Since 2013, Women’s Film Initiative has been a haven for women in media to connect and thrive during their collegiate careers and beyond.
The Women's Film Initiative is a student-run organization founded at Berklee College of Music, Boston, MA to inspire and strengthen women studying filmmaking and film scoring.
In 2013, film scoring students at Berklee College of Music Elisa Rice and Leah Dennis (pictured right) were brainstorming ways to increase the ranks of female filmmakers and film composers. They wanted to create a community where women could uplift and support each other to combat the isolation of being vastly-outnumbered by men in all their classes and also create more opportunities to connect with other filmmakers who wanted to staff their student productions with other talented women.
And thus, Women’s Film Initiative was born.
In addition to facilitating meaningful networking across the various schools in the area, WFI helps facilitate women-powered solutions and events to help students prepare for graduation and beyond.
Meet Our Team
President | Maddie Gallichio
Originally from the Chicagoland area, Maddie Gallichio is a 7th semester student double majoring in Screen Scoring and Contemporary Writing and Production at Berklee College of Music. She loves writing in mixed and diverse styles, blending orchestral and electronic elements. She has a soft spot for animation and loves scoring for Children’s and Young Adult media. Maddie is a Semi-Finalist and a Finalist in the Summer 2023 Indie Film Music Contest with “Outdrawn” and “Subway Love” respectively. Currently, she is co-writing and co-producing various songs with budding artists. Maddie strives to create scores that not only entertain, but also inspire and leave a lasting impact on young hearts and minds.
Instagram: @themadlion253
Vice-President | Sterling Shenaut
Hi everyone! My name is Sterling Shenaut I am a 7th semester Film Scoring major at Berklee. I am a vocal principle & violist. Outside of Film Scoring, I love to write songs & live loop with instruments & vocals. Some composers I have greatly moved & inspired recently are Abel Korziniosky, Anthony Willis, Hildur Guonadótti, & Danny Elfman (to name a few!). Looking forward to a great semester!
Instagram: @sterlinggrace_
Coordinator | Lina Malshy
Lina Malshy is a Palestinian award winning film and media scoring composer and Arabic vIolin player. She moved to the United States to study at Berklee College of Music, where she currently serves as Screen Scoring Department Assistant and Head Librarian for the Film Scoring Session Orchestra. Her work also included orchestrating for acclaimed visiting composers like Mike Post and Nainita Desai. As a violinist, Lina played with the New York Arabic Orchestra in the recording of the newest Ubisoft's Assassin’s Creed video game soundtrack “Mirage” by composer Brendon Angelis at Berklee Power Station Studio. As a composer, Lina has written music for various short films including “Old Decorations" by Palestinian film director Rami Fahel. In addition, she worked as composer’s assistant for Anne-Marie Keane on short film “Beyond Doubt” as well as the “ART that MOVES” ballet performed by Artistic Ventures In Dance at The Theatre NYC.
Instagram: @linamalshy
Social Media Manager | Keziah Thomas
Keziah is a 21 year old Singer, Pianist, Music Producer and DJ from Bangalore, India. She is entering her fourth semester at Berklee College of Music, majoring in Film Scoring and minoring in Contemporary Conducting. She is constantly working and experimenting with different genres to find and conquer her own sound. She enjoys composing music and has released five original songs on all platforms so far.
Instagram: @_keziahthomas
Co-Founder | Elisa Rice
Elisa C. Rice is a composer, storyteller, and advocate for Hollywood recording musicians and gender equality in entertainment. Based in Los Angeles, Elisa has written music for film, television, and new media, including the series "Contemporary Mating Rituals" and additional music for "Passage to Mars" narrated by Zachary Quinto, the Emmy-nominated TV show "Galavant,” and the upcoming Amblin feature "Come Play,"
Instagram: @elisacrice Facebook: Elisa Rice
Co-Founder | Leah Dennis
Leah Dennis is a music editor and singer who has worked on many projects spanning the TV and film scene in Los Angeles including A Million Little Things (ABC), Step Up Highwater (Lionsgate), Minions (Universal), The Angry Birds Movie (Sony), Curious George 4 (Universal Animation) and Twenties (BET). Coming from a musical family, Leah learned classical violin and voice from an early age before studying film scoring and conducting at Berklee College Of Music.
Instagram: @leahndennis Facebook: Leah Dennis