Moonplay Cinema

"I have a stronger belief in myself as a director, and also that a movie set can move with integrity and care for each member on set." 

- Yes, You: Intro to Film Directing Student

Moonplay Cinema is an artist-run organization supporting filmmakers of marginalized genders through community and visibility. 

COMMUNITY

We use community-building strategies to offer safe spaces for connection and collaboration, ultimately creating more possibilities and resources for the artistic careers of artists underserved within the filmmaking community. We are experimental moving image artists, animators, narrative filmmakers, and documentarians. 48% of our participants are BIPOC artists, 70% identify as LGBTQ+, and 20% live with a disability.

Jes Reyes founded Moonplay Cinema in September 2019 by collaborating with artists Kiera Faber, Andrea Shaker, and Molly Parker Stuart. We aimed to create a microcinema program with quarterly screenings. Due to the pandemic, we pivoted by creating two remote programs: a podcast called Where to From Here and The Consortium, a virtual support group for filmmakers of diverse genders. A participating member shared they attend The Consortium to get feedback on ideas, hear what other people are doing, and feel connected. Another reported that they leave each meeting feeling inspired to go work on creative projects.

EDUCATION:

Most recently, through grant funding support, Moonplay partnered with Simone LeClaire, an accomplished award-winning queer Minnesota-based filmmaker, to offer "Yes! You! An Introduction to Filmmaking," a 6-week in-person class (July - August 2022) to 10 students. Conceived by Simone, this class was offered as an opportunity for gender-marginalized people including trans people of all genders, nonbinary people, and women to see themselves as film directors, particularly when there is little visibility or representation of such filmmakers in the film industry. Thus this class targeted those interested in filmmaking but felt uncomfortable in film communities largely dominated by white cis-gendered male colleagues. Class registration was waitlisted showing a demand for this resource. One student shared in evaluations that they took the class to form: “connections and skill improvement.” They also indicated: "I have a stronger belief in myself as a director, and also that a movie set can move with integrity and care for each member on set."

Images: 1) A screenshot of Jes Reyes (top left) with Andrea Shaker (top right), Kiera Faber (bottom left), and Molly Parker Stuart (bottom right) while recording the first episode of Where to From Here. 2) Surrounded by a group of students sitting at tables in a U-shape, Simone LeClaire (front) facilitates Yes, You: Intro to Filmmaking at Fresh Eye Gallery. A projector screen is displayed behind her. (August 24, 2022)

An extension of “Yes, You” is a 3-month film production mentorship program with Simone. This opportunity provides 2 first-time filmmakers the space, time, and funding to receive 1:1 hands-on support to learn film directing through the process of producing, filming, and editing a short film. 

REBRANDING

We are also working on rebranding. What was once intended to be a microcinema program, Moonplay is now an artist-run community and educational resource. With a podcast, quarterly consortium meetings, upcoming workshops, and screenings, Moonplay is growing. A rebranding will help align with where we are now and where we want to go. Exciting, right?!

We can't wait to share more with you, particularly as we release an updated website with a new logo, release a revised mission statement, and organize our first public event scheduled for Sunday, December 11, 7 - 9 PM at the Bryant Lake Bowl.

A cohort of gender-marginalized artists practicing in moving image mediums, all from Minnesota, is rising from our current programming, demonstrating a need for our resources. We are scaling up our services to meet this need so that we can build capacity and reach more people who need our support and community. Thus, our 2023/24 educational and event programming includes expanding access to mentorship, workshops, and professional development materials. These resources are often neglected as part of film-based educational programming. We seek to resolve this through our commitment to supporting underserved and underrepresented filmmakers who work across many different genres and mediums. 

Please consider donating any amount you can to support this work! We are fiscally sponsored by Springboard for the Arts.

Spread the word that we are fundraising by sharing our GiveMN link:

https://www.givemn.org/story/Moonplaycinema

OR to give by check send it to:

Springboard for the Arts

ATTN: Individual Giving

262 University Avenue West

St. Paul, MN 

Write "Moonplay Cinema" in the memo line.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT.