This summer marked the 8th year of Girls’ Voices Now (GVN), a program from Women’s Voices Now (WVN) that empowers young women to tell their stories through film. Among the 12 brilliant participants in the 2024 cohort was Annabella, whose journey is a shining example of what the program makes possible.
At the Alumna Lunch on July 22, Annabella shared exciting news with her peers: she had been accepted to UCLA Film School. She revealed that she nearly didn’t apply, as the requirements seemed daunting—multiple films on one’s resume. Her only completed project was Words I Can’t Forget, the short film she created during her GVN summer. But she remembered what the program had instilled in her: confidence, a sense of belonging, and the ability to face down imposter syndrome. Encouraged by those lessons, she submitted her application—and was accepted.
Annabella’s message to the newest GVN participants was simple but powerful: “Make the effort to pursue your dreams. You might be pleasantly surprised.”
Based in Los Angeles, WVN is a nonprofit organization that uses the power of film to drive social change advancing girls’ and women’s rights globally. Through initiatives like their film festival, the Girls’ Voices Now youth program, and their free online film collection Voices for Change, WVN challenges the mis- and under-representation of women by promoting films made by women, about women, for all. Their work, recognized internationally and aligned with six UN Sustainable Development Goals, is supported by a global network of staff, volunteers, and advisors, and since 2017 WVN has held special consultative status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
The Golden Globe Foundation is proud to support both Girls’ Voices Now and Women’s Voices Now, helping to amplify young women’s stories and futures in film.
Learn more: Women’s Voices Now
