Two female filmmakers earn support for projects

Earlier this year Trout Unlimited, Orvis, COSTA and the Fly Fishing Film Tour announced a new program designed to increase the representation of women in fly fishing film. We did this because while women are a fast growing demographic of new anglers – they weren’t often enough the subject of fly fishing films, a key way of sharing our sporting culture. 

In all, 23 teams of filmmakers applied for the TU F3T Women in Fly Fishing grant. A diversity of projects were put forth, ranging from fishing road trips to intimate docu-style portraits of women anglers. Well-known producers submitted, including filmmakers who have participated in F3T before. The selection committee in the end selected two projects to support that we believe will add to the representation of women in fly fishing film.

Sophie Danison, in collaboration with the Unicorn Picnic Productions, will receive a grant to produce her project, “Old Friends, New Fish.” Unicorn Picnic Productions is well known for the film “Pretty Faces.” Danison’s film will automatically be included in the 2017 TU Fly Fishing Film Tour cut and entry into the main tour application process. 

A second project will also receive more limited support. Sara Menzies and Let Media will receive a grant for a project that has just started pre-production, a profile of Idaho steelhead guide Terry Myers. 

“At TU, fly fishing is our front door so this project is an important one,” said Joel R. Johnson, chief marketing officer for TU. “We want to thank the dozens of filmmakers who submitted projects and to encourage them to continue to pursue getting them made. The diversity of stories around our shared passion for fishing need to be told.”