CAREERS TRAILBLAZERS
APPLY FOR FUNDING
“THE CLUB grew organically , AS PEOPLE STARTED TO BRING THEIR FRIENDS AND THE discussions became so much deeper THAN JUST TALKING ABOUT FILM” TRAILBLAZERS NICOLE LIEBERMAN & LIZA VAN DER SMISSEN
M indset, mentorship, funding and upskilling: these are the pillars that form the Female Film Club (FFC). Founded post-pandemic by filmmakers Nicole Lieberman and Liza van der Smissen, the group has grown from ‘five or ten’ women to thousands of members from 55 countries. Now firmly established as a leading resource for directors, producers, writers, actors and more professionals in the industry, the organisation champions women filmmakers by hosting a wide range of activities and initiatives to promote their work. “I was not happy with the representation of women in film,” states van der Smissen, whose career began in professional dance. After meeting Lieberman at the London Film Festival, the two found an instantaneous connection, sharing a ‘passion for changing the world for good’. Their first project together Neext! – which boasted an 80% female crew – won the best short film award at the 2020 London Independent Film Festival. That experience revealed a larger, loftier aim: to support and celebrate the roles of women in the film industry. For Lieberman and van der Smissen, this starts with shaping a growth mindset.
WORDS Katie Kasperson
We sit down with the Female Film Club founders to discuss the obstacles and opportunities for women in cinema
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