Experiencing Interruptions?

GIRLS LEVEL UP

An inspiring voice in the conversation about the future of women in the videogame industry, GIRLS LEVEL UP profiles a summer camp where girls are given three weeks to make their own video game demo. Camp founder Laila Shabir, who grew up in a conservative Muslim neighborhood in the Middle East before coming to the United States, provides a unique perspective on the challenges facing girls who love video games and dream of making them.

  • Anne Edgar
    Director
  • David Grabias
    Producer
    Operation Popcorn, Sentenced Home,
  • Anne Edgar
    Producer
    Operation Popcorn
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    8 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    January 3, 2017
  • Production Budget:
    20,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Through Women's Eyes Sarasota Film Festival
    Sarasota, Florida
    United States
    April 10, 2017
    North American Premiere
  • UN Women San Francisco Film Feslival
    San Francisco, CA
    United States
    October 11, 2017
    West Coast Premiere
  • The Film Festival For Women's Rights
    Seoul
    Korea, Democratic People's Republic of
    November 14, 2017
    Korean Premiere
  • Los Angeles Independent Filmmaker's Showcase
    Los Angeles, CA
    United States
    May 17, 2017
    West Coast US premiere
Director Biography - Anne Edgar

Anne Edgar is a writer, director and advocate for girls and women in STEAM education. She began her career as an assistant, creative executive, and screenwriter working with filmmakers including Fred Roos, Warren Beatty, and Sophia Coppola, before going on to cofound the documentary company Artifact Nonfiction. Recently, she executive produced the documentary OPERATION POPCORN, which aired in 2016 on Public Television's Emmy-award-winning series America Reframed. She is also Executive Producer of the interactive documentary project CRITICAL PATH, a seven-year-long-and-counting documentation of the evolution of video games.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Growing up in the ‘80s, I loved movies and television. I still do, both as a viewer and as someone who’s worked in entertainment my entire adult life. But I find myself hoping video games will not go the way of Hollywood, which has been dominated by white male filmmakers for over a hundred years.

It was inspiring to observe GMG girls transform themselves from girls who love games into creative, problem solving, determined game makers. I glimpsed a possible future where women game developers from diverse backgrounds are commonplace, and where the interactive experiences they create are beyond anything we can imagine today.

And then there’s Laila. Getting to know her has deepened my appreciation of how we all stand on the shoulders of our teachers, mentors and parents to realize our potential not just as “makers”, but as human beings.