INTERVIEW: MOM Film Festival celebrates mothers
Photo: Tonya McCornell is the founder of the MOM Film Festival. Photo courtesy of Ivona Kaplan / Provided with permission.
The inaugural Making Our Movies Film Festival, also known as the MOM Film Festival, will take place today, Aug. 14 through Monday, Aug. 17. The showcase of films, courtesy of the nonprofit Center for Active Learning, celebrates filmmakers who are mothers and honors their role of creating art and raising their children.
The inaugural fest, which is presented virtually, is divided amongst several “blocks” of films with themes such as “Growing Pains,” “Life & Loss,” “Moms Night Out,” “Moms Are Human, Too,” “Life’s Lessons” and “The Changemakers.” All of the offerings are short films, and many of them touch upon important societal and family issues, especially in light of these historic times.
For example, “What We May Be” is a 4-minute feature about how life has changed during the COVID-19 pandemic, all told from a child’s perspective. Another film, “Danni and May,” finds a daughter struggling to support her invalid mother. “How Much Am I Worth?” looks at four women with disabilities who are dealing with the deficiencies of the U.S. health care system.
Each film block is $6, or there’s an all-access pass for $25. Awards, including an audience favorite, will be given out at the conclusion of the festival.
Recently Hollywood Soapbox exchanged emails with Tonya McCornell, founder of the MOM Film Fest. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
What inspired you to found the MOM Film Fest? What do you feel this new festival will achieve?
I was inspired to found this festival because I got tired of waiting around hoping someone else would finally acknowledge moms in this way. As a single mom, I know how great of a challenge it is to raise a child while working in media or pursuing a career in the industry. But I will continue to do so, and a large part of doing so is the hope that it will give other moms the inspiration and perseverance to do the same.
I already have access to some incredible moms in our industry who are doing great things because aside from MOM Film Fest, I also founded The Moms Network for New York Women in Film & Television (NYWIFT). But part of what I want to achieve in doing this festival is the ability to showcase the work of moms from around the world and in doing so, show brands, companies and audiences, the incredible talent within this underrepresented community of mom content creators. We’ve already received submissions from moms in Indonesia, China, Israel, Australia and the U.K., and one of our most popular categories for submissions has been the mom-themed content. This gives me joy to realize that women are getting what this festival represents and all that we are aiming to do for moms with this initiative.
What kind of work are you looking for at the inaugural festival? And has the pandemic changed any of your planning?
For the inaugural festival, we’re looking for short-form, narrative or documentary, story-based films and series, produced anytime after 2015, that feature a mom in a leadership position. We wanted to start small so we only have six categories: Best Film, Best Series, Best Director, Best Cinematographer, Best Social Justice film, and we even have a category specifically for Mom-themed content that we are really excited about.
Right before the pandemic hit, it felt like we were just about to make strides in the work we are doing to help moms in our industry. I originally wanted to do this as an in-person event where we could give each other our ‘flowers’ as they say, honor moms we admire, have some amazing food, watch our films, have our kids there, and do it in May since May is for mothers (everyday should be for mothers, but I digress…).
I really wanted to have an Oprah moment where we have all of the women who were nominated for an award come up on stage and have them think they are the finalists, but then it is revealed that they are all getting funding for their upcoming projects or childcare stipends. ‘You get a stipend, you get a stipend, and you get a stiiiiiiipend!’ And, of course, I’d say it in my Oprah voice. Obviously. But since an in-person event is not possible, it felt like a good decision to move the festival online.
Do you feel this festival will be a place of empowerment for women and mothers?
My goal with this festival is to do exactly that, to empower women and mothers by celebrating the incredible work they have created. Completing a film is a huge accomplishment for folks in general, but when a mom is able to do it while also raising kids, that’s major. I want this festival to rally moms to support and empower each other. We have a tendency to keep motherhood a secret when we work in this industry due to the fear of not being hired for a project. That’s very understandable, but in order for us to move forward and make changes, all of that secrecy must change. We have to be visible and bold in showing that motherhood can work in this industry.
Do you feel there is still a lot of work to be done for society to completely respect and dignify motherhood, womanhood and maternal rights?
Absolutely. With the pandemic and the insane plan they are considering where the kids’ will have a staggered school schedule with some days on and some days off, I do feel this will end up being the biggest hindrance for moms working in our industry as those of us with school-aged children will suffer the most. How can that type of schedule accommodate a working mom’s schedule in general, but nevermind those of us in this industry? We already struggle with childcare options as none of them can accommodate the long production hours we work that include extremely early start times and really late nights. We’ve always had to maneuver around school hours, but if the DOE’s plan does go through, we will have even bigger challenges.
When did you first fall in love with film?
I’ve always been in love with film. I remember imitating scenes from movies and creating my own skits when I was around 9 or 10. I’ve always visualized the way things will pan out whenever I tell a story or hear a story. Now as an adult creating my own stories, I write about female characters, address social issues, and it’s important that my films have a message that will hopefully inspire people to understand a different perspective after watching.
Where do you hope to be with the festival in five years?
In five years, I would love to see that the festival has continued to build our community of moms who are standing together to make some much needed change in our industry. I would also hope that we have locked in some sponsorship partners who will help with awarding our winning filmmakers a monetary award that can help them in the creation of an upcoming film. We are also developing other initiatives through the festival that will help push forward the careers of moms by offering workshops, seminars and opportunities for hands-on learning.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
The Making Our Movies Film Festival premieres Friday, Aug. 14 and continues through Monday, Aug. 17. Click here for more information and tickets.
