About us
Justice for My Sister (JFMS) is a nonprofit arts organization founded in Guatemala in 2011. We got our name from the documentary produced by our Founder and Executive Director Kimberly Bautista about femicide in Guatemala.
In 2015, JFMS obtained nonprofit status and started operating in the predominantly Latino neighborhood of Boyle Heights in Los Angeles. JFMS was founded by queer women of color who are survivors of gender-based violence. Our mission is to train women of color, nonbinary youth, and foster youth to make films with a gender equity and racial justice lens, as a means to heal from trauma and overcome financial barriers to entering the TV & film industry.
JFMS uses the arts as an educational tool to train audiences in violence prevention using theater, storytelling, and art therapy. Since launching our first program, Nuevas Novelas in 2015, JFMS has expanded its curriculum to include media literacy training, economic sustainability for artists, and job training. We were founded on the belief that it is vital to advance diversity, push for inclusion, accessibility & equity in the TV & Film industry and we keep working every day to achieve this goal.
Our Students
JFMS students are primarily women of color, nonbinary youth, and foster youth ages 12-40 from communities of color in Los Angeles County. Our students are first-time filmmakers and mid-career artists looking to acquire the skills needed to obtain jobs in the film and TV industry. JFMS is a launchpad for many students' careers, as they are able to develop community with each other and their mentors, laying the foundation for future collaborations.
Our Programs
Our programs provide healing-centered, trauma-informed film making instruction to first-time filmmakers and mid-career artists alike, ages 12 - 40. We provide participants with the skills needed to succeed and transform the TV industry. We aim to be a contributor to the creation of a more diverse industry, increasing the participation of more women of color and underrepresented populations who can be advocates of gender equality and racial justice.
Our Team
JFMS is an organization entirely led by women of color survivors of gender based violence. Most of our staff, mentors, and advisory board members were born and raised in the communities we serve. It is our objective to show our students successful role models in the industry that look like them, so they feel empowered to recognize themselves as leaders in our community as well.
Visit our programs page to learn more about our different programs and how you can participate and get involved.
Our Impact
We envision a film and TV industry populated by advocates of gender equality and racial justice.
In 9 years of operation, JFMS has impacted the lives of over 5,000 people in Southern California and over 10,000 in Guatemala. Our work has been featured by NPR, MSNBC, the Commission of the Status of Women at the United Nations Headquarters, and through several Embassies and universities as case studies of best practices to promote community-building through the arts to prevent gender-based violence.
Learn more about the impact of our work.
