POWER UP (Professional Organization of Women in Entertainment Reaching Up) is an American non-profit organization and film production company whose mission is “to promote the visibility and integration of gay women in entertainment, the arts, and all forms of media”. Founded in 2000 by producers Stacy Codikow and Amy Shomer in Los Angeles, POWER UP was created with the goal of educating and empowering women. Its members comprise women and men, gay and straight, who share a singular purpose – to promote diversity in a primarily straight male dominated industry by supporting POWER UP’s mission.

Stacy Codikow, Co-founder & Executive Director of POWER UP, was cited as one of the top 13 ‘power lesbians’ in entertainment in 2007 by AfterEllen, the popular American lesbian entertainment website (www.afterellen.com ), and in 2003 received the LACE Award from the Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center for her contributions to the gay community in arts and entertainment. Stacy executive produced POWER UP’s first short Stuck as well as its first feature-length film Itty Bitty Titty Committee.

Lisa Thrasher, President of Film Production & Distribution for POWER UP, previously worked in anti-piracy litigation for 20th Century Fox, and produced POWER UP’s first feature-length film Itty Bitty Titty Committee with Andrea Sperling. She attended the 2005 Tokyo International Lesbian & Gay Film Festival with lesbian actress Guinevere Turner (Go Fish, Itty Bitty Titty Committee).

The POWER UP Honorary Board of Directors includes significant members of the US lesbian filmmaking community such as Jamie Babbit (Director of But I’m a Cheerleader, The Quiet, Itty Bitty Titty Committee), Andrea Sperling (Producer of D.E.B.S., Itty Bitty Titty Committee), Angela Robinson (Director of D.E.B.S., Herbie: Fully Loaded) and Donna Deitch (Director of Desert Hearts).

POWER UP provides funding and assistance to filmmakers as well as producing its own films. Through its Filmmaking Grant Program, POWER UP does not simply turn over funding to the Grant recipients; just like any large entertainment studio, POWER UP develops, produces and distributes the films made under the Program. The grantees are taught how to make high quality engaging films and how to work creatively and productively within a professional studio system.

POWER UP’s Annual Power Premiere Gala recognizes companies and individuals for their artistic endeavours. Past recipients of these awards include: Jennifer Beals (actress, The L Word) and Ilene Chaiken (creator, The L Word), Laura Innes (actress, ER), and Melissa Etheridge (singer/songwriter). Celebrity attendees at POWER UP events have included: Drew Barrymore, Rosanna Arquette, Clea DuVall, Ellen DeGeneres, Jane Lynch, Guinevere Turner and K.D. Lang. POWER UP also recognizes 10 women annually for their successes in show business.

POWER UP has produced 12 short films, including Stuck (2001) by Jamie Babbit and D.E.B.S. (2003) by Angela Robinson. In September 2007, it released its first feature film Itty Bitty Titty Committee , directed by Jamie Babbit .

Through the Power Up Filmmaking Grant Program, several past grantees have gone on to direct feature films and write and direct for television, including directors Jessica Sharzer (Speak, upcoming Dusty Springfield biopic), Angela Robinson, Lee Friedlander (Girl Play), and writer/director Colette Burson (Little Black Boot, The Riches) and Cherien Dabis (Little Black Boot, The L Word).

POWER UP films have garnered over 75 national and international awards and have played at prestigious film festivals including the Sundance Film Festival and the Berlin International Film Festival.

Their films have been screened numerous times at the Tokyo International Lesbian & Gay Film Festival. In 2004, POWER UP received the Leadership Award from the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force.