Help us tell the story of the incredible women filmmakers who changed history through their films and transformed the social imagination about queerness.
Help us tell the story of the incredible women filmmakers who changed history through their films and transformed the social imagination about queerness.
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Story
Mission Statement
DYKES, CAMERA, ACTION! examines the history of queer cinema and the ways that women directors have contributed to this genre. The film emphasizes the role that the media plays in representation of sexuality and gender and underscores the power that film has to shape our perceptions of one another.About The Project
The Film
Filmmakers Barbara Hammer, Su Friedrich, Rose Troche, Cheryl Dunye, Yoruba Richen, Desiree Akhavan, Vicky Du, critic B. Ruby Rich, Sarah Schulman, Lesli Klainberg, Jenni Olson, Rachel Reichman, Yvonne Welbon and others share moving and often hilarious stories from their lives and discuss how they've expressed queer identity through film, moving from the experimental films of the 1970s, up to the present.
The Story Behind the Film
I'm Caroline Berler, the director, editor, and producer of DYKES, CAMERA, ACTION! I grew up in San Antonio, Texas, in the late 90s. Back then I didn't know any openly gay adults in my community, so I looked to the movies for role models. Luckily I came of age just in time to discover the amazing queer films that were coming out then—what I now realize was a watershed moment for queer cinema. These movies with lesbian characters at their center, which I discovered in the aisles of my local video store, were the greatest source of comfort to me, and gave me hope for my future. I probably watched But I'm A Cheerleader and High Art 5,000 times.
Fast forward to New York City, 2016: I was earning my MFA in Social Documentary Film at the School of Visual Arts, and in search of the perfect thesis project to which I would dedicate the next several years of my life. I was doing some major soul searching, trying to figure out what I truly cared about.
Then, on Christmas Eve, I serendipitously ended up at dinner at the home of Rose Troche and learned all about her body of work and important contribtions to queer cinema—including Go Fish and The L Word —and I was thoroughly impressed! After that night, I asked Rose if I might interview her about her life, career, and her experiences as an LGBTQ activist. As soon as Rose and I started talking I knew there was a whole other side to the films that I loved so much growing up: the women behind the camera. I knew I had found the perfect film to make. From there, I continued to find more of the amazing filmmakers who contributed to this history, and the film took on a life of its own.
Me on set before my interview with Su Friedrich.
Me with filmmaker Vicky Du after our interview.
What We Need
The film is nearly finished but there are few final things we need to pay for:
- Sound Design & Mixing
- Music Composition
- Color Correction & Online Edit
In the event that we raise $15,000 to pay for the above items, my Stretch Goals include:
- Copyright Clearance Fees
- Film Festival Entry Fees
Why Support This FIlm?
Most people don't know this history. In early preview screenings in New York and LA, I've been thrilled to discover how enthusiastically general audiences respond to these women directors and their unique sensibilities, stories and ways of seeing.
By supporting this project, you are supporting the LGBTQ community and spreading a message of acceptence and equality.
There aren't enough films directed by women. Hopefully this film will encourage future generations of women to go out and make films and seek out films by, for and about women.
Lastly, DYKES, CAMERA, ACTION! celebrates the power of film, with its ability to make us laugh, cry, transport us through storytelling and to inspire action. Help me finish the film and share it with the world!
Can I make a tax-deductible donation?
Yes! You can make a tax-deductible donation through our fiscal sponsor Women Make Movies. Click the link below and select Dykes, Camera, Action! to donate:
http://www.wmm.com/filmmakers/sponsored_projects.aspx
Incentives
$10
Virtual Kiss
We will give you a virtual kiss to say thanks!
$25
Shout Out On Social Media
Virtual Kiss + We will recognize your contribution online, and let everyone know how grateful we are.
$50
Digital Poster
Shout Out + Digital Poster
$100
Digital Mixtape created by Director Caroline Berler inspired by themes of the film
Shout Out + Choose from a Digital Mixtape (Spotify Playlist) inspired by the following themes from the film: Vampires, 1970s/80 Experimental, 90s LGBTQ Activism, Contemporary Queer
Claimed: 8 of 20
$200
Watercolor Painting by Producer Rebecca Benson based on a queer film of your choosing
Shout Out + Watercolor by Rebecca Benson
Claimed: 1 of 20
$250
Digital Download of the Film
Shout Out + A digital download of the film.
(Will be delivered after our festival run).
$500
2 Tickets to a Film Screening of DYKES, CAMERA, ACTION!
Shout Out + 2 tickets to a screening of the film in your city when it comes to town.
$1,000
Video Call Thank You / Filmmaking Consultation
I will video call you to personally thank you for your generosity and if you're interested in making your own project I will help you get started. Can't wait to chat!
$2,500
Special Thanks in the Credits
All of the above + your name included in the special thanks in the closing credits.
$5,000
Dinner & Drinks at Stonewall Inn
All of the above + I will take you out for a night on the town! We will grab dinner then head for drinks at the historic Stonewall Inn, a National Historic Landmark, and site of the 1969 riots that launched the gay rights movement.
(Travel Expenses to New York not included.)
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Wishlist
Use the WishList to pledge cash and loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an incentive directly.
$10
Virtual Kiss
We will give you a virtual kiss to say thanks!
$25
Shout Out On Social Media
Virtual Kiss + We will recognize your contribution online, and let everyone know how grateful we are.
$50
Digital Poster
Shout Out + Digital Poster
$100
Digital Mixtape created by Director Caroline Berler inspired by themes of the film
Shout Out + Choose from a Digital Mixtape (Spotify Playlist) inspired by the following themes from the film: Vampires, 1970s/80 Experimental, 90s LGBTQ Activism, Contemporary Queer
Claimed: 8 of 20
$200
Watercolor Painting by Producer Rebecca Benson based on a queer film of your choosing
Shout Out + Watercolor by Rebecca Benson
Claimed: 1 of 20
$250
Digital Download of the Film
Shout Out + A digital download of the film.
(Will be delivered after our festival run).
$500
2 Tickets to a Film Screening of DYKES, CAMERA, ACTION!
Shout Out + 2 tickets to a screening of the film in your city when it comes to town.
$1,000
Video Call Thank You / Filmmaking Consultation
I will video call you to personally thank you for your generosity and if you're interested in making your own project I will help you get started. Can't wait to chat!
$2,500
Special Thanks in the Credits
All of the above + your name included in the special thanks in the closing credits.
$5,000
Dinner & Drinks at Stonewall Inn
All of the above + I will take you out for a night on the town! We will grab dinner then head for drinks at the historic Stonewall Inn, a National Historic Landmark, and site of the 1969 riots that launched the gay rights movement.
(Travel Expenses to New York not included.)
- Updates
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Current Team
About This Team
Caroline Berler
Director, Editor, Producer
Caroline Berler is a documentary director and editor based in New York City. She has worked as an Associate Producer, Assistant Editor and Sound Recordist on non-fiction projects that have been broadcast nationally, screened in film festivals around the world. She holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in Social Documentary Film from the School of Visual Arts and a Bachelor's degree in Sociology from New York University. Dykes, Camera, Action! is her first feature film.
Rebecca Benson
Producer
Rebecca Benson a producer of Dykes, Camera, Action! She is based in Brooklyn, New York. She explores her interests in environmental education, horticulture, musical instruments and early childhood through writing, water-color, photography and video. She earned her MFA in Social Documentary Film at SVA where she pursued her dream of collaborative filmmaking with a 5-year-old for her documentary titled Alice Was Four.
Melanie McLean Brooks
Director of Photography
Melanie is an emerging documentary filmmaker, focusing on food politics and gender issues. Her most recent short documentary, Big Hips, Big Dreams, has screened at numerous film festivals around the county, including Big Sky Documentary Film Fest in 2018. Her current production is a food-focused documentary, Eating the Enemy, featuring sushi chef Bun Lai. As a director of photography, she has lensed Dykes, Camera, Action!; The Reign of Sasha Velour; Sincerely, Alaska and field stories for Comedy Central's The Opposition. Melanie and her husband, Ryan Brooks, founded Flying Giant Productions in New York City several years ago to produce branded content and advertisements that skew towards sustainability and social good. She received her Bachelors in Journalism from Rutgers University and a Master of Fine Arts at the School of Visual Arts in social documentary film. Melanie, Ryan, their dog Zoe and Flying Giant Productions recently relocated to sunny Denver, Colorado.
Gil Talmi
Composer
Gil Talmi is a world-renowned EMMY nominated composer, producer and recording artist with a passion for socially conscious projects. Blending his traditional orchestral background with tasteful modular electronics and eclectic world music sensibilities, Talmi has created a signature sound that can be heard in many award-winning productions worldwide.
Some of Gil's most recent work includes the opening theme to CBS News: 50 Years of 60 Minutes, Chavela (Aubin Pictures), Straight/Curve (Epix), Desert Migration (Best Revenge Productions), Remittance (Greenmachine Films) and The Memory of Fish (Reelblue), narrated by Lili Taylor, which had its world premiere at SIFF 2016. In 2017, Gil's score for Chavela was nominated for Best Original Composition - Feature Film Score by the Music & Sound Awards. 3 Documentaries which Gil scored premiered simultaneously at Doc NYC 2015: All Rise, The Lost Arcade (26 Aries) and Love Between The Covers (Blueberry Hill Productions).
Gil has scored the Peabody Award winning documentaries Between The Folds (PBS Independent Lens), Who Killed Chea Vichea? (PBS) and New Year Baby (PBS Independent Lens), winner of the Amnesty International 'Movies That Matter' Award. Other work includes music for Food Chains (Illumine Films), Entre Nos (IndiePix), winner Best Film at the Traverse City film festival, Bill W. (Page 124 Productions), Forgotten Ellis Island (PBS) and Daisy Bates: First Lady Of Little Rock (PBS). Gil was nominated for a National News and Documentary Emmy Award for his work on CBS Evening News and recently won Best Documentary for his score for Tales Of The Waria (PBS).
Jenny Bee
Animator
Jenny Bee is a New York based motion graphic designer and storyteller, making things that move, and things that move you. She aspires to clear communication in all of her work, corporate and personal, and moonlights as a magical girl. Her website is jennybee.design; reach out to her if you’re interested in whimsical work or whacky hijinks.
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