We caught up with her in advance of our online information session on Sept 16, to find out about why she’s embracing AI, what she sees the future of the industry to be, and why she’s supporting other women who feel that they are “too much.”

Toni will be one of the guest tutors at our online filmmaker workshop on AI, taking place on September 16. Check out our web page to find out more. 

T-Blog: Hi Toni, thanks for agreeing to this interview. First up, could you introduce yourself in a couple of lines?  

Toni Thai Sterrett: My name is Toni Thai Sterrett, I’m a filmmaker and creator obsessed with making tech more accessible and less intimidating for creatives and mid career professionals.

T-B: Could you tell us a little about the Bad Grrrls Creative Club – how did you find the idea for this club and what need were you responding to and what successes has the club had so far? 

TTS: BGCC was created to be a community for creative women (and men who support us) who are told we are “too much”. Like too bold, Too much personality, too much passion, too much style, too much authenticity, etc. Our biggest success came early on when we launched at The Green Space, WNYC & NPR’s IRL space in soho. We had a 3 night artist in residency and hosted conversations each night on the future of film, the future of fashion and the future of creativity.

T-B: Your other project is Cinepartna, could you tell us a little about Cinepartna and how it works? 

 TTS: CinePartna is an app and a community for professional and aspiring screenwriters who can’t afford or find an incredible writing partner or coach. It uses the best of AI to make you a better writer, by guiding you through the process and inspiring you to expand your thinking and ideas.

T-Blog: AI use in film is very controversial right now. How do you think we can ethically combine AI and filmmaking? 

TTS: By keeping filmmakers in every step of the process. I like to look at AI like automation, it’s makes processes faster and easier but you still need talent and nuance. I truly believe that if we can make the future of film what we want to make it.

T-B: What is one thing that you think upcoming filmmakers could do to make their path into the film industry easier for themselves? 

TTS: Get into it for the art. Not the money. Not the fame. Build a community of like minded people and host creative “hackathons”, if you will. This can be hosted at coffee shops, living rooms, etc. where you can collaborate on and cross promote one another’s work.

T-B: What’s your number one tip for networking in the film industry? 

TTS: Be genuine and connect with people before asking what they do. Getting to genuinely know others will open way more doors than desperate networking. Make friends and see if there’s synergy, the rest will make itself happen.

T-B: Have you ever felt like giving up on a project? How do you know when to keep going, or when to move on to something else? 

TTS: I’ll be honest and talk about CinePartna, I never wanted to give up, BUT the extreme apprehension towards AI tools amongst writers is so loud. I had to really slow down and see how scary and traumatizing for those who have had their work stolen by large AI companies. So I’ve had to slow down a bit to “read the room”, take an accounting of how creatives are feeling and ask myself what writers actually need. Not what I (and other AI founders) assume they need or want.

T-B: The film industry is changing rapidly right now due to so many social and technological factors, how do you see the future of the industry? 

TTS: I see chaos then calm. AI isn’t the only disruption. The industry is dealing with an economic and distribution problem, too. Eventually audiences will seek experiences that feel scarce and human.

T-B: What are you proudest of from your career so far? 

TTS: I’m proud that I kept betting on myself, but I’m probably even prouder that I’ve been able to create opportunities for other creatives to see themselves in spaces—especially technology—that they didn’t always feel invited into.

T-B: What is the best advice you’ve ever been given in your career so far? And who shared it? 

TTS: One of my mentors, a well known American journalist and filmmaker, once told me to just have fun. And to remember that we get paid to to create and have fun which is a huge privilege so always remember the fun.