YDA Alumni Joins Reece Witherspoon’s #FilmmakerLab in LA

“Everybody deserves a chance to tell their story.  And no one should tell your story for you.” – Reese Witherspoon

Reese Witherspoon and her production company, Hello Sunshine, teamed up with AT&T to launch an initiative with the goal of increasing the number of women working behind the camera in Hollywood. 21 teenage girls applied and were selected from across the country.  They were invited to spend eight days in Los Angeles filming a TV show under the guidance of mentors and professional creators, including music editor Julie Pearce, cinematographer Kira Kelly, Oscar-winning makeup artist Ve Neill, and, of course, actress-turned-producer Reese Witherspoon. It is no surprise that YDA’s own youth filmmaker, Hadassah Nix, 2017 director of LABELED, was selected to be part of this inaugural class of women, and we couldn’t be more proud, excited, and inspired!

We learned about Hadassah’s acceptance from her mom’s Facebook post, when she said, “Thank you [YDA] for being a part of the start of my daughter’s dream of being a filmmaker. We appreciate you for the part that you have played and continue to play in her life. I am excited to share with you the new opportunity she now has.”

Fast forward to June…

And, Ve Neill! Oscar-winning makeup artist, invited the girls over for an interview about her role in the film industry.

And the final short doc is below – check it out!