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Isabel Coixet mentoring women directors

Founded in 2000, Miss Wasabi FIlms has produced one of Coixet's most indie and perhaps personal features, “Yesterday Never Ends” (El Ayer no termina nunca), documentaries such as “Listening to Judge Garzon” and “Aral, el mar perdido" and also produced commercials, videoclips, exhibitions and different cultural projects.

Now, the acclaimed Spanish director is backing projects from new women directors as the best way to allow women's voices to be heard.

Julia Solomonoff's “Nobody's Watching” (currently shooting) , Elena Trape's “Waiting for Time to Stand Still" (in production) and Liliana Torres' “What Have We Done Wrong?” are part of Miss Wassabi's lineup, alongside Isabel Coixet's "With John”,  a documentary which follows art critic, scholar and novelist John Berger as he expounds on his singular vision of Europe. To quote Isabel Coixet:  “a key perspective about the times Europe is going through”. Earlier this year, the short film "Runaway Sara"directed by Belen Funes and produced by Miss Wasabi Films, earned the audience award at Malaga Film festival

“As a filmmaker, what you need is to be understood with regard to your projects and to be respected. I know that and consequently I want to keep the same attitude towards the directors. I talk about very practical matters, as how to get the same results with easier and cheaper means,” said Coixet.

In terms of financing, Wasabi Films is seeking “new financing paths,” beyond classical formulae such as commercial TV support.

As reported by  the European Women's Audiovisual Network during the presentation at the Venice Film Festival of the first findings of their pan-European research, only 16% of European films are directed by women. A mentoring initiative such as Miss Wasabi's is evidently very necessary and most welcome.