Jen Ahlstrom, Finance Coordinator (x304) financeassist@wmm.com
Jen Ahlstrom, originally from New Jersey, graduated from Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut with a degree in Music and moved to Spanish Harlem soon afterwards.  A long-time video editing aficionado with internship experience at major TV networks as well as small independent production companies, she decided to take a position at a documentary film company that specialized in international films about tea (yes, tea the drink). She worked there as marketing coordinator, finance coordinator, and office manager for over two years while pursuing music on the side.  After moving to Brooklyn in 2008, she traveled to San Francisco to record her first record of original music, a project entitled Elizabeth Rex(www.elizabethrex.com), which will be released in Fall 2009.  She is also the keyboard player/singer in a 70s cover band.  She joined WMM as finance coordinator in 2009 and is happy to be supporting films by and about women.

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Liza Brice, Online Marketing & Outreach Coordinator (x317) lbrice@wmm.com
Liza has been thinking about how to creatively approach the feminist struggle all her life, starting way back when she was a queer at-risk kid growing up in the well-to-do suburbs of Long Island. As a Gender Studies major and Scholar at the Institute for Women’s Leadership at Rutgers University, Liza decided the best way for her to develop feminist leadership was through the production and promotion of feminist art and media. Author of “Moving through Message: Feminist Counter Narratives for Social Change,” to be published in Leading The Way: Young Women's Leadership for Social Change, Liza is now obsessed with promoting the films and videos of Women Make Movies through the World Wide Web, among other interesting places. Newly planted in Brooklyn, Liza looks forward to earning a PhD in Feminist & Queer Studies, rocking out in a feminist punk band, unraveling patriarchy and transmitting transformative feminism wherever she goes.

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Jessica Drammeh, IT / Facilities Coordinator (x316) jdrammeh@wmm.com
Jessica has been involved in the independent film community in New York for 10 years, and has experience in production, distribution, exhibition and non-profit administration. After earning her B.F.A. in Film and Television Production from New York University with a minor in Africana Studies, she worked at distributor Kino International, the IFP/NY, Film Forum and was Post-Production Associate on Thomas Allen Harris' E Minha Cara/That's My Face. As an independent filmmaker, she has concentrated on social issue documentaries, and has been the recipient of mentorships from the Center for Asian American Media, IFP’s Project:Involve, and Film/Video Arts. Jessica has also been active in progressive mixed race community work. She is delighted to be a part of the Women Make Movies team.

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Kristen Fitzpatrick, Distribution Manager
(x305) kfitzpatrick@wmm.com
 Kristen Fitzpatrick came to WMM in May of 2000 as an intern. Originally a Criminal Justice student, once graduated from the academy, she realized she could never truly be a cop and decided instead to go into Cinema Studies, as being a film geek was truly who she was. She then studied Film at Florida Atlantic University, and received a B.A. in Communications in 2004. Before moving to NYC, Kristen worked as an assistant programmer and projectionist at the Florida International Film Series for 2 years and was very active in the LGBT community in South Florida, acting as a youth counselor and Guardian ad Litem. As the Distribution Manager at WMM, Kristen is responsible for supervising the day-to-day operations in the Distribution department, handles any inventory related issues, is primary liaison for all filmmakers and works directly with all constituency festivals to get them the films they need. She is also currently a screener for the New Directors Film Festival, a judge for the Student Academy Awards, the New York Asian American International Film Festival, and a documentary judge for New York Festivals. Kristen is also on the CANN curriculum Board for Rights Rides in NYC.

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Tracie Holder, Consultant - Production Assistance Program
(x307) tholder@wmm.com
As the Program Consultant for the Production Assistance Program, Tracie organizes skill building workshops, a Meet the Funder series, and works with fiscally sponsored filmmakers to fine tune their funding proposals, screen rough cuts and provide fundraising advice. When she is not consulting for WMM, Tracie is making films. She is the co-producer/director/
writer of JOE PAPP IN FIVE ACTS, a feature-length documentary and a co-production with PBS/American Masters which is in the final stages of completion. For this project, she has been awarded funding from numerous public and private foundations including: NEA, NEH, NYSCA, NYCH, the Foundation for Jewish Culture, the Sulzberger Foundation, CPB, PBS/American Masters, ITVS, the J.M. Kaplan Fund, among others. An active member of NYC’s local film community, Tracie has served on the boards of New York Women in Film & Television and Manhattan Neighborhood Network, and she has been a guest lecturer at many film organizations and universities. Just recently, she received a Masters in Non-Profit Management from NYU’s Wagner School of Public Service.

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Stephanie Houghton, Educational Sales & Marketing Coordinator (x312) shoughton@wmm.com
Born and raised in the Midwest, Stephanie developed a love of film at an early age. While working her way towards a B.A. in Communication-Media Studies, she surrounded herself in her favorite medium in a variety of ways such as working at an independent video store, joining the local independent filmmaker's coalition and interning in film marketing and promotions. Deciding to give big city living a try, Stephanie moved to New York in 2005 and lucked into a position in film distribution. After briefly exploring another career option, she missed film too much and was excited for the opportunity to join WMM in July 2008. As the Educational Sales and Marketing coordinator, Stephanie's happy to get the chance to share her passion for great films, learning, and social action with others. When not working she can be found wandering about NYC in search of her other interests; food, socializing, and new life experiences.

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Maya Jakubowicz, Finance & Administrative Manager (x309) mjakubowicz@wmm.com
Maya Jakubowicz joined WMM in June of 2007 as the Finance & Administrative Manager. Born and raised in Los Angeles, film was an integral part of her childhood and unsurprisingly blossomed into a career. After graduating with a Film Studies degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara, she returned to L.A. to work in film production. Her early career included the obligatory production assistant jobs on independent films; internships at both Samuel Goldwyn Films and Trimark Pictures; and finally, an assistant position at Montana Artists Agency, a below-the-line talent agency. Maya moved her way up the ranks and by the end of her seventh year she oversaw all day-to-day operations as the Vice President of Finance & Operations. Deciding that her run at Montana was a long and fulfilling one, she chose to accompish another long term goal --- living in New York City. In May 2007, she moved to Brooklyn in order to experience some East Coast living. Responsible for the Finance, Operations, and Human Resources functions at WMM, Maya is excited to have become part of the WMM team.

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Amy O'Hara, Office Manager (x300) ao@wmm.com
After graduating from Bard College, Amy O’Hara taught English at Europa Universität Viadrina in Frankfurt and der Oder, Germany, worked at Kitchen Sink Press in Northampton, MA and finally landed in Provincetown, MA where she spent 9 years first working as a chef and then as the office manager at the Fine Arts Work Center. Throughout her teenage years and adulthood Amy has been flirting with film, from creating movies with her brother and cousins as a teenager to working at small, independently owned cinemas and video stores to doing craft service for friends’ movie productions. Recently relocated to New York City, Amy is thrilled to be a part of Women Make Movies.

Merrill Sterritt, Production Assistance Program Coordinator (x302) msterritt@wmm.com
Merrill Sterritt, a child of transatlanticism, moved to New York City in 2002. While receiving a BFA in Film and Television Production from NYU, she interned for the Margaret Mead Film and Video Festival and for Women Make Movies. After graduation, she focused on post-production before returning to WMM as the Executive Assistant. She has since been promoted to Program Coordinator where she is in charge of day-to-day operations for the Fiscal Sponsorship Program. Merrill also works as an editor on independent films and documentaries.

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Julie Whang, Sales & Marketing Manager (x320) jwhang@wmm.com
A west coast native, Julie has been living and working in NYC since 1995. She received her BA in Visual Arts Media from the University of California, San Diego where her passion for film and video began. Her first job in NYC was with WMM, starting as an intern, moving up to shipper and then Distribution Manager. After four years at WMM she left to pursue an MS in Nonprofit Management at New School University. She worked in various nonprofits until one day, she was led to a job in financial services marketing. After seven years, Julie returns to WMM as the Sales and Marketing Manager.

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Debra Zimmerman, Executive Director
(x301) dzimmerman@wmm.com
Debra Zimmerman has been the Executive Director of Women Make Movies, a non-profit NY based film organization which supports women filmmakers, since 1983. During her tenure it has grown into the largest distributor of films by and about women in the world. Films from WMM have won prizes at the last three Sundance Film Festivals including this year’s Best Documentary World Cinema prize for ROUGH AUNTIES and last year’s THE GREATEST SILENCE: RAPE IN THE CONGO. She is in great demand around the world as a speaker on independent film distribution, marketing and financing as well as on women's film. She has moderated panels and given master classes at the Sundance Film Festival, MIPDOC and Reel Screen as well as film festivals in Europe, Africa, Asia and South America. Zimmerman has been closely affiliated with the International Documentary Film Festival (IDFA) as the co-host of the Talk of the Day and as a tutor for their Summer Film Academy. In addition, she has mentored filmmakers at the Ex-Oriente Film Workshop in Vienna and for many years at the National Alliance of Latino Independent Producers’ (NALIP) Academy. She has consulted with foundations and non-profit arts organizations, most recently as a member of the Gender Montage Advisory Board project for the Open Society Institute. She is also a member of numerous Advisory Boards for media and film organizations, including the Australian International Documentary Conference (AIDC); the True/False Film Festival; Cinema Tropical, NY; Arts Afrika, Kenya and the International Female Film Festival Malmo, Sweden. She has also been a jury member for many international film festivals, and regularly sits on foundation and government funding panels.

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