,” said Randi Kleiner, CEO of SeriesFest. “Rose is a true visionary and we are excited by her passion to nurture, cultivate and champion original work from emerging writers.”
Scriptwriters can submit pilot concepts for 30-minute or 60-minute series, and the winner(s) will receive a development deal with Damage Inc., and have the chance to work with McGowan in turning their idea into reality. Submissions are due by October 1st, and further details can be found on SeriesFest’s website.
