Pioneers in Skirts Archives - Ashley Maria Productions

Launch of the “Official Movie Premiere” Status!

Host A Movie Premiere Event At Work or School

Create an event aligned with your core values

Choose the Movie Premiere Event add-on option when booking a screening of Pioneers in Skirts to give your audience an exciting, meaningful experience!

A movie premiere offers organizations distinct strategic value by celebrating cultural representation, fostering belonging, and creating a meaningful public experience.

√ Foster productive and meaningful discussions

√ Generate actionable change

√ Show appreciation while boosting morale

The process

Simply complete the screening application by:
- picking your preferred screening package, and then
- picking the Movie Premiere Event add-on option.
Receive a price quote for your full screening event.
Finalize the screening details with us, sign the licensing agreement, and make payment.

The many benefits

Turn an office or school space into a red carpet screening room for a unique blend of fun and purpose!

Boosts morale and refreshes routines: A premiere offers employees & students a fun escape from daily work, helping reduce stress.
Strengthens connections: An informal setting helps people to connect, improving communication and collaboration.
Supports recruitment: A buzzworthy event highlights a dynamic, modern culture that can attract top candidates.
Provides affordable ways to show appreciation: Hosting entertainment in the office or on-campus venues avoids additional costs while delivering strong value on a budget.
Delivers brand visibility:
- Creates engaging social media content: A red carpet or branded photo backdrop encourages attendees to share event photos online, expanding your organic reach.
- Strengthens relationships and networking: A movie premiere brings people together in a relaxed, memorable setting that helps build deeper connections.
- Builds momentum for campaign launches: A premiere can generate excitement for a product launch, semester kickoff, or any other milestone worth celebrating.
- Reinforces an innovative brand image: Hosting an entertainment-focused event shows clients and competitors that your organization is forward-thinking and energetic.

Oh, the possibilities!

Make your event a day to remember!

With the help of our Screening Kit and the involvement of our filmmakers, you can elevate your plans and give your audience an immersive experience they will never forget!

Collaborate with other communities
Host virtual conversations
Blend a mix of drive-in and theatrical screenings
Put on an online show with Live Watch Parties
And more!!

movie premiere Pioneers in Skirts movie premiere

Some Special Moments in May

Screening event highlights from May

Ontario, Canada

May 2, 2025: ConnectHER Conference Building Bridges for Working Women

We are SO excited to have been part of a powerful event where women came together for connection, learning, and inspiration.

Hosted by The Gender Equality Coalition of Ontario and held in Canada every year, this conference celebrated and uplifted women in the workforce—especially in non-traditional industries—through keynote speakers, panels, and breakout sessions that were all about real talk, bold moves, and building each other up!

We proudly screened Pioneers in Skirts Friday evening — followed by meaningful conversations about ambition, equity, and change.

“The film made me think about how I hope I can make my daughters aware that they can reach their goals by teaching them to speak up.”

“I should have brought my kids to watch it!”

“It was a real look at gender bias. I loved hearing all the experiences in the women’s interview circles!”

Los Angeles, California

May 25, 2025: Los Angeles International Children’s Film Festival!

Screening at The Yard Theater — a 65-seat black box-style theater and 501(c)3 non-profit located in East Hollywood, Los Angeles.

We’re excited to have had Super Human Anxiety be part of this fun-filled event showcasing the best short films for kids from around the world!

Watch Pioneers in Skirts In March!

Watch Pioneers in Skirts for International Women's Day!

International Women’s Day (IWD) is a global day celebrating the achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender equality.

IWD 2025’s campaign theme is ‘Accelerate Action’ worldwide. Why accelerate? The 2024 World Economic Forum** (WEF) report has shown that it will take 134 years (2158), or 5 five generations, to close the global gender gap, up from 131 years in 2023.

We’re moving in the wrong direction.

We must take swift and decisive steps to address the systemic barriers and biases that women face, both in personal and professional spheres. As an official International Women’s Day Speaker and Supplier, we’re honored to play a role in Accelerating Action towards closing the gender gap worldwide.

3 OPTIONS FOR INCLUDING PIONEERS IN SKIRTS IN YOUR MARCH INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY EVENT:

ONE: Host an impact screening of the Emmy-nominated film, Pioneers in Skirts — an inspiring feature documentary about pioneering ambition and the obstructions that hold many girls & women back from achieving their aspirations. You’re invited to join the many schools, nonprofits, government organizations, and companies who have used the power of film to foster engagement, meaningful dialogue, and positive impact!

TWO: Watch Pioneers in Skirts at home with your family & friends and discuss the content as it plays, creating a shared viewing experience. The content: recognizing and addressing perceptions and behaviors that can chip away at a girl or woman and make her feel like she must re-think her dreams.

WATCH the film at home

THREE: Invite the daughter/mother filmmaker team to speak on topics of overcoming unfair obstacles, learning to be better allies, empowering the next generation, and how to make people feel included in the culture we live-work-learn in.

INVITE the filmmakers to speak at your event

Pioneers in Skirts is an inspiring feature documentary about pioneering ambition. Through characters and stories, the film addresses what it is that can chip away at a girl or woman and make her feel like she must re-think her dreams.

#AccelerateAction is a worldwide call to:

Build and share strategies, resources, and activity that positively impact women’s advancement.
Support and elevate their implementation.

Bring Pioneers in Skirts into your community and experience the positive progress that can be made for women everywhere!

** WEF’s Global Gender Gap Report, now approaching its 19th year, is an annual index designed to measure gender equality. It benchmarks gender-based gaps in four areas: economic participation and opportunity; educational attainment; health and survival; and political empowerment.

International Women's Day IWD Women's History Month

Pioneers in Skirts Picked To Screen At SXSW EDU

Los Angeles, CA, Release: February 8, 2023. For Immediate Release

A movie about ambition, Pioneers in Skirts is one of just three films invited to screen under the Accessibility & Inclusion track at the SXSW EDU® Conference being held March 6-9, 2023 in Austin, Texas.

SXSW EDU is a reflection of the world’s most critical social issues as seen through the lens of education. This year’s event will bring together the learner, the practitioner, the entrepreneur, and the visionary to share their groundbreaking stories, tackle complex issues, and build re-imagined paths forward.

On Wednesday March 8^th, the festival will screen the documentary “Pioneers in Skirts: A Movie About Ambition.” The screening will be followed by a discussion with the filmmakers and their invited guests.

March 8, 2023 / 11:00am CT / Austin Convention Center, Ballroom A

“We are honored to be joined on stage by two highly experienced Educators for a post-screening conversation about how to use the power of this film to positively interact with and influence students,” shared Director Ashley Maria. “We’re also extremely excited the festival gave us the March 8th slot — which is International Women’s Day!”

International Women’s Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity. #EmbraceEquity

The Wake Young Women’s Leadership Academy (WYWLA) Educators, Sharon Cuffee and Frank Reed, will share their experiences of how the film helped their students self-reflect about their own lives, careers, and how they feel about the topics in the film.

WYWLA, located in Raleigh, North Carolina, has hosted two movie screenings in front of students, one via a LIVE Zoom event and another in a school venue. “Pioneers in Skirts proved to have a long-term impact at the school and with teachers,” described Producer Lea-Ann W. Berst. “Even though this is why we made the film, it’s always humbling to hear how it becomes a catalyst for meaningful conversations about awareness and opportunities.”

ABOUT THE FILM

In a portrait of perseverance and determination, the Pioneers in Skirts filmmakers, Ashley Maria and Lea-Ann W. Berst, follow the journeys of 3 unforgettable girls on a robotics team, their fathers, and Lily, a woman fearful her pregnancy news will fault her raise negotiations. The film uses Ashley’s own story as a female director in Hollywood as the through line while also featuring fellow pioneering women and topic experts who have solutions to share.

ABOUT SXSW EDU

As a community of diverse people who are united around a like-minded vision for the future, SXSW EDU serves as a place for attendees to renew their purpose in practice from both a personal and professional perspective. It is a place to reinforce the core principles of teaching and learning as well as an opportunity to express your creativity and passion for education. SXSW EDU is a component of the South by Southwest® family of conferences and festivals that has grown from 800 to over 8,000 registrants in the last decade. Join the passionate and innovative community at SXSW EDU, March 6-9, 2023.

20 ways to make your screening event memorable

Hosting a screening of Pioneers in Skirts?

A screening of Pioneers in Skirts is a powerful way to ignite personal ambition and build highly supportive team environments. The documentary equips audiences with practical solutions to build a career, champion one another, and clear the path for the next generation of leaders.

For schools, the film serves as an inspiring tool that encourages students to pursue their career goals and overcome internal doubts.

For companies, the film provides an actionable framework to boost employee retention, strengthen teamwork, and foster a culture of active allyship where every individual feels valued.

1. Invite the filmmakers to attend your event.

2. Provide popcorn, drinks, snacks.

3. Recruit sponsors to host contests, door prizes, food, and fun movie giveaways.

4. Create a drive-in theater experience in a parking lot or in the auditorium.

5. Create an awesome step-and-repeat as a backdrop for selfies and group photos.

6. Create photo props and custom selfie frames.

7. Choose a theme and tell your audience to dress up to meet that theme. Make sure everything else blends in: music, the food, decorations, etc.

8. Get your audience pumped up before your movie event! As the audience arrives and sits in their seats, crank the Pioneer-on play list on Spotify.

9. Just before you walk out to welcome everyone to your event, play the movie theme song, “Freeway,” !

Hand out useful and memorable content

10. Give away inspiring and purposeful Pioneers Group Swag or Pioneers Individual Swag!

11. Provide parental resources and learning activities. Like a small ‘Take Action’ poster to hang on their wall as a reminder of the event! Here are a few ideas:

- “We ALL Have A Role to Play” — ideas for what YOU can do to advance equity in the world
- “Are YOU A Pioneer?” — ideas for how YOU can be a changemaker & change the world, every day
- “THIS Is What Inclusion Feels Like” — ideas for how diverse populations feel welcome; a sense of belonging
- “The POWER dynamics” — ideas for how to look at privilege, and understanding the power you have in a room.

⇑ These are great ideas for a video contest too! ⇑

Engage with your community

12. Invite the school/company/association newspaper to interview the filmmakers or panelists.

13. Inspire industry publications to write a story about your movie event and tell them why a movie like this is needed (like this: ACTE).

14. Help audiences members to explore their role in the solution and develop actionable steps by writing an action plan (these could be personal, professional, or both).

15. Invite community leaders, advocates, and local celebrities to be part of your event: Community groups, university faculties, middle school/high school/university students, school administrators, teachers, and elected officials who could help lead to positive change for women and girls at the intersections of marginalized identities—from K-12 through career.

16. Send event registrants a profile frame so they can show their Pioneering spirit (we’ve created a free Canva template for you to make your own!).

17. Conduct photo or video contests. Use a # (hashtag) for participants to tag their entry, then feature the winners in social media & blog posts.

18. Take a poll before and after the screening to gauge feelings and perspectives.

19. Create a dedicated social media hashtag to increase attendee engagement before, during, and after your event.

20. Book a standard hosting package — which is HYBRID, and invite families to watch the film at home!

Curate an experience

Ensure the film’s message resonates and inspires real action.

Invite the Pioneers in Skirts filmmakers to attend your event.

Inviting a filmmaker to speak turns a screening into a memorable event.

In schools, direct dialogue inspires aspiring talent—especially young women in STEM or male-dominated fields—to persevere. For companies, live Q&As provide professional development and help leaders and allies identify workplace cultural gaps.

Invite a Filmmaker