Origin Story

In 2011, Jenn Fee Catalino, Executive Producer of the anthology feature Girls! Girls! Girls!  invited six filmmakers to show what feminine strength meant to them. Two of the six filmmakers were The Chimaera Project’s Co-Founders Shana Betz and America Young.

Girls!Girls!Girls! had a successful festival run, premiering at the Dallas International Film Festival and garnering the “Best Producer” Award at the 2011 LA Femme International Film Festival. Most exciting, the experience led to five of the six filmmakers having the opportunity to direct features and/or major TV titles!

Inspired by the positive response of Girls!Girls!Girls!  filmmakers Shana Betz and America Young joined forces with arts activist and filmmaker Cheryl Bookout to create a nonprofit organization with the overarching goal to change the landscape of hiring practices within the film and media arts industries by actively working to get women behind the camera in key positions. After obtaining their nonprofit status, The Chimaera Project was honored to have Girls,Girls,Girls Executive Producer Jenn Fee, producer & Curator magazine editor Amanda Quinn Olivar, and Timothy L. Campbell, educator and Registrar at the  Laguna Art Museum  join the board of directors.  Soon a very impressive Advisory Board had aligned themselves with The Chimaera Project’s mission to provide Advocacy and Action for Female Filmmakers!

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