Sometimes all you have to do is ask. 🎬
A few days ago I interviewed Elizabeth Avellán… then asked if I could see Troublemaker Studios before my flight back to Toronto.
The next morning, I was touring the legendary studio built by Robert Rodriguez and Elizabeth with Nixon Guerrero, learning about filmmaking, pitching, props, practical effects, and the creative world behind movies that shaped my childhood.
Still processing how surreal this was.
Thank you Nixon, @speedyhazelnut , and @rodriguez for the inspiration. ✨
And yes… the tours are now open to the public!!! 👀🎥
The audio was too good to pass up. Okay not ME 😂 but the people who make us WE.
ConnectHER can’t say enough thank yous to our amazing host committee. Not everyone is in this series, but just wanted to thank the women who took time over the last several months to help shape and raise support for our Film Festival. It was so great to see you bring your friends and families and celebrate our community - thank you! 🖤
Photos by @sandradahdah
Our Global Impact Award in the ConnectHER Film Festival has awarded a winning filmmaker AND, thanks to @plhfoundation , each project depicted in the finalist films has received a $2500 grant to continue their important work. We loved hearing from projects during the Fest about how the grants impacted their work and helped cast vision for their future.
#chff26
When this played at last weekend’s ConnectHER Film Fest, we got a little teary 🥹. So many beautiful young creatives from all over the word coming together to tell stories about people and causes they care about. Thank you so much to every filmmaker that submitted — you make our festival possible!
#chff26
“Last Friday, 11 GirlForward girls, mentors, and staff went to the @connecther Film Festival. We saw short films made by or about young women and the things our communities face. We laughed, we cried, and we voted on our favorites. The GirlForward Girls choice award 🥇 goes to “A Requiem for School” made by an anonymous filmmaker from Afghanistan. It was the first film of the night and the girls were talking about it as soon as the event ended. We are so grateful for our partnership with ConnectHER and look forward to hosting them at Camp GF again this year!” - Becky, Senior Program Manager
If you missed it, you can pretend like you were there and watch the festival films here: /watch/
We are still basking in the glow of being with you all last weekend! We want to take a second to thank companies that donated to make our event stylish and delicious.
#chff26
Thank you @connecther film festival for having me as a part of your award show. Congratulations to all of the women film makers from all over the world that participated and fought to tell your stories through film.
This song by Rogers and Hammerstein was the perfect song to celebrate such an occasion. Climb every mountain, ford every stream, follow every rainbow, til you find your dream. ✨
🎥 @_meg_888_
The ConnectHER film festival is where creativity, culture and community meet to elevate the talent of young filmmakers from around the world.
Thanks to everyone who contributed to making this event special for 2026: staff, board, filmmakers, volunteers, and of course, sponsors.
This isn’t magic - it’s made possible by a lot of good people pitching in to support the work of young creatives.
Gratitude. 🙏🏻💖🎬
Meet some of the brilliant young filmmakers and other VIPs from the 2026 ConnectHER Film Festival:
🎬 Giovanna Batista [Director of My Life]
🎬 Igor Mota [Zom-Bea]
🎬 Andi Liu & Katherine Li [ANYBODY]
🎬 Adelaide McKeon & Mythri Margam [In Her Shoes]
🎬 Denver Humphrey [Find me in the Void]
🎬 Sol Guerrero [Helado]
Watch these and the rest of the films honored at this year’s festival at connectherfilmfest.org.
#connecther #chff26 #filmfestival #womeninfilm #austintexas
To all the filmmakers who weren’t able to be on stage with us, this one’s for you! Every finalist is a winner! Congratulations what a wonderful night celebrating amazing stories
The winner of this year’s 2026 ConnectHER Film Festival Judges’ Grand Prize is…
Torn Homeland by Khawla Al-Ashi and Mohammed Ghrab of Palestine 🇵🇸
Congratulations to these and all our winning filmmakers this year. You can see all the winning films (and watch them!) here: /chff26-winners/
![Meet some of the brilliant young filmmakers and other VIPs from the 2026 ConnectHER Film Festival: Giovanna Batista [Director of My Life] Igor Mota [Zom-Bea] Andi Liu & Katherine Li [ANYBODY] Adelaide McKeon & Mythri Margam [In Her Shoes] Denver Humphrey [Find me in the Void] Sol Guerrero [Helado]Watch these and the rest of the films honored at this year’s festival at connectherfilmfest.org.#connecther #chff26 #filmfestival #womeninfilm #austintexas](https://sp1.picnob.com/p/pt_6739654657716643582413_0_e6a234c1eb42d418dba2834e51e3f936.jpg?o=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&h=cff3aece8f533ed8b9c7fda700b2eec0)
