Our core values

Final Girls is a collective of woman-identified filmmakers living and working in Detroit that meet to support one another, share resources and encourage the realization of one another’s creative work. In order to maintain a safe and productive space for all of its members, and to keep the group a vital asset to a diverse group of members who face the particular challenges of being a woman maker in the city of Detroit, we pledge to uphold the following values:

• WE ARE PROFESSIONALS IN THE FILM and VIDEO INDUSTRY Regardless of the genre we make work in, regardless of the sector of the industry we are employed in, regardless of how long we have been doing it, we are passionately striving to make a living producing film and video.

• WE ARE CREATIVE VISIONARIES We come to Final Girls as storytellers first and foremost. We all have a story/project that needs to be told/brought to fruition.

• WE ARE EQUALS We equally share and listen to one another, and collectively strive to make sure all voices are heard.

• WE ARE CONTINUALLY LEARNING We respect each other’s differences and unique challenges and see them as a path towards a deeper understanding of our community, our work and ourselves. Our evolution requires respect and empathy towards one another.

• WE ARE AWARE OF OUR COMMUNITY We think about how our decisions relate to the unique issues in the Detroit community, especially regarding the city’s unique history of segregation, inequality and appropriation.

• WE HIGHLIGHT WOMEN’S VOICES We are committed to raising the visibility of women filmmakers and their leadership in the industry.

By adhering to these values we will continue to build a network of women engaged in rich, meaningful, fun conversation about their work, as well as practical support for the realization of that work.