In the 1920s and early 1930s, male auto workers consistently decried the increasing numbers of women in American automobile plants. One Studebaker worker complained about the appearance of more and more women in the light machine operations: “One is immediately struck by the sight of so many women at work. Men are being replaced by women on drill presses, lathes, and even internal grinders.”

Articulating a common fear of replacement by less expensive women workers, one labor journalist labeled Detroit the new 'she-town': "Because women can do the semi-skilled work of running punch presses and drills in the auto factories, men are being laid off to join the mob of unemployed workers. Women are being given jobs because the prevailing wage for them is 20¢ to 30¢ an hour lower for the same work. Detroit is beginning to take on the aspects of a 'she-town' in which the woman works out and the man looks after the kids."

Today, what was once one of the most traditionally male-dominated professions, filmmaking, has seen its own "Shetown" revolution in front of the camera, behind the camera in the creative process, and in shaping important stories for new audiences. The Detroit Shetown Film Festival (DSFF) seeks to highlight this important milestone by noting the past and embracing our creative future together through the power of short film storytelling, as female filmmakers finally receive their own time in the creative spotlight.

Tickets - https://www.detroitshetownfilmfestival.com/detroitshetowntickets