9 Three Filmmakers from the Silent Era (1896-1931) Alice Guy Blaché Alice Guy Blache is believed to be the first person to make a narrative film, LE FÉE AUX CHOUX (THE CABBAGE FAIRY), in 1896. In 1910, she co-founded an American studio, Solax, where she directed roughly 20 feature-length films, all of which are recorded in the AFI Catalog. However, Blache’s filmography includes over 300 titles when accounting for her short films. Her shorts have now been added to the database, including the groundbreaking 1912 short film A FOOL AND HIS MONEY, which featured an all-Black cast. William D. Foster America’s inaugural Black filmmaker, William D. Foster, also established a studio in 1910 to produce films that portrayed African Americans authentically, without racial stereotypes or “blackface.” Still, none of these important works were previously included in the AFI Catalog because they are short films. Now, Foster’s short films are included, and we can appreciate the breadth of his work. Marion E. Wong Born in San Francisco and raised in Oakland, Marion E. Wong was just 20 years old when she established the Mandarin Film Company in 1916 and began to write, direct, produce, costume design, and act in her first and only feature, THE CURSE OF QUON GWON. This film is the earliest known Chinese American feature film and likely the first Asian film directed by a woman in the United States. Sources: Clothier, Sarah Blankfort (2024), ‘“Behind the Veil”: Documenting early short films at the AFI Catalog. Short Film Studies. (Full article in Appendix A); The AFI Catalog Spotlight.
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