Pretty Beat is creating systemic change within the creative music and film industries by developing a new, equitable model for collaboration and production. We inspire transformative shifts in industry practices by empowering artists of underrepresented genders and sexualities with resources, collaborators, and financing to bring their projects to life.
What does this mean? It means women and transfolk in creative leadership roles – producers and directors, writers and songwriters, editors and cinematographers – and a team of all genders working to achieve these Artists’ visions.
Get Involved
Our slate of projects in 2025 includes development, production and live events in film, music, fictional and nonfictional audio narrative. We rely on grants, donations, and mutual aid to bring these projects to life. You can support our work with a tax-deductible donation:
While our 2025 slate of projects is full, we’re happy to learn about you, your projects and collaborators, and see if we can recommend resources or connect you potential collaborators. Please use the Contact Form below to get in touch, and do join the Newsletter for updates.
Affiliate Artists and Projects
Girl Culture is Sacred: A Benefit for Louisiana Abortion Fund (Mini-fest – Music)
Tracey Holland, 1001 Stevies
A biannual live music fundraiser for abortion access. Past featured performers include Josiah Johnson (The Head and The Heart), Laura Burhenn (The Mynabirds), Debbie Neigher (Lapel, Marina and the Diamonds, Demi Lovato), Leslie Stevens, French Cassettes, Spooky Mansion, Everyone Is Dirty, Lalin St. Juste (The Seshen), and Alycia Lang. 2/8/2025 at El Rio.
Raw, Black, Blue: A Photo-Fiction Book (Audionarrative – Literary)
Shantré Pinkney
The audiobook for Shantre Pinkney’s Zellerbach-awarded photography fiction book. Currently in Post-Production.
Through A Lens of Grief (Podcast – Nonfiction)
Serena Palumbo, A. Lolade Gbadebo
A nonfiction literary arts podcast in which hosts read literary fiction as sacred text to answer the question: How can a better understanding of grief – and a practice of grieving – help us? Our first season will explore John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath and its resonant themes of climate devastation, economic disparity, and immigration to California in search of agricultural work. Currently in Pre-Production, slated for Production in Summer 2025.
Untitled Riot Grrrl Project (Film Documentary)
Audrey Marrs
A documentary feature film in development. Director builds on her close relationship with Riot Grrrl founders in Bratmobile and Bikini Kill to tell the story of the two short years that would change the face of punk forever. Proof of Concept in Production.
Hedy Bell: Hope’s Edge (Audionarrative – Episodic)
A. Lolade Gbadebo, Oona Garthwaite, Amy G. Latham
A Black biomedical researcher wakes up in a shallow grave with no fiance, no wedding ring, and no memory of what happened. Hedy Bell must go up against a cloistered town in remote coastal Oregon to solve the mystery of how she got there. Currently in Pre-Production.
TK Records (Label Services Collective – Music)
Oona Garthwaite, Scott McDowell
An artists-for-artists label services collective based in San Francisco. The roster showcases artists like Maddie Carpenter, The Furious Tits, Oona, Benjamin Andrews, and John Elliot. Ongoing project, with plans for a debut mini-fest outdoors in SF in 2025
The Condition (Theatre)
Oona Garthwaite with Miranda J Friedman
Pablo Picasso and Jacques Lacan explain to Françoise Gilot what a woman is, while she’s in labor. Currently in development.
Half Ass (Film – Narrative)
Justin Clarel, Oona Garthwaite
A washed-up musician has big plans to rejoin her band and get her career back, but instead has to come to terms with a memory she’d rather leave behind. A story of accountability and community. Currently in development as a microbudget feature.
Get Set Up (Service – Music)
Benjamin Andrews
Bay Area guitar legend Benjamin Andrews sets up guitars for folks of underrepresented genders in guitar culture at sliding scale. Currently functioning as mutual aid; Seeking financing at $150/setup