The Grandview Heights Public Library will be hosting a virtual panel discussion of women in the filmmaking industry for women's history month March 8 from 7-8 p.m.
Four staff members from the library will share the stories of prominent women filmmakers and their works with community members who attend the event.
One of those staff members, Deb Havener, is a screenwriter whose writing has been recognized in the top 200 in the Sundance Film Festival. She has since traveled to the American Film Market several times to pitch her projects to industry professionals and knows what it means to be a woman in the field.
"(Women) still make less money than their male counterparts in Hollywood and out of Hollywood," Havener says. "That's kind of an eye-opener and reminder for me that women are still a very diverse group of people. Every bit you can inch forward I think is great."
Havener plans on discussing the struggles and achievements of the first women director, Alice Guy-Blanché. Guy-Blanché's successes have been diminished as the industry was taken over by men after World War I, but Havener says she is excited to see that more people have been shedding light her story over the past few years.
As a person in the entertainment industry, Havener says she's hopeful that those who attend this event are entertained and inspired by what they learn.
"The more I learn, the more I feel inspired by it," Havener says. "So, I hope that some inspiration rubs off on folks who are attending also."
For more information, visit www.ghpl.org.
Support Local
Here are some local women-owned businesses in Grandview to support this March and throughout the year:
The Smithery
This independent, women-owned shop sells handcrafted jewelry, ceramics, prints, handbags, wall art and more. Owners Jen Townsend and Anne Holman create custom work in-house in their studio and bring in work from about 60 artists from across the country to sell as well.
Fine Feather
This beauty shop is owned by Diana Wang and is the only store in the area that sells completely "clean" or nontoxic products.
"My whole mission is to empower people in their pursuit of beauty so that everything they use is good for them and causing no harm to animals or the planet," Wang says.
Yoga on High
According to its website, Yoga on High is "a women-owned business that's been serving Columbus for 20 years."
The studio offers a variety of classes, trainings and events throughout the year.
Nora McKeown is an editorial assistant. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
