Films by & about Teenage Girls

A screening program curated by Andrea Richards, filmmaker and author of Girl Director: A How-To Guide for the First-Time, Flat-Broke Film & Video Maker (Ten Speed Press, 2005) . Andrea has also been involved with judging, curating, and programming children's films and film festivals. The program will showcase films & videos made by girls 18 years old and younger.

A note from program curator Andrea Richards

Francis Ford Coppola famously predicted that one day some girl in Ohio with a borrowed camcorder would make a beautiful film that would usher in a new era of film as an art form. Well, if you didn't know it before, stick around and see the truth of his prediction in this program. Across the nation teenage girls are articulating their own visions via Super 8, video and digital video. These fearless filmmakers are articulating things that have never been seen or heard before—the perspectives are diverse, bold and sometimes contradictory.

All of the filmmakers are under the age of 18. Some work collaboratively (even with guys); others go it alone. Films marked with asterisks* appear courtesy of the Echo Park Film Center, a volunteer-run, non-profit media arts center located in Los Angeles. EPFC offers no-cost educational programs for neighborhood youth and fosters the talents of some of the most incredible young filmmakers I've ever met. It is a magical film palace that promotes self-esteem, independence, originality and social consciousness. We are lucky to have it in Los Angeles, and since you don't, please check out their website at www.echoparkfilmcenter.org.


Girls, Ryan Davis, 2 min
A found footage montage that pokes fun at domesticity, gender roles and shopping.

Dancing Shoes*, Rachel Syms, 1 min
Colorful shoes are footloose & fancy-free.

Wikki Stick Party, Six Kuzins Productions, 2 min
A fun animated film—these stick figures can outdo the Rockettes any day.

Loose Ends, ID Tech Film Camp, 4 min
 girl battles with her inner critic and wins.

Pushing Back the Limits, Ya Ya Productions, 15 min
A period drama with a strong feminist edge that connects today's youth with the maverick women who fought for the rights we so enjoy. This award-winning epic took the 2000 Creative Excellence Award at the Backyard National Film Festival. Note: The credits are not to be missed.

Photobooth of Change*, EPFC Girls, 3.5 min
The social change you hope for—in a flash.

The Unborn*, written by Martine Syms, 3 min, Shot by the EPFC
Reproductive rights are under siege by our president, the radical right and flying fetuses. A horror film based on a true story.

Nightswimming, Ellen Cooper, 3 min
An underwater adventure that explores the pleasure of a solitary swim.

True Beauty*, Vikki Herrera, 6 min
A candid portrait of an incredible young woman who talks honestly and humorously about her life.

DanceMeDead*, Jessie Clavin, 3 min
Stylishly shot and featuring a rockin' soundtrack, this film will get your groove going. Just be careful what you drink afterwards.

Gentrification Documentary*, Stephanie Cisneros, 8 min
This is a rough cut of a work in progress by a 17-year old filmmaker who is exploring the gentrification her Echo Park neighborhood, a predominately Latino working class community in Los Angeles. Thoughtful and intimate, Cisnero's film explores a community in transition. In Spanish.

Pool Party*, Jessie Clavin, 4 min
Another visually stunning short by Los Angeles filmmaker Jessie Clavin, this Super 8 film takes the most stereotypical trope of So-Cal life to a new, noirish level.

Judy Feels Sad, Sadie Benning, 3 min
Not technically a part of the program as Benning was in her 20s when she made this classic from “The Judy Spots,” I threw in this favorite because it so aptly captures of torturous state of gender specific adolescence we call girlhood.