Justice for My Sister – The Power of Film & Storytelling: Advocating for Gender Equality and Racial Justice

Champions for Change

Justice for My Sister

The Power of Film & Storytelling: Advocating for Gender Equality and Racial Justice

Justice for My Sister (JFMS), a nonprofit arts organization, is about to celebrate 10 years this April, and Founder, Executive Director Kimberly Baustista couldn’t be more proud. “In 2007, I directed the documentary, Justice for my Sister, the story of Rebeca Eunice Perez, a woman in Guatemala searching for justice for her murdered sister, challenging the stigma that marks gender-based violence,” said Kimberly. “My journey has taken me from storyteller to educator and activist. By sharing my story of sexual abuse that occurred during filming, I was able to not only connect with others who had similar experiences, but also open a dialogue that resonated with audiences on a mass scale- providing insight into gender power dynamics, perpetuating the cycle of violence against woman and society’s tendency to blame the victim.”

Committed to doing all she could to prevent others from experiencing gender-based violence, Kimberly built an educational awareness campaign and included men in the conversation through role play and theater after the film. Exploring conflict resolution, healthy relationships between men and women, and where the devaluations of women occur in the home and at work, engaged audiences to understand the systems that take away women’s power, leading to silence and shame.

As Kimberly continued her film career, the film’s activism struck a chord in several communities, including Boyle Heights, where she and other activists became involved in vigils, protests, and boycotts against violence against women and girls. This led to the organization’s inception and partnership with Community Partners in 2015, founded by queer women of color who are survivors of gender-based violence, infusing the power of film, and art of storytelling through the lens of gender and racial justice.

Over the past decade, JFMS’s impact has been transformative for women of color, nonbinary youth, and foster youth as they have learned to make films with a gender equity and racial justice lens. Their programs and classes offer a compelling channel to heal from trauma and overcome financial barriers to entering the TV & film industry. What started as teaching young people how to make movies during summers in Boyle Heights has become a year-round professional development space across LA County for working adults, children, parents, and industry professionals, preparing them for life and the workforce.

“In 2017, I was approached by PBS SoCal to support former foster youth to make video diaries about their own lives. The results were powerful. So many wanted to tell their stories, but were conditioned to put their trauma on display, perhaps before they were fully ready to do so. As mentors, it became our responsibility to provide them with tools and to guide them to understand the life cycle of a film, so they could consider their safety and think through who else might see their stories, and what being in the public eye entails. We wanted to ensure they were protected with emotional resilience and resources for their well-being and journey as artists.”

JFMS is creating safe spaces through their Workforce Development programs for young, emerging artists, including the BIPOC Sci-Fi 2.0 Screenwriting Lab, where a selected short film will get the green light for production. JFMS has built workforce development partnerships to include Netflix, Sundance Film Festival, and Warner Bros Discovery. Through their Production Assistant Certification program, over 60 PAs have been placed in over 100 productions, empowering youth with mentors, careers, and growing the local film economy.

JFMS’s youth leadership educational curriculum has also seen significant expansion thanks in partnership with LA County Parks and Recreation where high school students and incarcerated youth alike can learn through theater, role play, media analysis and other artistic means about teen dating, healthy relationships and sexual assault and domestic violence prevention.

Justice for My Sister is at the forefront of the fight against gender-based violence and femicide. Through their programs, they are empowering and celebrating those marginalized in our communities, advancing diversity, pushing for inclusion, accessibility, and equity in the TV and Film industry. Kimberly and her team are looking forward to celebrating a decade of service towards gender and racial justice and invite the public to attend their second annual Justice for My People Film Festival on Saturday, April 26th, where their students’ films will be showcased in honor of their 10 years as a nonprofit.

Learn more about Justice for My Sister

RSVP here for the 2nd Annual Justice for My People Film Festival