Student filmmakers from 13 schools around the Puget Sound Area, including Mount Si High School and Chief Kanim Middle School, will have a chance to show off their films and meet with women in the media industry during the second annual All Girls Film Challenge Screening and Network Event, set for 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, March 26 at the Microsoft Campus in Redmond.

Joe Dockery, digital media academy teacher at Mount Si High School and creator of the film screening and networking event, said promoting this type of education early on is an important way to address the current issues of diversity in the film and media industries moving forward.

“The studios, they got graded on their diversity and the highest grade was a C and most studios were D’s and F’s. The statistics are horrible, 7 percent of directors are female, 5 percent of editors are female,” Dockery said. “If we want gender equality in our media industry it starts here. If they are not being inspired and encouraged to get into this industry it is not going to change.”

For the event’s second year, the format will be extended by two hours, due to feedback that the event was too short. Dockery said the film challenge was a way to encourage more diversity in his film program and to help young women to express themselves through film. He will be bringing back former students in the media industry to participate as judges for the event, as well.

“Last year I started this film challenge, where girls could enter films in categories that could help tell their stories,” Dockery said. “One of the cool things is the films are judged by girls who were in our film program in the Puget Sound region… Great former students, so they understand the challenge that high school girls face making film and they are in the industry and know what it takes to get in.”

After the film challenge, Dockery organized a screening to give each of the student filmmakers an opportunity to speak about the process of making their films. He also organized a networking event, inviting professionals from Women in Film Seattle to present a panel discussion about getting into the media industry and the challenges they overcame to get to where they are now.

“It was really transformative, the girls were saying ‘I’m ready to go take on the world,” Dockery said. “They felt good about themselves, making film, and getting into the industry.”

Dockery and his students are working on films, communicating with sponsors and guest speakers and organizing panels. This year’s sponsors include Women in Film Seattle, Adobe Youth Voices, the National Film Festival for Talented Youth and media training program Reel Grrls.

Dockery hopes that this year’s experience will inspire more students from around the area to continue their creative efforts in film.

“I hope that the girls walk away feeling empowered to make films that share their unique perspectives and voice,” he said.