Our Story

Studio IX was founded in 2019 and became an official 501(c)3 nonprofit organization in 2020 with the purpose of supporting emerging women and nonbinary nonfiction filmmakers. Rather than waiting to “be discovered” we believe in working to make our own way as creators and entrepreneurs, fostering the skills necessary to consistently get our work made and seen.

We were brought to life by Aubrey Aden-Buie, Elisa Gambino and Denise Warren, who were central in creating the Glassbreaker Films Initiative for The Helen Gurley Brown Foundation. Over three years, the trio managed a multi-million dollar budget and were instrumental in awarding grants to over 30 filmmakers and The Center for Investigative Reporting. Supported films pulled in international recognition, screened at over 150 festivals around the world including Sundance, SXSW and Tribeca, published on major streaming platforms, such as Netflix and The New York Time, pulled in two Oscar nominations, a National Emmy Award, and numerous other awards, and helped create over 120 additional crew jobs.

Seeing the incredible impact made through supporting short films, Aden-Buie launched Studio IX to expand their possible impact and introduce educational support in a meaningful way. Studio IX continues to support emerging filmmakers working on short films, helping them to get a foot in the door, but we also work to fill in current gaps in the industry.

Our programming is now driven by the needs of our community. We’re teaching filmmakers how to raise money, build an audience and plan strategic distribution. We’re creating a pipeline of emerging leaders ready to step into leadership roles at companies, and transform teams for the better. We’re setting the standard for diversity in storytelling. We’re also responding to the current environment to create support that meets filmmakers where they are and re-thinks the grant making process.