Shakespeare’s Lady Macbeth has always been given a bad rap. Ambitious (the negative kind), devious, manipulative, instead of ambitious (the positive kind), intelligent and strategic! What is often overlooked in Macbeth is that Lady Macbeth, not her husband, drives the story. She channels all of who she is into the advancement of her husband’s career. It was the only option open to her. Not anymore. Today, Lady Macbeth would have been able to wield her considerable talents for her own advancement. It’s time to rehabilitate Lady Macbeth’s reputation. Inspired by organizations focused on providing financing for women-made feature films, A Lady Macbeth Initiative was created to facilitate a toehold in the film industry for women who have the talent but may not have the access or opportunities to achieve their goals. This Initiative provides mentorship, connections and resources for funding to produce short films with behind-the-camera teams composed primarily of women. Why short films, you may ask? Festival exposure for short films is one of the best ways to get noticed by the industry. OUR INAUGURAL PROJECT MAXINE After choosing motherhood over her career, a spitfire radio producer suffers a tragic loss and sets out to conquer the patriarchal world of the 1930s. Maxine imagines one woman’s struggle to find her place in the world, when the conventional pathway has been closed to her. Why Maxine needs to be made: Generations of women have fought against inequality in the workplace and the culture at large. Without the setbacks and successes of the women who came before, there would be no #MeToo. The fight for equality does not end or begin with the movement of the day. Maxine reminds us that as far as we’ve come, we still have a long way to go. For more information visit: https://ladymac.org or https://maxinefilm.com
