FILMS
In our age of media, we must engage women as media advocates, believing visual narratives will encourage indigenous leaders in countries experiencing conflict to advance human dignity and the freedom of conscience for everyone. Women can create short films that advance the legal principal of freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief for every person without distinction. The following films are produced in partnerships with women in the MEWLN network, including United Nations, NGO and faith based organizations. Contact: shirin@visualstory.org
Love Has No Borders
Grand Prize Winner
Deborah Paul and Christy Anastas‘s film Love Has No Borders won the Religious Freedom & Business Film Competition Gold Medal. The short film shows two women from different backgrounds joining together to build a business to serve those in need.
Global FC
Silver First Runner Up
Global FC by Mariya Dostzadah Goodbrake won the Religious Freedom & Business Film Competition Silver Medal. The film shows that Global FC strengthens Kansas City by using their business to serve the religiously mixed refugee community with a soccer program.
Equality
by Olfa Arfaoui and Randy Abbassi
A Tunisian female shares how women’s empowerment, with religious liberty at its core, is a pathway to peace and prosperity.
Moving Mountains
by Mariz Doss and Karen Schenk
An Egyptian female shares her story of overcoming marginalization through sports and fitness, believing if you give women a chance to succeed, they will.
Peace Building
Cellular
Trapped in a terrorist plot in Los Angeles, a young woman grapples with God’s will when she makes a surprising discovery
United Nations Plan of Action for Religious Leaders and Actors
This film was made in partnership with the United Nation's Office for the Prevention of Genocide, NGOs and faith leaders to counter cultural and religious based violence.
Peace Building Gathering, Cumbria, UK
The Rose Castle Foundation gathers UN, NGO, faith leaders and peace actors to counter violence and promote a message of reconciliation.
Women For Peace Summit, Tunisia
The Women 4 Peace Media Summit gathered professional women for workshops to create media projects that promotes peace and security around the world.
The Network of Religious and Traditional Peacemakers Forum, New York
This United Nations level peace building network gathers faith actors to promote foregivenss and reconciliation.
Women's Empowerment
Portions
"Portions" tells the story of a woman with limited choices who discovers an abundance that could be hers. The Portions film won Best Short Fiction Film at the World of Women Film Fair in Dubai,
Equations
"Equations" shows that when a company discriminates on the basis of gender and belief, they might just miss the most perfect employee to reach their business goals.
Paper Dress
"Paper Dresses" tells the story of a young fashion designer facing cultural barriers and receiving help from an unexpected source.
Fashion for Empowerment
Marguerite Evans artfully uses the platform of fashion to address women’s needs for healing and empowerment. Use the contact page, to request more details.
Women's Media Forums
Shirin Taber, Director of Middle East Women's Leadership Network, shares the vision and heart behind equipping and connecting women through media.
Bring our Media Training to Your Team
The Middle East Women’s Leadership Network will custom design a 1-2-day Media Summit to train your team in applying story to better fulfill your organizational mission. This is ideal for groups of 30 participants to foster a culture of story within your organization. Your staff develops common vocabulary and learns to tell, write and produce stories that will accelerate your growth objectives. The following videos explain the production process for the making of short films. Many of the training elements shared in the videos are also available through our Media Training Summits and online courses.
For more information about MEWLN’s media summits, training and mentoring programs, contact: shirin@visualstory.org.
Women Using Media for their Mission
Writing the Script
Pre-Production
Production
Post-Prodcution
Strategically, these films help to show that a commitment to religious freedom and interfaith understanding is a means to fulfilling the UN Strategic Development Goal 16:
