ABOUT DSFF
About Detroit SheTown
In the 1920s and early 1930s, male auto workers consistently decried the increasing numbers of women in American automobile plants. One Studebaker worker complained about the appearance of more and more women in the light machine operations: “One is immediately struck by the sight of so many women at work. Men are being replaced by women on drill presses, lathes, and even internal grinders.”
Articulating a common fear of replacement by less expensive women workers, one labor journalist labeled Detroit the new 'she-town':
"Because women can do the semi-skilled work of running punch presses and drills in the auto factories, men are being laid off to join the mob of unemployed workers. Women are being given jobs because the prevailing wage for them is 20¢ to 30¢ an hour lower for the same work. Detroit is beginning to take on the aspects of a 'she-town' in which the woman works out and the man looks after the kids."
Today, what was once one of the most traditionally male-dominated professions, filmmaking, has seen its own "SheTown" revolution in front of the camera, behind the camera in the creative process, and in shaping important stories for new audiences.
The Detroit Shetown Film Festival (DSFF) seeks to highlight this important milestone by noting the past and embracing our creative future together through the power of short film storytelling, as female filmmakers finally receive their own time in the creative spotlight.
Who We Are
Mandy Looney - A graduate from the Specs Howard School of Broadcast Media in Michigan, Mandy's ability to visualize concepts, understand and create an approach into a new film project from script to screen brings along a unique, individual and often very humorous vision.
She brings amazing talent both in front of and behind the scenes, most recently as Director of the short films "Watch Night" and "Emergency Alert" both seeing success on the film festival circuit with 20+ acceptances throughout 2019.
Through her video production work with the Michigan Humane Society, Mandy has brought animal welfare concerns to the forefront of her everyday life. Mandy is also an avid equestrian, and her greatest joys are her family and two daughters.
Mandy Looney, Co-Founder (IMDb)
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Mike Madigan - Mike began his film career as director of the short film "Caught" (2006) filmed in Chicago, which screened at 11 film festivals in the US and fostered his ongoing interest in the digital short film format. 2007 saw continued success with dramatic shorts "The Candle", "Demeter" and the smash follow-up hit "Demeter: Surrender", with the film's trailer receiving 700,000+ Youtube hits to date.
In 2008 his experimental foreign-language film "Cadence" was accepted to 13 film festivals, including the Staten Island Film Festival (New York) and the Trenton Film Festival (New Jersey). In 2010, the romantic comedy "4 Pictures" was released, a highly stylized short that received acclaims including "Best Comedy" and "Best Director" through its tour of over 30 film festivals throughout 2010 and 2011, such as the Big Island Film Festival in Hawaii and local Michigan favorites like the Ferndale Film Festival. In 2011 and 2012, the collaborative sci-fi films "Collusion" (Best Sound Design) and "Resistant" (Best Writing, Best Film) with Team 10 Mile saw successful wins at the Project Twenty1 Film Festival in Philadelphia.
Mike was the Detroit Producer of the internationally-known 48 Hour Film Project (48HFP) for nine consecutive seasons, bringing filmmakers together in the city of Detroit. Mike's additional experience includes collaboration with "The D-Town Screenwriters Group", and one of the founding business partners of M-1 Studios in Ferndale, Michigan, creating business and organization video content.
Mike Madigan, Co-Founder (IMDb)
The Detroit SheTown Film Festival (DSFF) accepts short films in the following genres:
Animation, Comedy, Drama, Documentary, Experimental, LGBTIQA+, Music Video, Short Episodic, and Thriller / Sci-Fi.
ALL ENTRIES Must meet AT LEAST ONE of the following criteria for consideration:
- A Female Lead Actress / Role
- A Female-centric Story / Documentary Issue
- Female Director, Cinematographer
- Female Screenwriter, Editor
- Female Producer or Co-Producer
Running Lengths must be a Minimum of 2 Minutes ~ Maximum 25 Minutes.
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