Femme Frontera is an organization begun by six women filmmakers from the U.S.-Mexico border region of El Paso, Texas, Las Cruces, New Mexico, and Cd. Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico. We advocate for the amplification of films made by female filmmakers from border regions across the globe. In 2017, we were featured in Variety Magazine, Remezcla, and Texas Monthly magazine, among others. 

This year, we are taking an active role in identifying and mentoring new talented filmmakers in our communities - the next generation of Femme Frontera storytellers! At a time when the US border region is the source of so much hype and inflammation in the national news, help up support the creation of local filmmakers on the ground, telling personal, honest and compelling stories of the border.

In 2016, the Femme Frontera Filmmaker Showcase began as a celebration of films made by women filmmakers from the U.S.-Mexico border region. We have since expanded to include powerful short films from around the world, whose stories challenge perceptions about women, border communities, immigrants, people of color, the LBGTQ community, and other marginalized communities. Now in its third year, Femme Frontera continues to host an annual Showcase in El Paso, Texas, diversifying its audience by taking each year's films on a national tour. Venues include the Echo Park Film Center in Los Angeles, CA, Indie Grits Film Festival in Columbia, SC, CineFestival Film Festival in San Antonio, Texas, and Cine Las Americas in Austin, TX. Indie Grits described Femme Frontera as, "Resisting stereotypical, hyper masculine depictions of the Latina experience that so often reduce characters of color to the status of flimsy cardboard cutouts, the directors of Femme Frontera prioritize feeling and style ahead of plot, cultivating tactile emotional realities onscreen that address–in part–the illogic behind man-made walls." As part of its tour, Femme Frontera also provides filmmaking workshops locally and nationally throughout the year.

Next year, as part of a new initiative to increase, inspire, and support short form content made by women from the El Paso-Las Cruces-Juarez region, Femme Frontera will fund new works made by emerging and established self-identifying female filmmakers. We will award funding to projects at any stage of production, but will not award funds for marketing and distribution. 

Here's how it works:

Goal: To inspire and support the creation of new content directed by self-identifying female filmmakers in our border region. We will do this by providing up to $2500 to one or more self-identifying female filmmakers. The funds will assist these filmmakers in the creation of their short films in the El Paso-Las Cruces-Juarez region. The film(s) will then be invited to screen as part of our official 2019 Femme Frontera Filmmaker Showcase line up next fall.

Who receives the funds: In January 2019, Femme Frontera will launch a call for applications via social media, email newsletters, online publications, radio and television. Awardee(s) will be notified in February 2019.

Here's where you come in: We're asking you to join us in being an advocate for female voices in the El Paso-Las Cruces-Juarez border region. Help us reach our goal of $2500! Join us as we come together as a community to support new vibrant voices, telling the stories of our borderlands. Any contribution helps! Our campaign ends Nov. 15 at 11:45 pm.

Perks: You will receive updates throughout the year about the project(s) you helped fund. Individuals whose contributions are $100 or over will receive a free ticket to the 2019 Femme Frontera Filmmaker Showcase and a drink ticket to our 2019 FFFS After-party.