Biography

Kirsten Schaffer is the Executive Director of WIF, the preeminent organization that advocates for women in the screen industries-to achieve parity and transform culture. She has been instrumental in launching ReFrame, an industry-wide initiative to advance inclusivity and gender equity, as well as starting a variety of programs at WIF to increase the skill set and opportunity for film and TV makers.

Previously she was the Director of Programming and then Executive Director of Outfest. She is widely credited as having grown Outfest into the leading LGBT media arts organization that it is. During Schaffer's tenure at Outfest, she shepherded three new programs for the organization: the Outfest UCLA Legacy Project, the Fusion LGBT People of Color Film Festival, and OutSet, the Young Filmmakers Project. Kirsten has extensive experience in film programming, small business management, and arts administration.

She is a graduate of the National Arts Strategies Chief Executive Program, AIM (Arts Innovation and Management), and the Wells Fargo New Executive Director Institute. Kirsten was named one of POWER UP's "Top 10 Women in Show Business," and was the recipient of a "Women in Business" Award from Senator Liu. She is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
- IMDb mini biography by: Women in Film Official Website