Listen Up: About MUFFxSF and Learning and Growing
When my two friends approached me about starting MUFF in their own cities (NYC and SF, whaattttt) I was beyond thrilled and humbled. Here were two awesome ladies who saw the value in what I was doing and wanted to bring a little bit of the sparkle to their own communities. And also I got a really great hashtag out of it: #MUFFTakeover, so really it was a win-win-win all around.
Living the dream, one photoshopped cat at a time.
From the beginning I was determined that NYC and SF would grow within the MUFF “brand” (that sound so corporate but, ugh, oh well) yet still maintain their own identities. That’s why if you went to a MUFF event in NYC it would be a different experience from Toronto and Toronto would be a different experience from San Francisco. Still, everything had to start somewhere and the basis for the MUFF Manual (it actually exists—it’s on the Google Drive and it’s glorious) came from my own experience starting in Toronto. Things that worked for me in TO wouldn’t necessarily work for our other branches.
And that’s okay. MUFF is still young (not even a year old yet!) and still learning. While we’re definitely about the fun and photo booths and sparkle, I also want each city to grow into a community celebrates, supports, and gives back to women working in the film industry. In order to grow into our strongest MUFF ever (I’m surprised I lasted three paragraphs before making “muff” pun, aren’t you?), we have to be able to admit when something isn't working.
We're so ready.
That is why, after much serious-time discussion with Chelsea and her MUFFxSF team, we have decided to put the San Francisco branch on hold for the rest of the winter. We will unfortunately be cancelling our upcoming Thursday screening of Buffy The Vampire Slayer, as well as the November and December screenings.
Chelsea and I know that MUFFxSF can be much better than it has been and we will be taking the winter to re-group, re-plan and re-sparkle and emerge in 2016 as the BEST MUFF EVER. (MAKKEEOOVVERRRRRRRRRR.) We’ve even already secured a shiny, new home for the Great Re-MUFF of 2016. We can’t say yet because we’re working out a few more details and secrets are fun!
THIS IS THE PERFECT IMAGE TO DESCRIBE THIS SITUATION FOR SO MANY REASONS.
So a bit of sad news with some super exciting news. But isn’t that what Oprah or Abraham Lincoln or whoever always says: when one door closes, another opens.
Thank you to our friends and sponsors for all of the amazing support with MUFFxSF. It has been so much fun. Most importantly, I’ve been so thrilled to see all of the brilliant short films from jaw-droppingly talented women filmmakers that Chelsea and her team have been able to share with the MUFFxSF community. And 2016 is going to be even better. Just you wait.
- Siân and Chelsea + the MUFFxSF Crew
