Female Filmmakers Rule Seattle’s Film Scene

By Rachel Belle

(Left to right) Lynn Shelton, Emily Blunt, Mark Duplass, Rosemary DeWitt from Shelton’s latest film, “Your Sister’s Sister.”

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When it comes to film making, Seattle is not Hollywood…and it doesn’t want to be. Movie making might be a quiet Seattle industry, but it’s becoming a thriving one and some of the most successful independent film makers in the city are women. I had four of them come into the studio, and it was more like summer camp than a radio interview. The ladies are super close friends, who defy the stereotypes that women in film have to be catty and competitive.

“There is a sense of mutual support that I don’t find in other cities, especially in bigger markets where it’s a little bit more cut throat, a little bit more competitive,” says filmmaker Lynn Shelton. “It’s just very friendly. It’s warm and fuzzy here.”

Shelton is a Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) darling, whose film Hump Day won a prize at Sundance, and a handful of other festivals. With Hump Day, Lynn proved that you don’t have to have big Hollywood credentials and connections to have a successful film.

“I was on a shuttle ride from the airport [to Sundance] with this guy who said, ‘Who’s your agent?’ and I was like, ‘I don’t have one’ and just whiplash looked at me like ‘What do you mean? How did you get into Narrative Competition?’ I said, ‘I sent in a DVD and they watched it and they let me in.’ He seemed shocked by that. But it is possible to not have all those connections in the industry and still be noticed if you make a good piece of work.”

Jane Charles’ career started in TV news in Canada and working on 21 Jump Street. Now she’s a movie producer who’s currently in India shooting a film called SOLD.

“I hear great ideas and go ‘Let me help you get your film made!’ I’ve optioned two books and a lot of the time I go from stories that are already great stories and I go ‘This has to be a film.'”

I introduced you to director and writer Sue Corcoran a few months ago, when Gabby the girl Scout reviewed her film Ira Finklestein’s Christmas, starring Elliot Gould. Sue’s movie career started early.

Director and writer Megan Griffiths.

“I was the kid with the Super 8 camera, cutting and taping it together. I did it with my brothers and they were total jerks when we were growing up. So they would make me hold hot garage lights, and burn my arm, but then not put me in the credits. But Randy Tishman, the neighbor boy who would come over for, like, two seconds would be in the credits. I think that’s what pushed me. It’s utter revenge! Up yours Randy Tishman!”

Megan Griffiths directed the award winning film, Eden, shot in Ellensburg, as well as The Off Hours and she has advice for anyone looking to get into the industry.

“If it’s at all possible for you to work for free, and volunteer your time, I worked for free for four or five years before getting paid to do this. Being able to get on as many sets as you can and learn everything you possibly can from good and bad experiences.”

Megan also co-produced Lynn’s latest film Your Sister’s Sister and Sue was associate producer of Hump Day, proving that Seattle has a tight knit group of female filmmakers.

“We help each other put our films together, help each other make the films, we call each other all the time. That’s not common. I’m amazed at all the female directors coming out of this community. That is something very, very unique.”

Lynn says part of what has helped keep the film community so strong is a tax incentive program for filmmakers, that was re-signed into law by governor Gregoire at the end of March. It gives filmmakers 30 percent cash back on anything that’s spent in Washington state.

“It was a Godsend, because if it hadn’t come back I think we would have had a huge bleed of talent. Everyone would have run for the hills because you just can’t make a living here otherwise.”

Lynn Shelton’s film, Your Sister’s Sister is in theaters now; Sue Corcoran just finished writing the sequel Ira Finkelstein’s Halloween Adventure; Megan has recently been signed by William Morris Endeavor Talent Agency and is seeking her next project; and Jane Charles is in India shooting the upcoming film, SOLD.