“Because moms are natural-born creators.“
CAREER DEVELOPMENT
ADVOCACY
OPPORTUNITY
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!
OUR TEAM
Founding Producer,
Content & Special Programs
Tonya 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.
Co-Founder
Selected as a NATPE Emerging Producer in 2018, Joanna White-Oldham currently conceptualizes and develops unscripted programming for 13Brains, a Scott Sternberg affiliate. 13Brains sold its first show to a major streaming service last year. In addition to her unscripted work, White-Oldham has produced several short films, most notably, The Company You Keep, 3rd Place winner of NYWIFT 2020 Online Shorts Festival and The Takeover, Semi-Finalist, Dumbo Film Festival. She is currently developing two projects: Weathering, a surrealist and experimental short film and Back Spin, a feature.
In addition to her work as a creative, White-Oldham has spent approximately fifteen years in education. She has taught English, Drama and Video Production at both middle and high school levels. Upon completing her masters studies in Adult Education, White-Oldham expanded her knowledge of adult learning theory, curriculum development, and instruction to the healthcare setting, securing instructional designer roles at some of America’s finest medical institutions: NYU Langone Health, Providence Health Systems and Hartford Healthcare, to name a few.
White-Oldham is a proud mother of one son and one daughter, a member of BTFC, NYWIFT and WOC Unite.
Communications & Marketing Director
Partnerships & Sponsorships Director
Community Engagement Director
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