The Community Media Access Collaborative is accepting applications for a brand-new program for women documentary filmmakers, EmpowHERd Voices.

The nine-week program is for women living in the Central Valley who are 18 or older. Participants will gather weekly at CMAC for hands-on training in video production and creating their own short documentary film, focusing on a woman from their community.

The program will start April 6.

According to CMAC, the program will address the historical underrepresentation of women in the media landscape, both in front of and behind the camera. It’s intended to give women in the Central Valley an opportunity to share their perspectives and narratives.

Upcoming Info Meetings About the Program

CMAC will host two Q&A sessions to provide information about the program, application process, and CMAC. The first will be held virtually via Zoom at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, March 12. The second session will be in person at CMAC at 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 16. To register, click here.

The deadline to apply is March 25. More information and the application can be found at this link.

“This program is significant to me because I know how powerful a medium video can be,” EmpowHERd Voices Teaching Artist Alexandra Carrillo said in a news release. “Media storytelling takes the collaboration of the people behind the scenes to make it happen. And really that’s our goal with this program — to promote gender representation behind the camera and get more women working in these spaces where they are allowed to thrive, where they can bring all their ideas to the table to share something new and profound through their films.”