I am particularly pleased to see that there are so many women working in documentary film.

If you love your craft there will be passion. Most of my films are with people who are really passionate about what they are doing and know how to do something well.

My favorite film is "Meshes in the Afternoon," a short avant garde film directed by Maya Deren. This was the first film that I saw that was actually directed by a woman.

I have always felt that documentaries are an opportunity for me to witness a world that I know nothing about.

Since I shoot, record audio and edit, I was able to begin the filming without hiring a crew and create a sample to show broadcasters and grant organizations.

When I was growing up in the '50s, I had never heard of a "woman film director," so I did not consider it as an option. But I was fortunate that in the late-'60s and '70s, because of the feminist movement, women were stepping into all sorts of careers that had been closed to them in the past and film was one of them.

Crowdsourcing is an invaluable resource for filmmakers, but be prepared for an enormous amount of work.