The Mad Hattar, UNIT9 Open the Door for Girls Inc. of Los Angeles
Girls Inc. of Los Angeles unveiled “The Door,” its new fundraising film, at the organization's 2026 gala. The film — executive produced by Rania Hattar, Managing Director of The Mad Hattar, and directed by Michelle Craig, Founder of UNIT9 Film — was cast entirely with real Girls Inc. of Los Angeles participants and mentors, and dramatizes the moment a girl steps into a future she can finally see.
“The first rule of burning down the patriarchy is not to use other women as kindling,” said Rania Hattar, Managing Director of The Mad Hattar. “Women need to come together as collaborators, not competitors. Michelle Craig is a leading female director. We’re both feminists who want to push the movement forward. We don’t typically do TVC at The Mad Hattar, but when we do, it’s only with the best — and for ‘The Door,’ I’m proud that it’s also for a message that empowers.”
The film is built around a single cinematic metaphor: a door opening, and a girl walking through it. What waits on the other side is drawn from Girls Inc. of Los Angeles’ real career day and mentorship partnerships with companies like Summer Fridays and FP Movement. The film shows girls stepping into creative, leadership, and STEM careers, which the organization works to make visible and reachable.
Because the cast is non-professional, the production was built around the girls themselves — their personalities, their stated aspirations, the careers they actually wanted to imagine on screen. The result is a film that functions as both a fundraising asset for Girls Inc. of Los Angeles and a portrait of the participants at its center.
The score is by Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter Ren Martinez, whose original composition carries the film's emotional arc from uncertainty to possibility.
“Rania was instrumental in bringing the project to life,” said Michelle Craig, Founder of UNIT9. “She has a deep commitment to women’s stories and creating opportunities for girls and female creatives, and that spirit shaped the entire production. She created an environment where bold ideas felt possible. Making this film immediately brought me back to my own experience of first realizing directing was an actual career. Until I saw filmmaking and creative leadership up close, it felt like something that existed only ‘in movies’ or for other people. ‘The Door’ exists so that’s not the case for the next generation.”
“Rania and Michelle created a safe and welcoming space for our girls to be themselves. The end product feels inspirational and authentic because of the environment they created on set and their openness to showing the girls as their true selves,” said Erin Ross, CEO of Girls Inc. of Los Angeles. “Our donor community was so moved by the compelling visuals, the stirring score, and the story of our girls’ dreams coming to life.”
CREDITS
Production Company: The Mad Hattar
Managing Director / Producer: Rania Hattar
Production Company: UNIT9
Director: Michelle Craig
Production Supervisor: Joe Molina
1st AD: Luca Milovanovic
DP: Gary Long
Steadicam: Dan Willard
1st AC: Sean Kisch
Gaffer: Vatche Giragossian
Key Grip: Moe Al-Kayed
Swing / Driver: Vince Urquieta
Craft Service: Christy Catanzarito
PA: Bernie Duarte
PA: India Whatley
Production Designer: Charlotte Long
Set Dresser: Frank Garibay
Editor: Alex Burt
Score: Ren Martinez
VFX: Harry Davidson
Sound Design: Guy Chase
Color: Jamese Gilmore
Erin Ross: CEO Girls Inc of LA
Chief Program Officer: Dorian Garcia
Dir of Development: Kate Holguin
Dev and Comms Mgr: Ana Zavala
