Episode 43: Taj Paxton, Filmmaker, Executive

Taj is the VP of Documentary Films at Logo. She is an award-winning producer, writer and filmmaker. As one of few Black and openly LGBT film executives, Taj proudly stands on the front lines of diversity and representation.

She started on Wall Street and became a filmmaker and executive.  Along the way she produced films, ran Forrest Whittaker’s company, wrote and sold a pilot, traveled, worked as a production executive, served on the Board for Outfest, and became a yoga teacher. As you do.

And from her bio, which I cannot state better: Taj interests lie at the intersections of art and social change. Her journey is filled with life lessons that cannot be confined to the boxes of gender, race and sexual orientation. She hopes her work will continue to shape the conversation around the kinds of stories we tell and that those stories become a tool for greater cultural understanding and cohesion.

We talked about loaves and fishes, redefining masculinity, and your gut perception of a woman as competent. And can we replace "minority" with "underrepresented?"

Episode 34: Kirsten Schaffer, Executive Director WIF

Kirsten is the Executive Director of Women in Film, Los Angeles. Prior to WIF, she was the Executive Director of Outfest, the LGBT film festival and media arts organization. She tells us about her history as a student at Evergreen, working at film festivals in Seattle and Olympia, and juggling her life as a mother and wife in this busy city and this business.

Kirsten walks us through the work of Women in Film, as well as the initiative called Reframe - in conjunction with the Sundance Institute, aimed at improving gender parity in entertainment.  If you have been curious as to where all the gender chatter is culminating in action – this is it.