Wesleyan Women in Film has a very simple mission statement: to be a support system for women interested in film on the Wesleyan campus. Having started off as just a few bright-eyed ladies gathering in the living room of Claire Stolowitz ’12, Wesleyan Women in Film is becoming a recognized campus group. With its recent expansion, the group is ready to show Wesleyan and the film industry at large that women are ready to be a major presence in the movie world.
Group President Nicole Klein ’15 (though she’s hesitant to refer to herself by that title) has helped the group expand past informal gatherings in Stolowitz’s house and into a registered group on campus.
“I send out the emails,” said Klein on her presidential role. “Everyone who comes to the meetings has so much to include, and I love having other people contribute.”
This lack of hierarchy and emphasis on community is certainly emblematic of Wesleyan Women in Film’s aims.
“Claire really wanted to start a group that was something that exists for women in the major and just interested in film to come and just talk about classes, talk about film, get to know each other, and a lot of networking, work on each other’s thesis films, [and] ask questions about scheduling and what things are like after graduation,” Klein said.
The group’s relaxed attitude is a breath of fresh air in the competitive atmosphere of the University’s Film Studies major. Networking with professors is vital to getting into classes, and there is certainly a weeding out process to make sure that students are committed to the hard work that majoring in film entails.
“The department is overwhelming, in the best possible way, so it’s nice as a freshman to get to talk to seniors [in the major],” Klein said.
The support system and networking practice is helpful for learning how to navigate the film world at Wes, but the importance of having solidarity among women in film goes far beyond campus.
“The department and the industry have historically been dominated by men,” said Sarah Corey ’15, a Film Studies major and a member of the group. “So I think that it’s so important for there to be this group of women in film at Wesleyan to support each other, to show that we have a presence, and just to strengthen our part in the film community.”
The women in the club are inspired by the growing female presence in the industry; just a few years ago, Kathryn Bigelow won the Academy Award for directing “The Hurt Locker.” The Wesleyan Film Department is also headed by Jeanine Basinger, another strong-willed woman pushing through a male-dominated world. The undergraduate women of Wesleyan are ready to see even more.
“Knowing that it’s always been so male-dominated, the women who are in [the film industry] now want it that much more and are ready to fight to be in the industry,” said Klein.
The club is hoping to expand its resources for film majors. Plans for informal skill shares led by upperclassmen are in the works, and the group also hopes to also have a guest speaker come. Danielle Pruitt ’15 is especially excited for a skill share.
“For a school with such a top-notch film program, it’s a shame that there aren’t quite as many activities and student originations to engage Wesleyan students in the medium, especially when there’s so much we can learn from each other,” wrote Pruitt in an email to The Argus. “But we hope to change that.”
The group’s positivity should serve as an example for other academic departments on campus. The benefits of creating connections outside of class are endless, especially for creative majors in which underclassmen are needed to help on thesis projects. A friendly atmosphere outside of the classroom is also sure to improve in-class dynamics.
The ambition of these Wesleyan women will certainly pay off as they continue through a competitive major and enter into even more competitive careers. If the confident and optimistic disposition of these women is any indication, then the next Kathryn Bigelow may be in the Center for Film Studies right now.