For so long, and still to this day, the film industry has been overwhelmingly run by men. Look at the Oscars, for example: of the 13,253 nominees at the Academy Awards since 1929, 17% were women, and less than 2% were women of color. It doesn’t come as a surprise to female filmmakers around Chapman anymore. However, the Chapman Women in Film Club is changing the narrative.

The club strives to create entirely female-independent film crews and foster places of support for women to learn how to handle difficult gender dynamics on and off set.

The idea for Women in Film (WIF) came about in October 2020, when junior screenwriting major and founder of WIF, Skylar Penland, wanted to get involved in more projects and meet more women in Dodge. Before WIF’s creation, there were no dedicated clubs or groups for filmmakers to bond and talk about the everyday struggles of female-presenting people on Chapman and on independent film sets, so Penland decided to take matters into her own hands.

“I had originally planned just to join a club and was surprised that one didn’t already exist,” Penland said. “I went home that night and wrote up the Women in Film constitution and submitted it for review. Everything got approved, and we had our first meeting the following spring semester.”

Penland created WIF with three goals in mind: creating networking opportunities to meet other women with similar interests, creating a place of support for women to turn to whenever they are dealing with difficult gender dynamics on and off set and educating members on what mistreatment looks like and the red flags to look out for before joining projects. 

Weekly meeting topics range from discussing female-focused current events and presentations on industry skills to networking activities and upperclassman guest speakers.

Sophomore film production major Lily Burke told The Panther that she is extremely thankful for both the community of women she has found at the WIF meetings and the lessons she has learned to bring to set. Having a WIF club on campus is a safe space for Burke and her new friends to not only come together and talk about current concerns they have, but also work together in a consistently positive work environment.

“(WIF) is a constant that I know I can always go back to,” Burke said. “It’s a space where I feel welcome and able to connect with others. It’s given me the opportunity to DP (director of photography) in the future with a group of talented, driven and kind people — and that’s something I’m very grateful for.”

The current focus of WIF is the short film they are in pre-production for. In February 2024, a fully female-crewed independent short film will come together to shoot the film thanks to the hard work, love and support of the club. The team includes writer Alyssa Tuohy, co-producers Lexi Berganio and Zoey Hughes, director Sierra Brogmus and cinematographer Burke. 

The film, tentatively titled “Queen Henry,” follows a demure actress who must embrace her femininity to rally an army when she is asked to recite one of the most powerful — and masculine — monologues from Shakespeare.

“It is about a girl realizing she can be a powerful leader and express herself in her own, more feminine way,” said junior creative producing major and co-producer Lexi Berganio.

Berganio hopes the board can organize outreach programs with other colleges and create a larger network of female students interested in film. Their overarching goal is to help women who have been too nervous to join any film projects gain confidence and learn how to navigate difficult situations.

“We want to be there for those who need us,” Penland said. “Our membership is all-inclusive. Anyone can come to any amount of meetings whenever they want or need. We are here to provide opportunities, educate and support.”

If you are interested in joining or learning more about the club, send a DM to @chapmanwomeninfilm on Instagram or email the communications chair Zoey Hughes at zhughes@chapman.edu.