UPCOMING EVENTS
ANNOUNCING OUR MONTHLY MEET UP SERIESIn order to drive more meaningful connections we're excited to announce the start of our monthly meetups series. Think of these meetups as an informal let-our-hair down kinda gathering to network, celebrate, vent, politik, and everything in between. You drive the topics and the flow.
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PAST EVENTSOUR WomXN. OUR STORIES | AN EVENING OF STORYTELLING (August 9th 2018)MEZCLA MEDIA COLLECTIVE PRESENTS: TRACES OF HOME FUNDRAISER (June 21 2018)
Become immersed in the lands of both Mexico and Palestine through a private gathering of fusion cuisine, traditional performances, and a special premiere screening of the trailer of a new documentary film, Traces of Home. All contributions will go towards production costs in Palestine and Mexico.
LIGHTS, CAMERA, KESLOW | A FILM CAMERA & EQUIPMENT WORKSHOP w/ KESLOW CAMERA (JUNE 14th)
You've got the script. You've got your crew. You've got big film equipment champagne dreams...but your on beer budget. In this interactive workshop, our facilitator Jessica took us through popular camera packages used on big budget films, medium budget, and of course, little to no budget films.
We saw real examples (commercials, trailers, etc) of what each package did in the past to prove that no matter what budget, gorgeous stuff can be shot! Jessica also covered cool tricks/hacks that can make your low budget project rival the big budgets. About Jessica: Having developed a passion for storytelling at a young age, Jessica Tolliver has approached the film industry with a fresh perspective and an unparalleled work ethic. Taking an entrepreneurial approach, she founded her production company, Mad Panda Lab, to ensure she would have the freedom to create short films, music videos, and promotional content without limitations. Her drive has led to opportunities working with major brands like Coor’s Light, Kryolan Makeup, and AT&T, as well as some organizations like Sugar Gamers and The Public Health Institute of Metropolitan Chicago. In addition, Jessica works at Keslow Camera as a Prep Technician, a position that allows her to gain valuable experience handling the latest equipment used in television and film productions, further enhancing her skillset. Jessica's work and additional info can be found on her site, Madpandalab.com 
FILM FUNDRAISE FLOURISH | APRIL 17thIn this workshop, we learned about the fundamentals of independent film fundraising. We covered the importance of budgets and the top 3 strategies for independent filmmakers: grants, crowdfunding and fundraising events. Lastly, we examined the importance of audience engagement and tools to market our independent film early on in our filmmaking process.
About Our Workshop Facilitator Thavary Krouch is an independent filmmaker and filmmaker's advocate. She has an MFA in Writer & Directing for Film from Columbia College Chicago. She currently works for the Chicago Film Office, focusing on cultivating an even stronger, vibrant, diverse and sustainable Independent Film community in Chicago. She's also in the deep throes of fundraising for her short film Bitter Melons. MAKIN' MEZCLA MOVES JANUARY SHOWCASE | JANUARY 9THWe rang in the new year with a stellar showcase. Women of our community gave us a sneak peek into their latest work and they didn't disappoint. What's more, we hosted our first event in partnership with our 2018 Event Host Partner, EvolveHER- a workspace specifically designed for evolving women.
FEATURES
Colette Ghunim | "Traces of Home" Is it possible that some of those who immigrate never wanted to leave their countries in the first place? Traces of Home documents the harrowing pasts of biracial filmmaker Colette Ghunim’s parents, immigrants from Palestine and Mexico, respectively. Forced to escape decades ago, they embark on a journey to find their original houses, discovering what home means along the way. Shuling Yong | "Unteachable" A Singapore story with global implications, Unteachable is a never-before-seen insight into the lives of teenagers on the margins and their teachers who labour tirelessly to help them thrive against the odds. LaTesha Dickerson | "Teaching While Black" Teaching While Black explores the personal stories of black educators as they struggle to enter and remain in Chicago’s public schoolclassrooms. The series guides viewers through visual evidence to answer the critical questions: Why are we losing black teachers in Chicago’s public schools? Why does it matter? And, what can we do to keep them? Jessica Tolliver | "Desperate" David is a young black male who has seen the worst in life. No matter how bad things get, David realizes giving up is no longer an option. With all the odds against him he becomes desperate for change. Desperate proves that love can't be recycled, but it can be restored. Thavary Krouch | "Bitter Melons" Bitter Melons is a short film about the pain we hold, and the growth we experience when we learn to let go. Sophia, a female line cook is tasked with delivering bitter melons to her estranged father. The delivery doesn't go as planned, but through personal encounters and challenges involving the bitter melons, she has to confront her past in order to connect with her heart, tribe and Cambodian roots. Vincetta Dunnell | Earthy Day PSA Earth Day is a PSA in honor of Mother Earth. Earth is the only planet we were given to call home, and this piece depicts the urgency in which we must realize this in a visually appealing way to feel not only inspired, but empowered to make a change. 
The kick off event at Stage 18 brought together over 30 women for an evening of inspiring talks, conversations, and visioning for what this collective could become. The ideas from this session are the foundation for 2018 programming.
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