Today we’d like to introduce you to Dunya Djordjevic.
Hi Dunya, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I am a filmmaker…I entered the film industry as an actor-producer, arriving in LA with an invitation from the feature casting director of Paramount, Valerie McCaffrey when the film Voyage of the Heart that I starred in was screened in LA. Coming from a filmmaking family, I always knew I would be telling stories and developing them behind the camera as well as in front of the camera as my early years were guided by my father, a consummate storyteller and documentary filmmaker. Theater training gave me the fundamentals in storytelling and creating content, which is the driving force of my story. My passion now as a director, producer, and writer is bringing diverse women’s stories to the screen. My journey in writing, producing, and starring in my first feature film, “Desert Vows,” laid the groundwork for my filmmaking quest as well as my fight for women’s representation both in front of and behind the camera. Experiencing the gender divide firsthand led to the founding of non-profit “Girls IN Focus” (www.girls-in-focus.com), an all-girl and non-binary youth filmmaking program where girls 12-18 make their own films from idea to red carpet screening in 2 weeks. Inviting film professionals to teach workshops and mentor has become a wonderful community and platform for both girls and women working together toward shattering the gender gap in film, which is our mission. Currently, I work as a freelance producer, am developing/producing a feature film script based on a true story to direct, as well as continue to hold the position of executive director for Girls IN Focus.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The biggest struggle was not really understanding the invisible walls that were in front of me in this industry for the many decades I pursued a traditional career in film. It took working closely with men that made me learn the hard way that I had to fend for myself and find support and strength in less expected places…not from my male colleagues but in myself. This was a brutal but ultimately crucial lesson. The place that I found it was in doing what I love, which is filmmaking and storytelling, and other women who believed in helping each other as a support system and strategy to not just shatter the gender gap and make a change in our industry but elevate our personal careers and dreams.
We’ve been impressed with Girls IN Focus, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
In pursuit of my directing and acting career, as I mentioned, I hit some walls that, years later, I now understand to be gender discrimination. It was infuriating, depressing, and often simply took the wind out of my sails. Starting a non-profit to teach girls early on about filmmaking was personal to me. It also gave me a space to pour my passion and expertise to “good” use and continue the many creative journeys in storytelling and making films from idea to a red-carpet screening of the finished film in just 2 weeks with many young budding filmmakers. The joy of this process elevated all those involved in it. As many film professionals came to “give back,” share their own career journeys and teach their areas of expertise, all of us benefited. To create anything of value I now know you need a safe place to do so and encouragement and support. The irony is that it is a highly competitive industry, and the cut-throat atmosphere fosters anxiety, not encouragement. So, this community is exactly the one I’ve been searching for, and I find a lot of people are searching for as well. We now not only offer our signature summer all-girl filmmaking intensive, but due to popular demand, we have opened it up to adults so girls and women of all ages can join our monthly weekend workshops on Zoom. Our curriculum has also been utilized by the LA school district (LAUSD) because not only is media literacy mandated in CA schools, but the way we teach incorporates social/emotional/learning (SEL) and mindfulness, and our program has a therapeutic effect as well. Our program also bridges the generational gap for girls and women of all backgrounds, so the positive effects have reverberated. 100% of our girls got into top film schools and are now entering coveted studio intern-training programs that lead to jobs in the film industry. As we expand the education-to-employment pipeline, I am driven to create opportunities for women to have their stories told and made into films. I founded Focus50, a film production company where we produce commercials and features with 50% women both behind and in front of the camera. Looking forward to a time where we will no longer need Girls IN Focus, and it will be Girls & Boys In Focus! Get our discount for the summer program by registering today www.girls-in-focus.com
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
I can only hope that all the small victories over the gender inequities in film turn into larger trends and permanent fixtures and practices. With more women as studio heads and leaders who aren’t afraid of hiring women as directors and producers and executives, this male-dominated industry will slowly equalize. Sadly, even with all the apparent changes we are seeing now, the statistics still haven’t really changed overall, so it is still an uphill battle. Focusing on funding and financing women’s stories, supporting non-profit Girls IN Focus (GIF) for youth film education, and continuing to uplift fellow trailblazers is proving to have some staying power.
Pricing:
- $1450
Contact Info:
- Website: www.girls-in-focus.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/girlsinfocus.la/, https://www.instagram.com/dunyad/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/girlsINfocusLA/, https://www.facebook.com/dunya.merelldjordjevic/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dunya-merell-djordjevic-035698200/, https://www.linkedin.com/in/dunyad/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/AlchemistMama
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCizndwULSjvQnTVZHSNL7pg
- Other: www.dunyad.com
Image Credits
Girls IN Focus
Summer Intensive Filmmaking Program
GIF Film Fest
