About the Film


Sista in the Brotherhood is a 20-minute, narrative, short film about a black tradeswoman who faces discrimination on a new job site and who must choose between making a stand or keeping her job. 

The story follows apprentice carpenter (Sidony O’neal) who struggles to prove herself on her first day at a new job site. An outlier in a white, male-dominated workforce, she’s forced to navigate the crew’s reactions to her. When tensions arise, she receives inspiration from a surprising source to help her decide to either make a stand or risk never being recognized as the skilled worker she has become.

The film was inspired by the doctoral thesis of co-Executive Producer, Dr. Roberta Hunte and partly based on the experience of Latina Director Dawn Jones Redstone's experience as a union carpenter. The original script was written by Dawn Jones Redstone and Kjerstin Johnson.

Dawn Jones Redstone and Dr. Roberta Hunte raised over $13,000 on Kickstarter and received a grant from the Regional Arts and Culture Council to produce the film. 
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The film was made with an almost-all female crew, including 50 percent women of color. 

​Download our press kit here. 
AWARDS & SELECTIONS
Best Short Film · Portland International Film Festival (2016)
Best Oregon Short Film · Portland International Film Festival (2016)
Best Narrative Short Film · Workers Unite Film Festival (2016)
Best Short Film · Local Sightings Film Festival (2016)
Spirit Award · Reel Sisters Film Festival (2016)
Best Short Film · International Black Film Festival (2016)
Best Actress · International Black Film Festival (2016)
Best Short Film · Winter Film Awards (2017)
Best of Fest · Black Women Film Festival (2017)
Best in Show · Chicago Feminist Film Festival (2017)
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​Official Selection · St. Louis International Film Festival (2016)
​Official Selection · Bend Film Festival (2016)
​Official Selection · Baltimore Int'l Black Film Festival (2016)
​Official Selection · Sarasota Film Festival (2016)
Official Selection · Savannah Film Festival
Official Selection • Portland Film Festival (2016)
Official Selection · POWFest (2016)
​Official Selection · WAMM Fest (2016)
Official Selection · San Francisco Black Film Festival (2016)
Official Selection · Bluestocking Film Festival (2016)
Official Selection • International Black Film Festival (2016)
Official Selection • BronzeLens Film Festival (2016)
Official Selection • Revolution Me Film Festival (2016)
Official Selection • OPB's Oregon Lens (2016)
Official Selection • Afrikana Independent Film Festival (2016)
​Official Selection · Afr. Am. Women in Cinema Festival (2016)


​More press here.