WFilm Institute

Description

WFilm Institute (formerly Women’s Film Institute) was founded in 2004 by Scarlett Shepard: activist, producer, curator, writer, and educator. The WFilm movement started when she took a Film History class in 2004 while earning her film degree at San Francisco State University. The entire semester went by and the class was never shown a film directed by a woman, nor was there ever a discussion about women’s contributions to cinema. Shepard’s solution was two-fold: create a film festival showcasing women in the director’s chair, and develop leadership workshops to help girls express themselves through the power of visual storytelling and discover careers in media. Her dream was to shatter stereotypes, break down barriers, and empower audiences through film. After Shepard graduated from film school, she took WFilm off campus and it became an independent not-for-profit organization.