What we do

Frankly Speaking Films is an independent production company focused on authentic storytelling to address the deep need for representation of queer women’s stories. Our queer, women-led team creates, directs, produces and executive produces short and feature-length documentaries, fiction films, series, and community engagement projects.

Why we do it

Poor representation of queer women in media makes it easier for the world to ignore us and strip us of our rights. Frankly Speaking’s projects position queer women as taking an active role in mending our world rather than as just existing. 

We want to live in a world where all queer women are seen and valued, and we believe that visibility in media is the most powerful tool to realize that vision. By placing queer women as the heroes of our stories, we can address the plethora of issues we all care about, and in so doing capture and change audience hearts and minds. We reveal the truth that we are essential in the fabric of humanity, so we cannot be erased or legislated away. 

Ultimately we believe our projects will lead to a safer and more connected world for us all.

How we do it

Frankly Speaking Films works in scripted and unscripted work through episodic series, feature films and shorts across all genres. Authenticity is critically important to us. We ensure that the core creative team behind a project has a stake in the communities that the project represents. We embrace inclusivity, recognizing the key role of advisors who strengthen the creative process. We equally value ambitious cinematic projects and social impact, cultivating partnerships and building paths toward social change from day one.

We believe in supporting our community working in the independent filmmaking field by paying living wages, investing in mentorship and hiring an intersection of women and non-binary people for every position on our projects.

Jen Rainin and Rivkah Beth Medow

Frankly Speaking Films was founded in 2020 by Oakland-based queer activist filmmakers Jen Rainin and Rivkah Beth Medow, whose first collaboration on the feature documentary AHEAD OF THE CURVE served as a model on which the company was built. Frankly Speaking Films exists to tell mesmerizing stories about strong queer women and non-binary people. The team created the award-winning short documentary HOLDING MOSES, and executive produced JEANNETTE (In Festivals), a feature documentary about a survivor of the Pulse nightclub massacre. They are now producing the new fiction feature AMERICAN DOG by Tom E. Brown.

Rivkah Beth Medow is a Sundance x WIF and Film Independent fellow whose documentary feature credits include AHEAD OF THE CURVE (Co-Director/Producer: STARZ); HUMMINGBIRDS (Co-Producer: in post), a late-night summer self portrait of best friends in a Texas border town; BEING GEORGE CLOONEY (Producer: Netflix), which dives into the art and business of audio dubbing Hollywood films for foreign markets; and SONS OF A GUN (Director/Producer: PBS), a verité film about chosen family, schizophrenia, and homelessness.

Jen Rainin is a Film Independent fellow whose credits include HOMEROOM (EP: Hulu), a documentary about Oakland’s education system, TWO SPIRITS (EP: Independent Lens), a documentary about gender identity in Native American cultures; SHIT & CHAMPAGNE (EP: Hulu), a high-camp, drag send-up of the iconic exploitation films of the 1970s. AHEAD OF THE CURVE (Director: STARZ) was Jen’s directorial debut.

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