Hello  ✨ 

Hey TLL folks, how’s it goin’? This edition is packed with new things to read, watch, or send to a friend—so scroll slowly so you don’t miss a thing! 📲

NEW INTERVIEW ALERT! 🚨

Meet River Gallo! Their film “Ponyboi,” which they wrote, starred in and co-directed, premiered at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival. “Ponyboi” made history as the first film ever to star an intersex actor playing an intersex character.💜River is also a GLAAD Media Rising Star Award winner⁠ (2019), Ryan Murphy HALF Initiative for television directing fellow (2020)⁠, Berlinale Talent fellow⁠ (2021) and has even starred in an episode of Hulu’s “Love, Victor”⁠!Read more in our interview by TLL’s Dani Espinosa. 

• Need a hero? We gotchu! For this month’s What We’re Watching, we’re highlighting some of the shows and movies that have inspired members of TLL team. From Hilda to Dickinson, heroes don’t need a cape to be brave. Read all the picks here!

• Coping with grief is difficult — filmmaker Angie Loveday offers viewers comfort as the director and writer behind thriller film “Christmas Lights.” In her home of Costa Rica, she says filmmaking is an overlooked art. Read here and learn about what she’s doing to make it happen despite the challenges. 

• April’s TLL Writing Session and Virtual Mixer is coming up on April 28! Come join us and wrap up the month with some collaboration in a fun, no-pressure environment. Plus, it’s FREE to sign up!

• In case you need it today (I mean, come on, it’s Monday), here’s some affirmations to avoid imposter syndrome!

• NEW ‘Art of the Pitch’ Workshop for TLL Community: Join us in learning how to pitch! This free workshop, hosted by our partners Seed & Spark will dive into pitching your work, finding that audience, and more! By the end, you’ll be a pro at verbalizing what makes your idea stand out and why you’re telling this story. See you (virtually!) on May 24th at 4:30 PM⁠ EST / 1:30 PM PST. 🤗

• Share your work with a new audience! Submit to the Women X Film Festival—a festival dedicated to uplifting underrepresented voices. Get 20% off your submission to the 2021 Film Festival when you use code: WXTLL. 

• Do you need stock music, SFX, or stock video for your projects? We’ve teamed up with Soundstripe to offer a discount to our TLL community! Use our affiliate link or code THELIGHTLEAKS to get some $ off.

• It’s no secret. Mainstream media is guilty of perpetuating the fetishization of Asian women. Asian-American scholars sit down with Teen Vogue to unpack it. 

• The dynamic duo behind ‘Shiva Baby’ is set to film their next feature ‘Bottoms,’ a queer high school sex comedy, backed by MGM’s Orion Pictures and Brownstone Productions. 

• What do you get when you mix white male film gatekeepers with the desperate need for diverse representation? Refreshing criticism from Sarah-Tai Black and Jourdain Searles, 2 brilliant hosts of Netflix’s Black Film School YouTube series.

• Make room on that favorites bar because you’ll definitely want to bookmark this: our list of free PDFs and resources on screenwriting, film production, and more! 

• NYC directors listen up! The Jerome Foundation is offering up to $30,000 in grants to NYC film, video, and digital productions. This program round is open to all stages of production so get on in there! Deadline is April 21, 5pm EST. 

• The 19th Annual Tall Grass Film Festival is right around the corner and they’re looking to highlight and award female-directed documentaries, Black directors, narrative shorts, and much much more. Get on the details on their website. All submissions are due May 3! 

• Join our private FB group of 200+ women and nonbinary creators, filmmakers, and artists to meet your next collaborator, share your work, and have a supportive space to share your thoughts! 

• And don’t forget that our creative opportunities airtable is ALWAYS updated with new programs, fellowships, grants, and more!

Here at TLL, we value our community's needs and creative ideas. That's why we created The Light Leaks Feedback Form. Is there something you want to see more or less of from us? Submit your thoughts and let us know!

Like what you see? Be sure to follow us on social for more highlights, more empowerment, and more education. Here's to spreading light! ✨