FILM FATALES | Gatekeepers and Gatecrashers: Creators, Showrunners and Producing Directors

Film Fatales is a 501(c)3 non profit arts organization which advocates for parity in the film industry and supports an inclusive community of over a thousand women and non-binary feature film and television directors nationwide. Film Fatales raises the visibility of marginalized directors and increases the talent pool for industry organizations, programmers and production companies looking to work with more underrepresented voices. By expanding the landscape of storytelling, Film Fatales continues to bring exciting new films to the screen.

Shaz Bennett is One of 8 women selected to the prestigious AFI Directing Workshop for Women, nominated as one of Fox's Top 20 Directors, selected into Ryan Murphy's HALF program, Sundance Screenwriting Labs and Film Two with director Crystal Moselle (THE WOLFPACK, SKATE KITCHEN), and Fox's inaugural Franchise Directing program (DIE HARD). Shaz's original pilot THE SALT FLATS was included as one of the top unproduced scripts written by women for WeForShe and the Blacklist.

Her debut feature film ALASKA IS A DRAG, that she wrote & directed was highlighted as one to watch in Vogue, Filmmaker and other publications. Winning best feature film and Jury awards for Best Director at Leeds, Chattanooga, Urbanworld and the Smithsonian African American Film Festival and New Filmmakers LA.

In this interview, which is part of NewFilmmaker Los Angeles' Stage 5 series in partnership with MovieMaker Magazine, Shaz discusses how she was able to make her ambitious feature.

Lesli Linka Glatter is a director of film, network, and premium cable television drama, with both pilots and episodes to her credit. Lesli’s TV work includes HOMELAND, THE NEWSROOM, THE WALKING DEAD, JUSTIFIED, RAY DONOVAN, MASTERS OF SEX, TRUE BLOOD, MAD MEN, THE LEFTOVERS, THE GOOD WIFE, THE WEST WING, NYPD BLUE, ER, FREAKS AND GEEKS AND TWIN PEAKS. Lesli has also directed numerous pilots including GILMORE GIRLS, PRETTY LITTLE LIARS and SIX. Her films include NOW AND THEN, THE PROPOSITION and for HBO, STATE OF EMERGENCY.

Lesli is currently the Executive Producer/Director of the award winning series HOMELAND. She began her directing career through the American Film Institute’s Directing Workshop for Women, in which her film TALES OF MEETING AND PARTING was nominated for an Oscar. Lesli has received 7 Emmy nominations, 7 Directors Guild Award nominations, winning twice for MAD MEN and HOMELAND, as well as a Humanitus Award nomination for HBO’s STATE OF EMERGENCY. Lesli is currently developing projects for Netflix, Amazon, Showtime, Epix and her next project is THE BANKERS WIFE , an 8 part mini series for Amazon. 

Lesli serves as the 1st Vice President of the Directors Guild of America, is on the DGA’s Western Directors Council, and serves on the Executive Committee of the Directors Branch of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. She is also an advisor at the Sundance Institute’s Director’s Lab. Lesli has been committed to mentoring for many years and most recently help develop the successful NBC program, Female Forward. Lesli has received the Caucus Foundation Award, the Dorothy Arzner Directing Award from Women in Film and the Franklin Schaffner Award from the American Film Institute and most recently, an Honorary Degree from the American Film Institute.

Prior to her work as a director, Lesli was a modern dance choreographer who worked throughout Europe, Asia and the U.S.