Alison Garwood Jones

TORONTO, JULY 2017: Filmmaker Maureen Judge‘s next documentary, Girls on the Bus, in development with TVO Docs, explores the challenges faced by teenage girls whose expectations of success and sexual equality are not being met.

Maureen will follow four to five subjects during their final year of high school, and look at how the perception of a glass ceiling, and their place in the world affect the teenage girls’ attitudes, actions and goals.

I got out my black Uniball pen to create this drawing for their flyer and social media accounts. I’m a huge fan of how Maureen gets inside the lives of her subjects. Check out her work at MakinMovies.ca

Here is what Maureen is looking for in her own words: “While it seems like future possibilities for girls across North America are limitless, and more girls graduate high school than boys, a recent Gallup poll found 77% of teens still believe there’s a glass ceiling. Girls continue to encounter overt and shameless sexism. And, as they become aware of the disappointing job statistics for women, they begin to wonder about their goals and dreams. For instance, in two years Canada has fallen from 19th to 35th place globally in the gender wage gap ratings. And there is still a gap of close to 20% between full-time male and female wages.

Throughout the film, we observe the subjects dreaming about their futures and, despite the odds, see one believing she can achieve anything she wants, while another feels isolated, insecure and defeated. We relate to their passions, anxieties, sexual awareness, and frustrations as they navigate the social landscape of school, their families, and the digital world; fall in and out of teen love; and struggle to assert themselves in a male-centric world, amid a myriad of challenges and growing pains.”