In 2015, Todd took a hard look at his film company's catalog and decided it skewed too white and too male. As a result, Motionpoems's sixth-season pivot involved a content partnership with VIDA: Women In the Arts, an intersectional feminist literary organization that champions women's voices. The resulting twelve films were by, for, and about women, and Motionpoems has remained focused on representing women consistently ever since.
Featuring the works of Kim Addonizio, Ahn Vu, Jehanne Dubrow, Nicole McDonald, and Melissa Studdard, among others, Motionpoems Season Six premiered on March 21, 2015 in Minneapolis at the Walker Art Center. Seven of these films were selected for inclusion in the 2015 Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival, and two were featured as Vimeo Staff Picks. You can see all of this season's poems on Vimeo.
Women are particularly underrepresented in the film industry, and Todd continues to proactively leverage his reputation with production partners to insist on a balance of female artists in all of his projects. This core value informed Motionpoems's annual selection of guest season producers: its entire 150-film catalog has been produced by women.
To host a screening or discussion of Motionpoems, on any theme, contact info@motionpoems.org.
As a creator of artistic platforms, I have a responsibility to keep open borders and encourage a plurality of voices rich enough to represent the culture that contextualizes it. Motionpoems will continue to demand that its partners do the same.
