Female filmmakers accounted for just 16% of directors working on the 250 highest-grossing domestic releases in 2024, according to new research from the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego State University. It’s pitiful number, however, thanks to organizations like Not Your Daddy’s Films, change is on the horizon.
Founded in 2022 by five creative hyphenate women in film, Not Your Daddy’s Films seeks to empower and educate women and nonbinary filmmakers through screenings, panels, a podcast & more. The organization will host its semi-monthly screening event of short films and music videos by female and nonbinary filmmakers at NeueHouse in Hollywood on Saturday, January 25th.
NYD Film’s Next Event to Feature Eight Female and/or Nonbinary Filmmakers
In addition to the eight projects screening, Not Your Daddy’s Films will host a Q&A with the filmmakers. This month’s lineup includes work from Avalon Barr, Vanessa Beletic, Adriana González-Vega, Madison Hatfield, Madeline Leary, Susan Park, Zolita, and Not Your Daddy’s Films co-founder Carlye Tamaren. The event serves as a space for creatives to mix and mingle
In addition to her directing, Tamaren is a writer, dancer, martial artist and an actor. She’s currently appearing on the Showtime series “Dexter: Original Sin“. Her short, “The Devil’s Daughters”, premiered at the Oscar-qualifying LA Shorts International Film Festival.
Tamaren is not the only founding “Daddy” who’s had her work showcased recently. Nicole Lipp’s heartfelt and hilarious short film “Mistakes to Make Before You Die” screened at their last event in November. The comedy shone amongst an impressively diverse shorts program that included everything from music videos, documentaries, horror, family dramas, and animation.
Not Your Daddy’s Films “Created Itself” According to Co-Founder
Tamaren and Lipp spoke to Temple of Geek this summer at San Diego Comic Con about the creation of Not Your Daddy’s Films and the need for communal, nurturing spaces for female filmmakers. “We all just wanted a place to show our own work and create a community and learn from each other,” explained Lipp. “And we couldn’t find that place somehow. We weren’t finding what we were looking for.” Tamaren added, “We like to say it created itself out of necessity.”
Not Your Daddy’s Films’ last event was highly enjoyable, kaleidoscopic proof that women and nonbinary people have stories to tell. There is no doubt that their event on the 25th will showcase a similar breadth of genre and skill. One hopes that the talent highlighted by Not Your Daddy’s Films will be reflected at the studio level sooner rather than later.
