SISTA IN THE BROTHERHOOD Is What the World Needs Right Now; Film Headed to Winter Film Awards

Written by Dawn Jones Redstone and Kjerstin Johnson and directed by Jones Redstone, Sista in the Brotherhood is a unique short film that follows a day in the life of a young American-American tradeswoman. This film highlights the often unseen struggles that women, particularly women of color, experience when trying to enter into a white and male dominated industry.

See this outstanding short film on Sunday February 26 at Cinema Village (22 East 12th Street) as part of the 6th annual Winter Film Awards Indie Film Festival.

Within the construction industry, women are either overlooked or not given a fair chance. Jones Redstone not only pulled from her own experience as a Latina working construction, but also the doctoral thesis of her friend, Dr. Roberta Hunte, titled, "My Walk Has Never Been Average: Black Tradeswomen Negotiating Intersections of Race and Gender in Long Term Careers in The United States' Building Trades," which details the experiences of black tradeswomen in America.

Laneice, the main character, is seen rushing out of her home and kissing her young daughter goodbye as she heads to work. It's there we find out that her new job is that of a tradesperson, remodeling the Sellwood Bridge in Portland, Oregan. Laniece is immediately singled out for being not only a woman, but black; something her male colleagues can't get past it. They refer to her as "quota", insinuating that because she's a black woman, she only got the job because of some kind of quota system. Although she's highly skilled, she's relegated to menial tasks such as moving timber from one spot to another, and then back again. Noticing her nearby colleague is having trouble cutting his timber properly, Laneice decides to help him out, for the better of the team, so they can get through the work faster. This is nearly her downfall. She gets blamed and berated for her co-worker's mistakes and nearly gives up when suddenly she receives a little advice from an unlikely source who tells Laneice to dust herself and show her male colleagues what she can really do. She not only proves herself to them, but also to herself.

What really struck me with this film is how women have to work that much harder to be held at the same standard as a man with half the skills. Now factor race into that equation ...

Construction is one of only a few industries where a person can earn well above just a living wage without having to spend time and money on college degrees and courses. However, as Jones Redstone shows us in this film, if you're not white or male, then trying earn a living as a tradesperson becomes increasingly more difficult.

Speaking with the co-writer and director, Dawn Jones Redstone, she had this to say, "Being a woman, being a woman of color, being an apprentice and being new on the job all place Laneice at a disadvantage. She bears a larger burden than anyone else to prove herself and knowing she has a kid at home, she has extra incentive to not rock the boat to hold onto her job in an industry where you can be laid off at a moment's notice. I knew that when I arrived at a new site; I tended to keep my head down until I figured out who my allies were and understood the lay of the land, so to speak."

Another big point of the film is that a woman's best defense are her skills and talent. Laneice could have shouted back at her male coworkers, she could have gotten angry and told them off but that only would have made her situation worse. The only way to shut them up was to prove them wrong.

"It's true that your skill set is the thing that binds all workers together and I personally found that if I knew my stuff a lot of my crew would respect that-and sometimes respect me, too for it," says Jones Redstone. "In an ideal world, you could be respected and treated equally for doing the work and doing it well, but even if you're good at your job, discrimination is still a reality. In the film, Laneice's best weapon is her resilience and resolve. She keeps doing her thing, doing the best job she can despite the barriers her co-workers throw up. "

As America embarks into its new era with the Trump administration, it seems more important than ever to highlight the struggles of those who are marginalized. The more voices and diverse perspectives that we have in filmmaking, the better we can understand each other, which in my opinion, is the main goal of films and storytelling. Dawn Jones Redstone agrees.

"While we are still understanding the full consequences of Trump's power, it's clear that women of color will continue to be the most marginalized whether it's his policies that affect us more acutely or the emboldened racism/sexism of his supporters," Jones Redstone explains. "But also, I think personal filmmaking is urgently needed now as we struggle to understand each other in our ever-polarizing society. We need more perspectives, more voices behind the camera to show the great diversity of the human experience."

About Winter Film Awards Indie Film Festival

Winter Film Awards Is New York City. Like the city itself, we showcase the eclectic diversity and excitement of the independent arts world. Winter Film Awards is proudly one of the Top 10 Best Reviewed Festivals on FilmFreeway.

The rapidly growing Winter Film Awards Indie Film Festival, now in its sixth year, is a dynamic and exciting event in the heart of the City. Winter Film Awards showcases films from emerging filmmakers from around the world in all genres with a special emphasis on highlighting the work of women and minority filmmakers. The Festival runs February 23-March 4 2017 in New York City.

Among the 88 Official Selections to be screened at Cinema Village in the heart of Greenwich Village (22 East 12th Street, New York, NY 10003), is a diverse mixture of 11 Animated films, 8 Documentaries, 11 Feature narratives, 10 Horror films, 12 Music Videos, 24 Narrative shorts and 7 Web series, including 12 student films and 33 first-time filmmakers. Filmmakers come from 30 countries; 42% of the films were created by women, 45% were created by people of color. Visit www.WinterFilmAwards.com for schedules, tickets and details.

About Winter Film Awards

Winter Film Awards is an all-volunteer, minority- and women-owned registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization founded in 2011 in New York City by a group of filmmakers and enthusiasts. The program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. For more, visit the website, or follow on Facebook and Twitter.

Written by Lisa Monaco. Lisa Monaco has a bachelor's degree in journalism and media studies from Rutgers and interned with SiriusXM Radio and Fresh 102.7 WWFS-FM during her academic career. Since graduating, she has spent her time working in public relations and marketing. Born and raised in the small neighborhood of Gravesend in Brooklyn, NY, you can often find her strolling along the Coney Island boardwalk in her free time.