In 1980 women directed only 1% of the top grossing domestic films. Thirty years later in 2010, that percentage rose by only 1%. Yet in a time when Greta Gerwig delivers a billion-dollar film, women are still directing only 9% of the movies coming out of Hollywood. Rachel Feldman honed her craft over decades of directing one-hour dramatic television and most recently directing the soon to be released feature film LILLY, a drama she wrote and directed based on the remarkable life of Fair Pay activist Lilly Ledbetter, starring Academy Award nominated/ Golden Globe winner Patricia Clarkson. In this revealing and thoughtful TEDx talk, Rachel shares her own journey as a director and the importance of women-led storytelling in a system still in need of reform.
TEDxHartlandHill 2023 Theme: The Art of Living This event explored the art of finding balance and purpose in our lives and featured a diverse lineup of speakers who share their unique perspectives and experiences from the academic to the artistic, the concrete to the cutting edge. www.tedxhartlandhill.org Film & television, writer & director RACHEL FELDMAN just completed LILLY, a feature film starring Patricia Clarkson, based on the life of fair pay activist Lilly Ledbetter. The screenplay won the Athena List, was a Breaking Through the Lens Cannes selection.
Feldman has directed episodes and pilots for a myriad of networks and channels. Her script KINKS won the ScreenCraft Best Pilot prize, was chosen as WGA Best Spec Pilot and as a Drama Queens winner, and was the US selection for CannesSeries at MIPTV.
Feldman is former chair of the DGA Women’s Steering Committee and an outspoken activist for women directors. She has been interviewed in docs: ""This Changes Everything,"" produced by Geena Davis, ""Half The Picture,"" and Bloomberg TV’s ""Celluloid Ceilings"" discussing gender equity in Hollywood. With an MFA in directing from NYU, an undergraduate degree from Sarah Lawrence College, Feldman has taught directing & screenwriting at the USC School of Cinematic Arts graduate program. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx