MAJORITY Unveils All-Women Director Roster

Tracy NC
Tracy NC
Sep 5, 2018 · 3 min read

Lineup boasts Emmy, Sundance, Peabody, and James Beard awardees
Led by award-winning independent and commercial filmmaker Senain Kheshgi

The mission-driven, artist-led production company and studio MAJORITY has announced its full roster, featuring women directors from the independent film worlds of documentary and fiction narrative. Collectively, MAJORITY’s directors have received six Emmy nominations and one Emmy Award, four Sundance Jury Prize awards, three Peabody Awards, the James Beard Award, and an impressive number of other awards and fellowships. The full roster can be found at: www.majorityfilm.com.

The auteur-driven roster — led by Managing Director and award-winning filmmaker Senain Kheshgi — marks an unprecedented approach to branded content by leveraging independent cinema’s most exciting women directors to create commercial content for agencies and brands.

The newly revealed lineup includes: Anjali Nayar (Silas), Laura Gabbert (City of Gold), Ilinca Calugareanu (Chuck Norris vs Communism), Elizabeth Wood (White Girl), Cynthia Hill (Chef’s Table), Ondi Timoner (Mapplethorpe), Mel Jones (Leimert Park), Anu Valia (Comedy Central’s The Other Two), Lulu Wang (Posthumous), Laura Nix (Inventing Tomorrow), Siqi Song (Sister), Senain Kheshgi (The Diplomat), Judith Helfand (Blue Vinyl), Rachael Holder (I Love Bekka & Lucy), and Danielle Krudy (Blow the Man Down). It also includes Angela Kohler (Kindle, Target), Danielle Parsons (founder of streaming channel Wonder Science), and Maya Edelman (animator and illustrator).

“I’m invigorated by the opportunity to lead MAJORITY and propel indie women directors to the forefront of storytelling in the commercial and branded space,” says Kheshgi. “The very nature of independent film requires its directors to work closely with partners to develop and execute concepts all the way through from production to engaging audiences. We’re excited by these talented storytellers and the unique skillsets they bring to the world of brands and agencies.”

The new company was launched earlier this year by Kheshgi, an Emmy-nominated and Peabody-winning filmmaker, and advertising industry veteran Jonathon Ker. Ker serves as an executive producer, and was joined in April by executive producer Katie Doering, who until recently was producing the Women at Sundance fellowship, which focused on indie women directors breaking into the commercial and branded space.

“The last year has been a watershed moment for women in media, and MAJORITY is the next step in this evolution toward gender parity behind the lens.” said Doering. “We are a home, a vehicle, and an opportunity for women directors to advance their craft by doing what they do best: creating compelling stories by collaborating with brands, growing their body of work, and enhancing their voice as creative leaders in the field.”

“I have had the good fortune of working with incredibly talented women directors throughout my career in advertising. I am more than excited to support the women artists of MAJORITY, and I look forward to helping them make a smooth transition into the advertising and branded world,” said Ker.

MAJORITY’s directors have created content for top media platforms as HBO, Adult Swim, Facebook, ESPN, This American Life, and Comedy Central. The directors have also helmed spots for notable brands such as Comcast, Google, Johnson & Johnson, Lexus, Microsoft, MGM, PepsiCo., Refinery29, Room & Board, Shatterbox, Target, and more.

In 2019 MAJORITY will launch a creative lab to foster and support emerging and established indie women directors, leading the way to developing career sustainability by creating an infrastructure for its filmmakers. Additionally, MAJORITY’s studio will provide women filmmakers with access to capital for financing and packaging their independent projects.

MAJORITY has procured commercial representation on the East Coast with Minerva, the business development company run by partners Mary Knox and Shauna Seresin.

For more information, including director work and bios, please visit www.MAJORITYFilm.com

MAJORITY

The place where MAJORITY speaks.

Tracy NC

Written by

Tracy NC

MAJORITY

MAJORITY

The place where MAJORITY speaks.

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade