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Imagine This Women's International Film Festival 

(Inspired by Women Storytellers and Filmmakers)

 

Mission Statement: 

Imagine This Women's International Film Festival is a women-owned 501(c)3 non-profit organization that is dedicated to providing women storytellers and filmmakers a platform to encourage and develop creative projects by women filmmakers. With Imagine This Women's International Film Festival and Girl Power Film + Media Summit, Imagine This aims to amplify and empower independent and aspiring women filmmakers from around the world. Imagine This goal is to support women by sharing their work with the public, promoting equal opportunities for BIPOC women and the LGBTQIA+ community while providing educational support and professional development, and serving as a resource information network.

Patrice Francois, Co-Founder and Executive Director

Patrice Francois 

Co-Founder and Executive Director

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Patrice Francois is a filmmaker who works in television and is the Founder and Festival Director of Imagine This Women's Film Festival.  Her goal is to support women by sharing their work with the public, promoting equal opportunities for BIPOC women and the LGBTQIA+ community while encouraging professional and educational development, and serving as a resource information network.

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Continuing with her mission, Patrice Francois launched Girl Power Film + Media Summit, an informative and inspirational event with discussions, panels, film screenings, and mixers that exemplify the power of women in the film industry. Patrice has recently curated Ladies Rocking the Lens, a film series celebrating the rising tide of strong female voices in local cinema. Her goal is to disrupt the status quo.

Susie Francois,  Co-Founder and Director of Development

Susie Francois

Co-Founder and Director of Development

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Susie Francois is the Director of Development at Imagine This Women’s International Film Festival. 

 

Her passion is to help develop people in ways that improve their working and personal lives and promote cultural change. Along with her career passion and love for cinema and storytelling, she was inspired to create a platform that would provide opportunities to promote diverse filmmakers and storytellers and celebrate their work. She and her daughter, Patrice, launched Girl Power Film + Media Summit and Ladies Rocking the Lens to continue their support for women storytellers. 

2025 INTERNS

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Callee Fair

Blog Writer â€‹

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Movies have always provided Callee Fair with an escape to another world, offering endless possibilities for exploration and imagination. While this still holds true, she has come to understand that film offers much more than a simple escape. Film serves as a medium to tell stories that dare to create deeper meaning, which is vital to humanity.

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In a field largely dominated by men, Callee recognizes the critical importance of supporting women filmmakers. The issue is not a lack of creativity or talent among women but a lack of opportunities and accessibility for them to showcase their artistry. To drive meaningful change, Callee believes it is essential to be the catalyst that brings women's perspectives and stories to the forefront.

 

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Lana Spota

Blog Writer â€‹

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Lana Spota is a freshman at New York University, where she studies Film & Television with a concentration in Dramatic Writing. Lana has always had a passion for film, photography, and writing, and has conceptualized and written four feature screenplays with a fifth one on the way. In her free time, she has taught screenwriting classes at her local library, conducted interviews and concert reviews for her university’s radio show, and worked closely with other artists on student films to immerse herself in the communities she loves most. 

 

She is the creator and editor of Girl With a Movie Camera Blog, where she covers filmmaking and film criticism, and is working to release a magazine in future years. Her goal is to provide filmmakers and artists from around the world with an opportunity to place an emphasis on the art they are proud to share, and is excited to become a part of the ITWFF team. 

 

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Jamie Marie Torres

Blog Writer â€‹

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Jamie is a senior in her final semester at Pace University, double majoring in English with a creative writing focus and Film Studies. Born and raised outside New York City, she has been immersed in performing arts from a young age. College has helped her find a passion for film and literary criticism. As a kid, Jamie's abundance of creativity blossomed into a desire to write fiction novels and screenplays; she hopes to bring her love of science fiction and fantasy into her work.

      In her free time, Jamie enjoys spending quality time with her "dependents" (cats), Libby Rhodes and Nova Artino Torres. She also enjoys role-playing druids and warlocks in the tabletop game Dungeons and Dragons.

      This budding writer is excited to join the ITWFF team; she desires to hone her personal voice in combination with writing experience that will help her grow her skill set.

 

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Suhani Baviskar

Programmer Intern​

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Suhani Baviskar is a senior at Pace University, majoring in Film and Screen Studies. Her creative journey began with playing the piano and performing in original theater productions. Suhani composes piano music, a passion that ultimately led her to discover her love for film. She firmly believes that sound and music play a crucial role in creating an emotional impact in storytelling.

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Throughout her college years, Suhani gained hands-on experience by working on various student films, honing her skills in camera work and editing. She is pursuing a career in directing and aims to become a music composer for films. Beyond her passion for film and music, Suhani enjoys photography and maintains a healthy lifestyle through regular workouts, which she finds enhances her creativity. She is thrilled to be part of a team that empowers and appreciates the talent of women in the industry.

 

Kimi

Kemi Star

Programmer Intern​

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Kemi Star is a filmmaker with a distinctive voice, known for exploring themes of intimate relationships, desire, and the complexities of human connection. A Pratt Institute graduate currently pursuing her BFA on Presidential Scholarship, Kemi has directed a diverse range of short films, including BOUNDARIES (2023), a lesbian drama that delves into forbidden desire and the blurred lines in the search for something deeper. Her work often highlights the body as a vessel for emotional and relational expression, as seen in her gallery pieces like Genesis, Desire, Space (2023).

 

Kemi’s films have been showcased at festivals such as Out At The Movies Film Fest and the Yale Festival, while her gallery installations, including Transfigured and Pieces of Me, Pieces of You, have also gained attention.

 

In addition to her directing work, Kemi brings a holistic approach to the industry as a producer, assistant director, co-writer, and intimacy coordinator. Currently, she’s focused on an upcoming short film set to debut at various film festivals. Outside of filmmaking, Kemi enjoys reading fiction and poetry, and capturing moments on film.

 

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Mia Longenecker

Programmer Intern​

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Mia Longenecker is a freshman at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, where she is majoring in Dramatic Writing. Gaining her appreciation for the creative arts through short story writing since her days in elementary school, Mia has always shared a deep passion for writing for purposes of making sense of her own emotions as well as moving others emotionally. While her main concentration lies in the art of screenwriting/playwriting, Mia also enjoys dabbling in virtually any writing medium, including short stories, poetry, opinion articles, and analysis essays. 

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At NYU, Mia is a member of the Courier’s Screenwriting Club, and hopes to spearhead a club of her own in the near future. Outside of writing, Mia loves watching movies, reading,  thrifting, spending time with her friends/family, singing, and shopping at Whole Foods! Being a new member to the ITWIFF team, Mia is ecstatic to become involved in an organization dedicated to spotlighting and elevating new artistic voices!

 

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Matthew Arradaza

Programmer Intern​

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Matthew Arradaza (he/him) is a freshman at Pace University, majoring in Acting with a minor in Arts and Entertainment Management. He is passionate about expanding his palate for the performing arts by exploring directing, playwriting, and technical elements. His love for acting began in middle school when he joined his school’s thespian troupe. Outside of theater, he enjoys practicing guitar, playing basketball, and reading. A dedicated advocate for social justice since the age of 12, he is excited to contribute to the festival. Matthew looks forward to collaborating with fellow artists and making a meaningful impact.

 

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Jenn Morriss

Programmer Intern​

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Jenn Morriss (they/she) is a junior at Pace University NYC majoring in Film and Screen Studies with a double minor in Arts and Entertainment Management. She considers herself a creative individual and loves working on content across various forms of media like music, photography, film, writing, and more and is always looking for unique ways to communicate with an audience. 

 

She has had various experiences in 16 mm filmmaking, photography, editing, and journalism. Jenn is a musician and storyteller by heart and is hoping to pursue a career blending these passions through films, music documentaries, and live entertainment production, design, and videography. She is very happy to be part of such a great team that works to support the voices of LGBTQ and women creators in this field. 

 

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Dreana Henry

Programmer Intern​

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Dreana Henry is a Junior at pace University, majoring in Writing for Diversity and Equity  in Theatre and Media and minoring in Film and Screen Studies. She has had a love for  the arts ever since attending a Performing Arts school in her youth and since then has  been in many plays, musicals, and other public speaking performances. Dreana has  now focused in on her passion for writing and telling the stories she has always wished  to see in the media. As a young black women, she hopes to create films and other  works of art that reflect her experience and the experience of those like her in true and authentic ways. 

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Since starting her journey of creating in college, Dreana has made case studies  pertaining to DEI and it’s accurate representation in the media, and has worked with  peers on projects that center marginalized voices. Through this trajectory, she hopes to  have a career in screenwriting as well as becoming a novelist. Outside of her passions, Dreana also loves to read in her free time and has an interest in expressing herself  through fashion. She is overjoyed to be joining the ITWFF team and can’t wait to see  the greatness that comes from their efforts!

 

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Olivia Tarling

Programmer Intern​

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Olivia Tarling is a junior at the University of Michigan studying Film, Television, and
Media and English Literature. She is deeply passionate about film and theater, and
hopes to become a screenwriter or TV writer in the future.

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Olivia is the TV Beat Editor at the University of Michigan’s student newspaper, The
Michigan Daily, and a member of The Women’s Network - UM Chapter. When she’s not
writing or editing, Olivia loves to sing, listen to music, exercise, and bake. She is very
excited to be a part of the Imagine This team!

 

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Mia Abdallah 

Programmer Intern​

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Mia Abdallah is a sophomore at Pace University, majoring in Film and Screen Studies. She has a deep passion for photography, particularly film photography, and videography. Mia aspires to pursue a career as a producer in the film industry, believing that planning and pre-production are the most valuable aspects of filmmaking. To Mia, movies are not only enjoyable to watch but also serve as a compelling art form that connects people and captures important aspects of the human experience.

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Throughout her time in college, Mia has developed strong critical thinking skills, which she applies to her analysis of films. She is particularly interested in working with film festivals, appreciating their role in showcasing diverse storytelling. Additionally, Mia has explored her interest in video editing, eager to constantly expand different skill sets in the field of filmmaking.

 

PROGRAMMERS 

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