quotables

How 4 Groundbreaking Female Filmmakers Get It Done

Photo: Joe Scarnici/Getty Images for New York Magazine

Last Friday, the Cut’s “How I Get It Done” series came to life at the Sundance Film Festival. Senior culture writer Allison P. Davis moderated a panel of female film visionaries from behind and in front of the camera, asking, “How do you get it all done in one day?” The groundbreaking women shared how they manage their to-do lists, maintain work/life balance, and fit activism into their daily lives.

Read each woman’s best quote from the panel below. The event took place in Hotel Park City and was sponsored by Autograph Collection Hotels.

Photo: Joe Scarnici/Getty Images for New York Magazine

Jana Babatunde-Bey, producer, president, and CEO: “Women tend to be more nurturers, and I know that’s a general statement so forgive me for being so general, but I believe that there is truth that we tend to be nurturers. We tend to reach out. We tend to collaborate. There’s so much on … in our inbox, on our plate … in our hearts and in our minds at 2 a.m.”

About Babatunde-Bey: She produced Minhal Baig’s Hala, about coming of age as Muslim-American girl, which will premiere in the U.S. Dramatic Competition at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. Her other credits include Storm Saulter’s Sprinter, which took home three awards at the 2018 American Black Film Festival. She is the president and CEO of the Will & Jada Smith Family Foundation, which supports charities focusing on education, art, empowerment and sustainability.

Photo: Joe Scarnici/Getty Images for New York Magazine

Kyra Sedgwick, director, executive producer, and Golden Globe Winner: “There’s a part of me that feels like I should be throwing everything else by the wayside and marching and speaking out and becoming a fucking beat-the-door-down activist, someone who will not take no for an answer on our inaction.”

About Sedgwick: She is known for her role in The Closer, which she won a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Television Series in 2007. She received a DGA nomination for her directorial debut, Story of a Girl about a young girl who is a victim of revenge porn. She also directed and produced an indie episodic called Girls Weekend, and directed episodes of Grace and Frankie.

Photo: Joe Scarnici/Getty Images for New York Magazine

Phoebe Robinson, New York Times best seller, comedian, and actress: “Crossing all this stuff off your to-do list isn’t everything. It’s seeing your family. I have a niece and nephew. I want to spend time with them. That stuff matters just as much as getting the next job.”

About Robinson: She is the creator and star of two podcasts, Sooo Many White Guys and 2 Dope Queens. The latter became a television show and returns to HBO this Friday for its second season. She authored the New York Times best seller, You Can’t Touch My Hair & Other Things I Still Have to Explain, and her most recent book, Everything’s Trash but It’s Okay was released in October. You can next see her in the movie, What Men Want, premiering this month.

Photo: Joe Scarnici/Getty Images for New York Magazine

Rena Ronson, Partner and Co-Head of UTA Independent Film Group: “When my daughter graduated, I didn’t go to Cannes … But I think those are the important things. Every dance, every recital, every performance, I was there. It wasn’t a tough decision, though. None of it was a tough decision to me. It was a priority, that was it. And that’s who I am. Family first. It never affected my work. There’s always a way to figure it out.”

About Ronson: She helps independently financed films by filmmakers like Wes Anderson, Greta Gerwig, and Judd Apatow reach global audiences by packaging, financing, and selling films. She played an integral role in the 2018 Academy Award Nominated Films I, Tonya, Call Me By Your Name, and Ladybird, as well as The Big Sick and Hidden Figures.

Watch the video below.

How 4 Groundbreaking Female Filmmakers Get It Done