Last October, women and men from around the world took to social media to share theirexperiences of sexual harassment and assault via the use of the hashtag #MeToo. There is no doubt that the #MeToo movement changed the very nature of relationships, but it also had the effect of empowering women and men to conquer new territories, and find new avenues to tell their stories.

Now, a brave, empowered filmmaker has dramatized the reality of the #MeToo era. Finding Phoebe, written, produced and starring Baltimore-based Krene?e Tolson, tells the story of 17-year-old Phoebe Jackson, as she is forced to face her history of sexual abuse, all while trying to maintain an unstable relationship with her mother and best friend.

“The film has strong parallels to what is going on today,” Tolson said. “It’s a story that a lot of women have dealt with, whether it is sexual misconduct in the workplace, or within their own lives. There is a part of Phoebe that represents all women.”

The film was made possible thanks to The Saul Zaentz Innovation Fund in Film and Media at Johns Hopkins University, the famed Baltimore-based initiative that connects filmmaking creatives with industry experts. Tolson was selected as one of The Fund’s Development and Production Fund winners in December 2017.

At its core, Finding Phoebe is a complex story that touches on issues of race, class, sexuality and gender, all topics that are sure to strike a chord in the era of #MeToo, according to Tolson. Though Tolson says Finding Phoebe is not autobiographical, much of the content from the film was inspired by people’s true stories.

“More than the sexual abuse, I think a lot of women are just looking for someone to speak up for them on their behalf, when they do not have the strength to do it on their own,” Tolson said. “My hope is that Finding Phoebe inspires women to speak up for themselves and for others.”

Beyond tackling important issues, Tolson is dedicated to flipping the script behind the camera, particularly when it comes to the film’s crew. Finding Phoebe is comprised mostly of local Baltimore-area women and people of color, a conscious effort on Tolson’s behalf to be inclusive and groundbreaking. According to a study by the University of California – Annenberg, less than 5 percent of major filmmakers are women and only 7 percent of films each year have a cast and crew whose balance of race, ethnicity and gender reflect the country’s diversity.

“I never just wanted to be a filmmaker, I wanted to be a filmmaker with a purpose,” Tolson said. “I didn’t just want to create a story, and get patted on the back for creating it. I wanted to give back to my community and empower people to dream big and activate the artist within themselves. I wanted to give women the opportunity to lead, and not shrink into the background. From the very beginning, it was less about being a filmmaker, and more about activism and making a change. Thanks to the Saul Zaentz Innovation Fund, I am able to do exactly that. Even if nobody ever watches the film, I can still say they have helped me make a change in someone’s life.”

For Annette Porter, director of The Saul Zaentz Innovation Fund in Film and Media at Johns Hopkins University, Tolson and her film represents everything The Fund is trying to accomplish.

“Krene?e is one of the most articulate, inspired young filmmakers I’ve met,” Porter said. “She is a prime example of what can happen when new voices and stories are given the opportunity to reach the mainstream. The Saul Zaentz Innovation Fund could not be more honored to support Krene?e, who is at the front line of puncturing the glass ceiling for the next wave of filmmakers. Beyond that, her story is a wonderful illustration that highlights moving great Baltimore talent into the limelight. I have every confidence that this will not be the last we see of her, and her extraordinary talent.”

Once filming and editing is complete in August 2018, Finding Phoebe will be submitted to major film festivals around the world, including the Sundance Film Festival, Berlin International Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and Pan African Film Festival.

For more information, please visit https://zaentzfund.com/.

About Krenee Tolson

Krene?e A. Tolson was born and raised in Baltimore, MD where she discovered her love for acting. She began training at the age of 13 with the Baltimore School for the Arts Twigs program and at 14 was accepted into the school as a high school student where she continued to study theatre. In 2008, she was accepted in DePaul University’s Theatre School, in Chicago, IL. She worked as a professional actress in Chicago's film/tv scene for two years before returning to Baltimore. Once there, she became a Fellow at the Baltimore Youth Film Arts, and was later named a Fellow of The Saul Zaentz Innovation Fund in 2017. Her time in Baltimore gave her the confidence to give writing, producing, and directing a chance. She made her directorial debut in early 2018 in The First to Fight, a short film illuminating the issues of U.S. Veterans returning from combat and dealing with PTSD. Her Writing/Producing debut will be later this year in Finding Phoebe.

About The Saul Zaentz Innovation Fund

The Saul Zaentz Innovation Fund in Film and Media Studies is an incubator program at Johns Hopkins University that connects the Baltimore creative community with prestigious artists, veteran executives, and successful entrepreneurs from related industries for mentoring, knowledge sharing, team building, and access to funding. The Fund’s central mission is to embolden and empower new voices by finding innovative ways for diverse communities in Baltimore to write, design, produce, and distribute a wide array of visual content, from narrative film to immersive media. For more information, please visit https://zaentzfund.com/.