ABOUT US
Moonshot Initiative, formerly known as Women’s Weekend Film Challenge, is a nonprofit organization that works to promote gender equity by creating opportunities for women and non-binary people to bring their leadership, talents, and stories to the forefront of the film and television industry. We aim to empower and support underrepresented voices and promote a more inclusive media landscape.
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Moonshot is best known for our signature film challenge that has produced 36 short films with more than 900 professional women and non-binary filmmakers. In subsequent years, Moonshot established a virtual workshop series that provides affordable career advice from the top women of Hollywood.
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We also offer a pilot accelerator designed both to help emerging writers advance their careers and to increase the representation of women and non-binary people in television. This program is geared toward writers with strong, completed pilot scripts who lack the industry connections to sell their series or break into the writers room.
MEET THE TEAM
Our organization is run entirely by independent filmmakers who understand the needs of emerging talents.
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Katrina Medoff and Tracy Sayre founded Moonshot Initiative in 2017. They were filmmakers who met at a networking event and became fast friends. When Katrina had the idea to bring women together to make films over the course of a weekend, Tracy jumped on board, bringing her years of organizational experience. The two friends volunteered their time for almost three years to develop this organization.
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Makana Lani joined in 2020 to help with social media. With her background as an award-winning screenwriter, she made herself invaluable and took the lead on application review for the pilot accelerator. With Moonshot ever-expanding, Krystal Dinsberg joined in early 2023 to coordinate the day to day programming.
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We are a lean team that punches way above our weight. We would not be able to achieve what we do with out the advice of our advisors: Elle Johnson, Jasmine Russ, Anuj Guptal, Kathryn OKane and Aisha Besson; and our developement committee: Djaka Souare, Eden Martinez, Erica Rubinsky, Kim Madden, Lyndsey Casagrande, Elaine del valle and Kareema Bee. And our many volunteers, especially Kyra Fequet.
Katrina Medoff
Co-Executive Director and Co-Founder
Katrina Medoff brings her background as an actor, writer and producer to Moonshot. She has spearheaded major programs through Moonshot and has advanced the career of thousands of creatives. For ten years, she served as the editor in chief of BORO, a magazine about her home neighborhood of Astoria, Queens. She loves embroidery, calligraphy, and anything else Jane Austin would have enjoyed.
Kendall Davis
Programs
Coordinator
Kendall Davis is a NYC-based writer and comedian. She was a fellow in the Native American Media Alliance's 8th Annual TV Writers Lab.
Jasmine Russ
Board Member
Jasmine is the Vice President at Fabel Entertainment (Bosch, The Killing, Interrogation) where she specializes in both development and boots-on-the-ground production. At Fabel, Jasmine has set up projects with multiple buyers including Amazon, Netflix, AMC and FreeVee, as well as working with the team to shepherd and grow the development slate across a wide array of genres.
Tracy Sayre
Co-Executive Director and Co-Founder
Tracy Sayre helps thousands of women build networks and break down barriers. Through Moonshot, Tracy has produced nearly 40 short films. She is an award-winning screenwriter and wrote and produced “Lily + Mara” with her writing partner, Caroline Roberts (AP of “The Little Mermaid”), which screened on PBS and had its world premiere at the Rhode Island International Film Festival. Tracy lives in Kingston with her husband and two daughters. She is an avid reader.
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Makana Lani
Director of Communications
Makana Lani is a writer based in NYC. She is passionate about telling character-driven stories centered on queer women.
Ramou Sarr
Head Reader
Ramou Sarr is a writer in Los Angeles. She created, wrote, and starred in the web series “Brunch,” about two Black women pondering their neuroses over eggs and mimosas. She has written several personal narrative essays, two Glamour magazine cover stories, and one creepy short story about a missing Midwest teen. She has a background in indigent criminal defense and is passionate about telling the stories of dynamic, complicated, and often messy women.
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Elle Johnson
Board Member
Elle Johnson is a TV Writer and Executive Producer who has written and produced shows from "Law & Order," "CSI: Miami," "Saving Grace," and "The Glades," to "Ghost Whisperer," "The Fosters,” and "Any Day Now.” She was an Executive Producer on the Amazon Original Series “Bosch.” And the co-showrunner on Netflix’s NAACP Award winning limited series "Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker.”
Eden Martinez
Board Member
Eden is a filmmaker, fighter and adventurer. Their aesthetic creates a beautifully striking picture of reality. Gifted with high emotional intelligence, curiosity, and an arsenal of dad jokes Eden creates human stories overflowing with authenticity and charm.
Nina Gibb
Intern
Nina is a current undergraduate student at the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts. She is passionate about inclusive storytelling, LGBTQ representation, and documentary filmmaking. She is an avid Letterboxd user.
Janet Graham Borba
Board Member
Janet is executive vice president, Production, for HBO & Max, responsible for supervising production, post and production operations on all HBO and Max Original programming including such series as Succession, Barry, Perry Mason, The Last of Us, House of The Dragon, Euphoria, Love and Death, And Just Like That…, and the upcoming The Penguin, among many more.
Aisha Besson
Board Member
Aisha is an accountant with over 20 years of experience in small to mid-level organizations. She has a proven ability to execute and excel in finance and HR related areas. With a solid understanding of GAAP requirements, she is equipped to give recommendations on many issues that arise in an organization.
HOW ARE WE DIFFERENT?
Our committment to representation goes beyond gender. We are committed to ensuring that at least 50% of our crews, judges, and workshop guests are people of color. Over 30% of our participants identify as LGBTQ+.
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We break down financial barriers. We offer finacial aid for all of our programs, and we keep most programs donation-based. Unlike other film challenges where participants need to find their own crews, insurance and equipment, we provide everything so all you need is your talent.
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We continue to advocate for our community. Years after you participate, don't be surprised if you hear from us with a job opportunity, a helpful connection, or a waiver to a festival. We are always looking for ways to help you.
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OUR VISION
We have seen firsthand how powerful it is to bring women and non-binary people together to make art. The connections made through our programs lead to stable career.
We envision a world where women get hired just as frequently as men, a world where gender stereotypes are no longer expressed on screen, a world where young kids can see themselves and all their potential.
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The vision starts with a radical solution. Build a pipeline for women and non-binary filmmakers so that they have the experience and network to climb the industry ladder and have a say in how gender is represented on the screen.
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Hollywood is not giving people this opportunity, which is why we are doing it at the grassroots level.