Women in Film
Women in Film (WIF) is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping women achieve their highest potential within the global entertainment, communications and media industries and to preserving the legacy of women within those industries. Founded in 1973, Women In Film and its Women In Film Foundation provide for members an extensive network of contacts, educational programs, scholarships, film finishing funds and grants, access to employment opportunities, mentorships and numerous practical services in support of this mission.
The Cincinnati chapter was formed in 2016 to support the tri-state region with the following mission:
- Create networking and professional development opportunities
- Screen members’ work and highlight member achievements
- Appreciate the art of film and educate the community
- Develop and access funding for member projects
- Promote equality for women in the industry
If you are a professional, student, or supporter of Women in Film, Television or Digital Media, you’ve come to the right place. Join us.
Call (513) 402-2310, or write to us at info@wifcincinnati.org
Our Board
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Rachel Lyon is an Emmy award-winning filmmaker who has produced 65 documentaries and feature films. Her work often focuses on critical global issues and human rights. She has produced documentary films for PBS, NBC, CNN, and National Geographic. Lyon’s recent film, Hate Crimes in the Heartland was screened in 20 cities with the Ford Foundation. Her films Race to Execution and Juror Number Six were broadcast on PBS' Independent Lens.
Noel Julnes-Dehner is a Producer/Writer/Director whose films include Under Fire: Soviet Women Combat Veterans WWII, The Right Track, and Coming Home from the Streets. Her work has appeared on television, in film festivals and at the Kennan Institute/ Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, D.C. She has published in Minerva, Wisdom Found, Sojourners and Forward Movement publications.
Jaime Meyers Schlenck is an editor whose career spans more than two decades, most of it spent in Los Angeles. Her portfolio includes the Primetime Emmy Award winning documentary A Lion in the House, TV series, music videos, trailers and more than 60 behind-the-scenes documentaries for major studio titles. Jaime is a freelance editor in Cincinnati and enjoys painting and spending time with her daughters.
Tim Swallow is the founder and CEO of Cincinnati World Cinema, with a 16-year history of film programming and curation, including world premieres and festivals, plus 250+ films by women.
Prior to CWC, he spent 20 years as a live events producer, focusing on music, theatre and the arts. His experience includes management, marketing, finance, IT and non-profit boards. Specializing in short film, Tim’s passion is building a film community to experience high-quality international and independent cinema not otherwise available in this market.
Prior to CWC, he spent 20 years as a live events producer, focusing on music, theatre and the arts. His experience includes management, marketing, finance, IT and non-profit boards. Specializing in short film, Tim’s passion is building a film community to experience high-quality international and independent cinema not otherwise available in this market.
Sara Drabik is a documentary filmmaker and Associate Professor of Electronic Media and Broadcasting in the College of Informatics at Northern Kentucky University where she teaches documentary filmmaking and media literacy. Her work has been featured by the University Film and Video Assoc., the Broadcast Education Assoc., the University of Oxford Saïd Business School, NPR and KET/PBS. Her current research is a collaboration with the International Women’s Coffee Alliance exploring the changing roles of women in the international coffee industry.
Amy Faust began her career as an actress and model before attending Wright State University’s Motion Picture Production program. Her camera work on many feature films and music videos for Feist and 3 Doors Down includes A&E’s The First 48 and MTV's Taking the Stage, documentaries The New Metropolis for PBS, the Emmy-winning A Lion in the House, the Oscar nominated The Last Truck and The Restorers, and the Rise Above film experience. Her work has been screened at the Cannes Film Festival.
Melissa Godoy is an independent filmmaker. She directed Do Not Go Gently (American Public Television), was a cinematographer for Election Day (POV) by Katy Chevigny and Trees in Trouble (PBS World Channel) by Andrea Torrice, and line produced American Factory 美国工厂 (Netflix), The Last Truck (HBO), and A Lion in the House (Independent Lens) all by Steven Bognar & Julia Reichert. She’s currently in post-production on two documentaries, The Park and All In: The Human Subjects.
Megan Park spent 20 years in New York producing an award-winning television series for PBS, documentaries and independent films. She was a co-founder of The Reel School and organized panel discussions and summer camps for The Hamptons and Newport International Film Festivals. Currently, Megan is a founding partner of Little Sprig Productions and the Program Manager for Stages For Youth.
Laure Quinlivan is a Producer/Director honored with two international Peabody Awards and 18 Emmy’s. Her Visions of Vine Street documentary for WCPO-TV sparked change in Cincinnati’s urban core leading to revitalization of historic Over the Rhine. She served four years as a Cincinnati Council Member and is now President of LQ Consulting. She’s currently producing/directing a PBS documentary, America’s First Net Zero Energy Police Station.
Andrea Torrice is an award-winning documentary and public television producer/writer whose work spans a range of contemporary issues. Her public television documentary, Trees in Trouble, explores the benefits and threats to America’s urban forests. Her national public television production The New Metropolis, explores the revitalization challenges facing America’s older first suburbs. Her work has aired on national public television, the National Geographic World Channel, the Sundance Channel, as well as museums and universities.
Aymie Majerski is a filmmaker with an extensive background in development, production and post-production spanning the past 15 years. As owner of Barking Fish, Aymie has developed and produced nationally recognized projects including: AMERICAN FIGHTER with UFC’s Rich Franklin, REBOUND: A BASKETBALL STORY with Nick Clooney, 4192: THE CROWNING OF THE HIT KING with Pete Rose, 7 BELOW - a psychological thriller starring Val Kilmer and Ving Rhames. Aymie is skilled at bringing the pieces of a project together and seeing it through to final delivery. Aymie’s producing style combines a laid-back life philosophy coupled with un-compromised business acumen.
Allyson West is an award-winning producer and director, and the Creative Director of Cincinnati’s Cindependent Film Festival. The latest narrative from Turn West Productions, TEXICAN, has attended 15 festivals and won awards in 6 major categories as well as nominations for over 30 honors. Allyson produces and hosts the weekly-release podcast, Script Shop, and creates live performance work in Cincinnati. She has a BFA in Acting from the CCM and studied under Barbara Marchant at the William Esper Studio in Manhattan, NY. Allyson was voted “Best Local Filmmaker” in Cincinnati CityBeat’s 2018 “Best of” Awards.
Kristyn Benedyk is an Associate Professor in Electronic Media Department at the University of Cincinnati. She previously taught in the School of Cinema & Interactive Media at DePaul University where she co-founded the screenwriting program. She has written, produced, and directed several short films including Speed Dating (2014), Leroy Frokowski (2008) and 3 Down (2007).
