Film Fatales humbly began in a Brooklyn living room over a decade ago as a small dinner party of six women and non-binary filmmakers.

About to dive into pre-production on their debut feature film, Leah Meyerhoff did what you do when you’re not entirely sure what to do…they asked for help from people who had been there. Paola Mendoza (co-founder of the Women’s March), Ry Russo-Young (The Sun is Also a Star), Deborah Kampmeier (The Gilded Age), Emily Abt (Toe to Toe), and Alexandra Roxo (Mary Marie) gathered in Leah’s living room to share hard-earned knowledge, offer support, and recommend resources.

But soon it became clear that these directors had tapped into something bigger; that dinner party was the first time they were all not the only filmmakers of marginalized genders in the room. It was not personal discrimination they had faced in the film industry, it was systemic. Yet here was a tangible way to connect, share, and empower. A way to spark change.

That initial dinner party grew into a rotation of dinner parties, spread by word of mouth and hosted by a new filmmaker each month. Only six months later there was a waiting list just to attend. The dinner parties quickly tapped into a need by mid-career filmmakers of marginalized genders for community, emotional support, and practical advice. Filmmakers began to organize events and host monthly mentorship circles in their home cities. A moment had turned into a movement, and Film Fatales was born.

Over the past decade, Film Fatales has continuously evolved based on the needs of filmmakers. The film industry has shifted to be more inclusive of marginalized voices in recent years. Yet we still see talented mid-career women and non-binary filmmakers who have found success in the indie film space but are unable to break through to projects with higher budget levels needed to sustain their careers. Because we are and have always been an organization by filmmakers, for filmmakers, we have intimate knowledge of the challenges mid-career filmmakers of diverse genders face and the specific needs that will change their careers, and we have adjusted our organization to best serve our community.

Film Fatales is now a 501(c)(3) arts non-profit dedicated to gender parity and focused on career development. We support a membership community of over 2,000 feature film and television directors of all marginalized genders, a majority BIPOC, 25% LGBTQ+ and 10% PWD. Our outreach team specifically focuses on connecting with filmmakers of color, queer directors, and filmmakers with disabilities.

Film Fatales has grown into an invaluable leader in the journey towards parity and representation in Hollywood due to our results-driven approach. Empowered by the strength of our collective voice, we have launched numerous artist development programs, including our flagship initiative the Parity Pipeline, a career-development program and talent discovery platform, and Fatales Forward, a trailblazing mentorship program for emerging trans creators. Our robust roster of Industry Allies continues to grow and includes highly-respected organizations like Sundance, PBS, and the Gotham. We have expanded our programming to serve a broader public audience of over 50k film lovers through our Pulling Focus speaker series meant to uplift marginalized voices, provide resources, and spark meaningful conversation.

From that first night in a Brooklyn living room, we have not stopped and will not stop working to break down the elitist structure of Hollywood. We will continue supporting new filmmakers, partnering with more industry allies, holding gatekeepers accountable, and adapting our programming based on the changing needs of gender-diverse filmmakers. Together we can create an inclusive, representative and equitable film industry for us all.