introduction

why women do(n't) make films

in the beginning there was...

evolutions

new century movements

an interesting question of gender

sponsorship & volunteers

WOMEN OF MOTION

PROGRAMMES

bibliography

links

why women do(n't) make films page 1/2

However, it was her involvement in another organisations, SHASU, which led to her idea for a careers forum/ film festival aimed at secondary school age young women.

"....I actually had a meeting with a young women's collective, probably in early 1989, and talked about.... the kind of things they were doing at the time, because at the time I was doing some training, video training for a group called SHASU, which is the Self Help and Substance Use Association which linked into a lot of young women that had substance abuse problems, but they were actively using video as a, a means of ...training, of focus, and of making programs about issues confronting young women..." (Sue Maslin 2000)

Whilst involved in raising the funds for WIFT(victoria) for 1990, Sue's interest in creating a program that addressed a younger more inexperienced group of women coincided with a similar interest within the then Department of Labour. At that stage there was just a broad idea of a careers forum and film festival which acted as the basis for the grant application;

"So it started off as a very rudimentary idea but one that we got the funding for and then we were able to engage Marsha as coordinator and then together we sort of worked out that program for the first year, and it just grew from that point on." (Sue Maslin 2000)

From 1990 to 1995 Women In Motion was coordinated by Marsha Emerman. Her involvement was proceeded by an initially more general participation in WIFT(victoria):

"...just helping out with whatever needed help but then I think while I was there Sue had, Sue was the one who'd had the idea to have some kind of a program for young women and she had applied to the Department of Labor so, I don't know whether I remember if that was state or federal department but, she had applied for money, like some sort of training money that was available." (Marsha Emerman 2000)

Sue Maslin recalls that after working with Marsha as a volunteer since WIFT(victoria)'s establishment, "...I felt she was best equipped for the job and recommended her to the WIFT(victoria) Management Committee for the position of Women In Motion Coordinator."(Sue Maslin 2000) Sue's recommendation was validated by the appointment made by the WIFT(victoria) Management Committee, and Marsha was given the position of Women In Motion Coordinator. Although, the timing of the project, and her involvement in it was, in Marsha's memory a case of "... I was in the right place at the right time with the right skills." (Marsha Emerman 2000) The evolution from Sue's initial idea to the first Women In Motion at the State Film Centre in October 1990 was s a process of discussion between Sue and Marsha.