Miss Representation

Miss Representation (90 min; TV-14 DL) had its broadcast premiere on OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network in October of 2011. Information on DVD and iTunes versions available here.

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About the film

Like drawing back a curtain to let bright light stream in, Miss Representation (90 min; TV-14 DL) uncovers a glaring reality we live with every day but fail to see. Written and directed by Jennifer Siebel Newsom, the film exposes how mainstream media contribute to the under-representation of women in positions of power and influence in America. The film challenges the media’s limited and often disparaging portrayals of women and girls, which make it difficult for women to achieve leadership positions and for the average woman to feel powerful herself.

In a society where media is the most persuasive force shaping cultural norms, the collective message that our young women and men overwhelmingly receive is that a woman’s value and power lie in her youth, beauty, and sexuality, and not in her capacity as a leader. While women have made great strides in leadership over the past few decades, the United States is still 90th in the world for women in national legislatures, women hold only 3% of clout positions in mainstream media, and 65% of women and girls have disordered eating behaviors.

Stories from teenage girls and provocative interviews with politicians, journalists, entertainers, activists and academics, like Condoleezza Rice, Nancy Pelosi, Katie Couric, Rachel Maddow, Margaret Cho, Rosario Dawson and Gloria Steinem build momentum as Miss Representation accumulates startling facts and statistics that will leave the audience shaken and armed with a new perspective.

Film Team

Jennifer Siebel Newsom

Writer | Director | Producer

Jennifer Siebel Newsom is a filmmaker, speaker, former actress, and advocate for women, girls, and their families. Newsom wrote, directed, and produced the 2011 Sundance documentary Miss Representation, which explores how the media’s misrepresentations of women contribute to the under-representation of women in positions of power and influence. Newsom launched MissRepresentation.org, a call-to-action campaign that gives women and girls the tools to realize their full potential. Newsom is an Executive Producer of the 2012 Sundance Award-winning documentary The Invisible War, which exposes the epidemic of rape in the U.S. military. She is currently in pre-production on her next film. Newsom is also the founder and CEO of Girls Club Entertainment, LLC, which develops and produces independent films that empower women. As an actress, Newsom appeared in films and television shows including In the Valley of Elah, Something’s Gotta Give, NBC’s Life, and Mad Men. Newsom currently serves as a board member of KQED; a member of the Girl Scouts Healthy MEdia: Commission for Positive Images of Women and Girls; an advisory board member of Emerge America; and an honorary board member of the International Museum of Women. Newsom graduated with honors both from Stanford University and Stanford’s Graduate School of Business. Newsom resides in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, California Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom, and their two young children.

Follow Jennifer on Twitter @jensiebelnewsom and on Facebook.
Regina Kulik Scully

Executive Producer

A 28-year communications veteran, Regina is the founder of RPR Marketing Communications, a premier public relations firm representing clients such as Johnson & Johnson, Neutrogena, and Aveeno. Her work with young women in the beauty industry led her to found CareerPeeks, a nonprofit focused on expanding career options for young women. Regina has produced Boyhood Shadows, a social-issue documentary about male survivors of child molestation. A passionate education reform activist, Regina and her husband opened their own successful charter school called Making Waves.
Geralyn Dreyfous

Executive Producer

Geralyn has a wide background in the arts and philanthropy. She founded the Philanthropic Initiative in Boston, which guides families of wealth in strategic giving opportunities, and co-taught documentary writing at Harvard University. Geralyn produced The Day My God Died, a documentary on child sex trafficking, and served as Executive Producer of the 2004 Academy Award-winning Documentary Born Into Brothels about children of Calcutta prostitutes. She is the Board Chair of the SLC Film Center and Utah Coalition for Film and Media. In 2007, she co-founded IMPACT Partners Film Fund, which has financed over 25 films.
Sarah Johnson Redlich

Executive Producer

Sarah is a philanthropist, conservationist, and an environmental and education activist. A former Portfolio and Operations Manager for Franklin Templeton, she is active on the boards of St. Lawrence University, The Aspen Science Center, and Conservation International. Her philanthropy has financed the Law Students for Reproductive Justice and charities throughout Africa and India. Her social issue documentaries include Living in Emergency: Stories of Doctors without Borders and The Last Mountain. Sarah founded the children’s clothing business, Spike & Annie.
Jessica Congdon

Co-writer | Editor

Jessica has worked as a film editor for the last 12 years. Her documentary feature films include Speed and Angels, directed by Peyton Wilson, Motherland, directed by Jennifer Steinman, and Race to Nowhere, directed by Vicki Abeles. She is a founding editor of Umlaut Films in San Francisco. Jessica lives with her husband and daughters in San Francisco’s Mission district.
Julie Costanzo

Co-producer

Julie is a producer of film, television, documentaries, commercials and web content. Her work has included The Virgin Suicides, written and directed by Sofia Coppola, the PBS documentary series Adventure Divas and upcoming feature films The Girls’ Guide to Hunting and Fishing, based on the New York Times Best Seller, and The Last Man Standing, based on the life and times of Geronimo Pratt.
Eric Holland

Original Music/Sound Supervisor

Eric has been working with music and sound for over 15 years. His recent works include the documentaries Speed & Angels, Motherland, and Rabbit Fever; the PBS/Sundance Channel series ‘e2 – the economies of being environmentally conscious’ narrated by Brad Pitt; and commercial campaigns for Nokia and Blue Cross. Eric enjoys working on socially relevant projects and lives with his wife and 2 young daughters in the San Francisco Bay Area.