ABOUT

“Because moms are natural-born creators.“

MOM Film Fest is a grassroots, volunteer-led nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization that serves as a career development and advocacy resource for mothers working in film and television. With initiatives that create returnships for mothers re-entering the workforce and supportive childcare solutions, we work to amplify the visibility of content made by moms in order to create job opportunities that will get #momsbackonset and back to work.

Right now, moms are missing from the filmmaking landscape in a major way and the pandemic has only set us back even further. On top of fighting for parity, experiencing racial inequalities, and a lack of inclusion on all fronts – women in the film and television industry also face additional conscious and unconscious prejudices when it is discovered that they’re moms. This is the reason many women in our industry are still mothering in the shadows and keeping motherhood a secret.

But this is why now more than ever, it is imperative that we support moms. Through our programs and initiatives, we’re fighting for parity and equality for all moms. Some of our focus areas include:

• Returnships for Moms Returning to the Workforce
• Moms from Marginalized Communities
• Childcare Grants for Moms in Need
• On the Job Training and Career Development
• Hands-on Workshops and Skill-building
• An Annual Online Film Festival
• An Artist Residency for Moms

Get involved and join us on our journey as we support moms!

BORN IN 2020

MOM Film Fest made its way into the world during the height of the pandemic in April 2020. Founder, single mother, and advocate Tonya Mollineau, wanted to celebrate powerful and impactful films made by fellow moms in her community. As a filmmaker herself, Mollineau is a director who writes and produces a lot of her own content. Her work showcases layered, Black female characters while shedding light on social issues as they relate to the human experience. Her short film Too Much Love is being used in partnership with AIDS Healthcare Foundation as a PSA about HIV awareness. Her other short film Trayvia was named to honor Trayvon Martin and it has been called “a visceral response to police brutality”. 

Some upcoming projects include two documentaries; one dissects the depiction of motherhood in media and the other focuses on suicide within the Black community. Also in the lineup is Tainted – a short film about mothers battling depression.

She is a single mother of one who also started The Moms Network for New York Women in Film & Television (NYWIFT) in order to create more progress for moms working in the industry. She is an active member of NYWIFT, The Black TV & Film Collective, and Women of Color Filmmakers.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Tonya Mollineau, President
Shantel Moses, Treasurer
Trina Brickhouse, Secretary
LaTrina Alexander
Margaret Champagne

FOUNDING ADVISORY BOARD

Landi Maduro
Rosalyn Coleman
Kia L. Brooks
Miranda Plant
Squeaky Moore
Amanda Hirsch