Overview
The "She Directed" Filmmaker Contest was a one-time short film competition in 2019 organized by Chloe Wine Collection (a wine brand developed by winemaker Georgetta Dane) in partnership with Women In Film and actress Kate Bosworth. The contest awarded a $10,000 grand prize plus professional mentorship to one woman director, with four runners-up receiving professional mentorship from industry veterans. The winner was Alexis Sallee for her short film Who We Are.
The contest is concluded. No subsequent cycles have been held, and the campaign website (shedirected.com) is no longer active. The contest page on AudPop (formerly Audience Awards) remains accessible as an archive.
Contest Structure and Prizes
Grand Prize
- $10,000 cash prize to fund future projects
- Professional mentorship from industry veterans
Runner-Up Prizes (4 recipients)
- Professional mentorship from industry veterans
Selection Process
The contest used a hybrid public voting and jury selection model:
- Submission period: February 20 through July 7, 2019
- Public viewing and voting: Beginning July 8, entries were available for viewing online. The public voted to select 10 semi-finalists.
- Jury selection: An additional 10 semi-finalists were chosen by a jury panel of industry professionals, including actress Kate Bosworth.
- Final selection: The jury panel selected the grand prize-winning film and four runners-up from the 20 semi-finalists.
Submission Requirements
- Eligibility: Films must be directed by a woman
- Format: Original short film or an excerpt of a feature film
- Content requirement: Projects must put women at the center of the story
- Categories: Both documentary and narrative fiction forms were eligible
- Geographic focus: US-based filmmakers
- Prior exhibition: Films that had previously screened at other festivals were typically eligible
2019 Winner and Results
Grand Prize Winner: Alexis Sallee for Who We Are
Alexis Sallee is an Alaska Native filmmaker (Iñupiaq) whose work focuses on Indigenous stories and identity. Who We Are was selected from the pool of semi-finalists by the jury panel. The grand prize included $10,000 in cash to fund future projects plus professional mentorship.
The four runners-up received professional mentorship from industry veterans, facilitated through Women In Film's mentorship program.
Campaign Context
The She Directed contest was part of a broader campaign by Chloe Wine Collection to celebrate women in the director's chair. The campaign launched on February 22, 2019, at the 12th Annual Women In Film Oscar Nominees Party in Los Angeles, where Chloe Wine Collection raised a glass to 61 female Oscar nominees that year.
The campaign was motivated by the documented underrepresentation of women directors in the film industry. At the time of the contest launch, zero women were nominated for Best Director at the 2019 Academy Awards. The partnership with Women In Film (a Los Angeles-based organization that advocates for and advances the careers of women working in the screen industries) was intended to deepen the pipeline of talent in the entertainment industry.
Kate Bosworth, who served as the celebrity ambassador for the campaign, stated: "There are so many elements coming together in the She Directed campaign that I absolutely love: good cinema, great wine, and wonderful women. I'm thrilled to team up with Chloe."
Partners
Chloe Wine Collection
Chloe Wine Collection is a wine brand named after the ancient Greek word for blooming, developed by winemaker Georgetta Dane. The brand had previously produced a short film called Projection at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival, toasting the impact of female filmmakers. The She Directed contest was an expansion of that initiative.
Women In Film
Women In Film (WIF) is a Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization whose mission is to advocate for and advance the careers of women working in the screen industries to achieve parity and transform culture. WIF helped facilitate the mentorship program for the contest's finalists. Kirsten Schaffer, Executive Director of Women In Film Los Angeles, stated: "Women In Film is committed to deepening the pipeline of talent in the entertainment industry. Programs [like the She Directed] contest put a much-needed spotlight on emerging female filmmakers."
AudPop (Platform)
The contest was hosted on AudPop (formerly Audience Awards), a video contest platform that managed submissions, public voting, and the showcase of entries.
Why the Contest Was a One-Time Event
The She Directed contest was structured as a single-cycle campaign tied to Chloe Wine Collection's 2019 marketing calendar and the Women In Film Oscar Nominees Party. No subsequent cycles were announced. The campaign website (shedirected.com and chloewineshedirected.com) is no longer active. The AudPop contest page shows "Awards Announced" status, confirming the contest has concluded.
Alternatives for Women Directors Seeking Competition and Funding
Filmmakers who would have been eligible for the She Directed contest should consider these active programs:
- Future of Film is Female Fund: Funding and support for women and gender-nonconforming filmmakers
- Etheria Film Festival: Festival and screening program focused on women genre filmmakers
- Women In Film programs: WIF continues to operate ongoing programs including the WIF Mentorship Program and the WIF Financing Intensive, independent of the She Directed contest
- SeriesFest Women Directing Mentorship with Shondaland: A competition for aspiring female directors to shadow a director on a Shondaland series, with a $5,000 stipend. Cycle 7 (2026) is active.
- Short film competitions on FilmFreeway: Numerous active festivals and competitions specifically for women directors can be found on FilmFreeway
Competition Strategy for Women Filmmakers
For women directors building a festival and competition strategy for their short film, competitions specifically designed for women directors serve a different function than general competitions. In general competitions, women-directed films compete against all submissions and face the documented pattern of underselection that affects women-directed work across the film industry. In women-focused competitions and festivals, that pattern is structurally removed. This makes women-focused competitions particularly valuable for building an early credits list, since selection rates are meaningfully more accessible without being less credible as credentials.
Who Would Have Applied
Women directors with completed short films in documentary or fiction forms who were building their festival and competition record and who wanted recognition from a platform specifically oriented toward celebrating women's directing work. The $10,000 grand prize made this contest financially meaningful for emerging filmmakers, while the mentorship component provided industry access that is often more valuable than cash for early-career directors.
Typical Award Size Range
The She Directed contest had a fixed award structure with no variation:
| Award | Amount | Number |
|---|---|---|
| Grand Prize | $10,000 cash plus mentorship | 1 |
| Runner-Up | Professional mentorship (no cash) | 4 |
The $10,000 grand prize was a one-time cash payment to fund future projects. The mentorship component was facilitated through Women In Film's mentorship program and had no cash value. The total cash distributed was $10,000, with the mentorship providing industry access that is often more valuable than cash for early-career directors.
What Makes an Application Competitive
The contest used a hybrid public voting and jury selection model. Based on the winner and contest structure, competitive entries shared these characteristics:
- Women-centered storytelling: Projects had to put women at the center of the story. The winning film, Who We Are, centered on an Iñupiaq woman artist connecting to ancestral lands. Entries that authentically represented women's experiences scored higher.
- Cultural specificity: The winning film was deeply rooted in Alaska Native culture and identity. Entries that brought underrepresented perspectives and specific cultural contexts stood out to both public voters and the jury.
- Visual and emotional impact: The contest was hosted on AudPop, where entries were available for public viewing. Films with strong visual storytelling and emotional resonance attracted more public votes, which determined 10 of the 20 semi-finalist slots.
- Short format effectiveness: The winning film was approximately two minutes long. Entries that made efficient use of screen time and delivered a complete narrative or thematic arc in a short format had an advantage.
- Personal connection: Alexis Sallee described Who We Are as "a personal project dedicated to her Iñupiaq ancestors." Entries with a genuine personal connection to the subject matter resonated with both audiences and the jury panel.
- Production quality: The winning film featured professional cinematography by Tomás Karmelo Amaya and polished sound design by Sallee herself. Entries with strong technical execution stood out in a field of over 400 submissions.
Watch
See Also
For broader short film festival strategy, see Film Festival Strategy: Getting Your Film Seen. For related women filmmaker competitions and festivals, see the Etheria Film Festival and Future of Film is Female Fund listings. For understanding how short film competitions fit into a career development strategy, see Film Grants and the Development Pathway.
