POWER UP Empowers Gay Women
Realizing the need for a professional organization for gay women in the entertainment industry, Stacy Codikow and Amy Shomer founded POWER UP on National Coming Out Day, October 11, 2000. Designed as a networking group, POWER UP's mission is to promote, encourage, and support the visibility of openly gay women in the industry.

One of the group's first public relation campaigns was its announcement of the "Top 10 Most Powerful Gay Women in Show Business." (These are all out, non-closeted women.) Leading the pack is Ellen DeGeneres. "I'm not really sure what this means, possibly that I can bench press more than the others. In any case I'm both honored and shocked at the same time. But this title I have now gives me power, I'm not sure how I'll use it yet. I may add another day to the week, it will be called Gay Day and everyone must be gay on that day. Or maybe I'll just use my power to boss the other nine around, I'm not sure," DeGeneres said.

The other nine are: Melissa Etheridge, k.d. lang, Nina Jacobson (president of the Buena Vista Motion Pictures Group), Kimberly Peirce (director/writer of Boys Don't Cry), Jane Anderson (writer/director of When Billie Beat Bobby, If These Walls Could Talk 2 (segment "1961") and playwright), Lee Rose (writer/director of Showtime's A Girl Thing and Lifetime's The Truth About Jane), Leslie Belzberg (film and television producer), Jan Oxenberg (filmmaker: A Comedy in Six Unnatural Acts, Home Movie, I'm Not One of Them), and Lily Tomlin.

More recently, POWER UP announced the finalists for its filmmaking grant awards. (Award winners were announced after WOMO's publication date.) Awards are for $20,000 in grant money, and writer/director Jamie Babbit (But...I'm a Cheerleader, Popular) will mentor the projects through production. The five finalists are directors Lisa Anne Caruso, Lisa Ginsburg, A. Rosser Goodman, Jennifer McGlone, and Christine Russo. A producer, director, and writer for each short film will be selected from the finalists. All creative and crew positions for the films will be filled by POWER UP members. The completed films will be screened at the group's POWER PREMIERE on December 9, 2001. "We believe our unique approach to funding these films is the best way to promote the work of these women - by offering the funds to see their visions realized on screen and giving them the opportunity to work together and be mentored by successful women in their discipline," said POWER UP Executive Director Stacy Codikow, a producer and writer. The grants are sponsored by POWER UP members Jehan Agrama & Dwora Fried and Joan Greene of Greene & Associates Promotional Items.

In addition to awarding filmmaking grants, POWER UP hosts educational workshops and networking events and provides career resources such as a resume bank. Membership is open to all members of the entertainment industry who support POWER UP's mission to promote the visibility and integration of gay women in entertainment, arts and media.

POWER UP is a professional organization of more than 400 members nationwide with chapters in Los Angeles and New York that was launched December 2000. But even if you're outside LA and NY, the group can provide professional assistance. For more information, call 310/271-4708 or visit www.power-up.net.