The theme was ‘Embrace Equity,’ and the Savannah Regional Film Commission, Savannah Film Alliance, Georgia Production Partnership, and Georgia Entertainment News joined together to honor women in entertainment at the event held at Collins Quarter in Forsyth Park. We offer mentorship on how to do your resume, different departments in the industry, how to get into the union, finances or do investing, retirement, and more,” said Hawkins.Įarlier this month, on March 8th, International Women’s Day, filmmakers, producers, entertainment executives, and government officials gathered in Savannah, Georgia to celebrate International Women’s Day and honor the organization SWIFT. “Film is very much a word-of-mouth industry. This way, it gives all women new to production and interested in production the opportunity to explore it while receiving training and mentorship. “It doesn’t matter what your position is, whether you are a production assistant, whether you are a costume designer, whether you’re a producer, as long as you have two professional credits, you are able to join,” said Green.Įven those who do not have the experience just yet can still join SWIFT as a junior member. Green, a director, writer, and producer and owner of Cali Reign Production, also recently worked on “Origin” and is now directing the feature film “The Eighth Round.” Green found SWIFT after a Google search and reached out to the group before attending her first meeting. When I first looked into it, I didn’t have anybody to reach out to gain this information,” said Nikki Green, a SWIFT board member. “When I first moved here from Los Angeles, I knew there was a lot of talk about Savannah becoming an area where movies and TV shows were being filmed and produced. You do not need to be a SWIFT member to attend your first meeting, but they ask that by your second meeting, you become a member. Meetings are open to working crew members in the film or television industry. We’ve had a fantastic unit production manager Cyndi Brenner speak, and we’ve had the brilliant Deborah Riley Draper, who is the writer and director of a film called ‘Olympic Pride, American Prejudice’ and more,” said More. “We have had the magnificent Sandy Powell, who is one of the best costume designers in the world. The meetings are used to network, catch up on projects people are working on, and receive knowledge and advice from industry professionals from different departments in the film industry. SWIFT meets once a month on the third Sunday of each month. She is currently holding the same position for the upcoming TV show “Clean Slate.” Hawkins is one of SWIFT’s board members and has served in various production roles over the course of her career, including most recently as Location Coordinator for ARRAY’s “Origin,” the project directed and written by Ava DuVernay. SWIFT was a way to network with other women and learn from the film industry,” said Genevieve Hawkins. Being a mother with six kids, some of the groups and unions cost a lot more. “I joined for networking opportunities, and the dues were affordable. Not only has the group been showcasing what they do to the group, but they have also been showcasing it in the workforce. We had all experienced the disdain of Hollywood crews,” said More. “We decided we needed to bring the female filmmakers of Savannah together to showcase what we could do. The organization began 10 years ago with More, a costume designer and wardrobe supervisor, Beth Nelson, the former director of the Savannah Regional Film Office, Marian Green Hofstein, a stunt coordinator and producer, and Karla Walker Schindler, a set designer. “SWIFT was started by Beth, Karla, Marian, and me over a glass or two of wine,” chuckled Judith More, president of SWIFT. SWIFT is an organization of professional women working in the entertainment industry and is a chapter of Women in Film and Television International (WIFTI). One Savannah organization, Savannah Women in Film & Television (SWIFT), is blazing a path for women to not only break into the film industry but to thrive in it. March is Women’s History Month, and as the Georgia film industry continues to grow, it is becoming clear that it is not just a man’s world.
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