Celebrating Pride Month with Emily Freire
In celebration of Pride Month, we had the pleasure of sitting down with lesbian filmmaker, exceptional Reel Works alumni and current staff member, Emily Freire. Emily's tenure at Reel Works is marked by her relentless commitment to a more inclusive media and entertainment industry. From dialogic town halls where Emily advocated for ways this change could happen to being the Event Producer for the inaugural MediaMKRS Summit, Emily is deeply committed to transformative media ecosystems.
March 31, 2021; Reel Works Town Hall Youth Ambassador led event via Zoom, Emily Freire moderating conversation
Emily joined the MediaMKRS Career Exploration program during college. The program allowed her to deepen her skillset as a freelance producer. After that, Emily joined the Youth Ambassador Program, an intensive six-month program bringing together Reel Works alums and staff to develop their projects and participate in programming decisions. Years later, Emily has maintained her involvement in the Youth Ambassadors program, connecting with the current cohort to prepare them for events like the ChangeMakers Gala and screenings.
July 25, 2021; BTS photo of Emily Freire on the set of 'Hannah Ha Ha'
Emily has a distinct ability to embrace her queer identity as a filmmaker authentically; this propensity is part of what makes her a remarkable storyteller. Her first independent film, created during her first year of college, sparked an interest in exploring her identity further. This inclination deepened while working on her second film, Hannah Ha Ha, produced alongside mentor Roger Mancusi. She said, "[The protagonist] Hannah is a queer character living a more mundane life but still passionate about her projects. The film follows a queer person simply existing. While her identity doesn't overwhelm her daily, it is still important."
October 6, 2021; Emily Freire and mentor Roger Mancusi at screening + Q&A of 'Hannah Ha Ha' at Reel Works
Growing up, Emily's touch points for lesbian stories were limited. Emily said
I am a 2nd generation Puerto Rican Ecuadorian American. In lesbian/queer media growing up, stories featured were/are predominately white cis relationships, and I think I knew even fewer BIPOC queer films. I wish there were more and never saw myself represented. I think queer stereotypes still run rampant in Latin American representation in media, but current shows like Vida, League of Their Own, and L Word Generation Q are actively doing the work to make space for more accurate/relatable stories, and it only makes me more inspired for the future.
As a filmmaker and professional, it is important to her to carve out and bolster spaces for queer representation: "Growing up, my exposure to these stories was limited. For the past couple of years, I've been buckling down and doing my homework about the community that I'm in. There's so much culture and history. Education is vital, but it's also living and working with these communities."
July 19, 2021; on-location BTS photo of 'Hannah Ha Ha' in Massachusetts (Emily Freire co-produced)
She's optimistic about the future of filmmaking: "I've been increasingly aware of lesbian representation in filmmaking right now. It's the most I've ever seen in such a concentrated art form, regardless of genre. It's having such a boom right now."
April 12, 2024; Emily Freire and Keisha Katz at the MediaMKRS Summit
Whether through her career or creative projects, Emily's efforts are felt across Reel Works. As the conversation makes clear, authenticity is embedded in everything she does. This takes deep commitment, openness, and, most of all, care. Emily's ongoing commitment to positive change in the media and entertainment industry and nurturing more inclusive, equitable, and just futures will live on past Pride Month.