Justice Bell Foundation
Reclaiming Women's History. Highlighting Women's Contributions. Promoting Voter Participation.
Martha Wheelock
Martha has combined education and filmmaking for over three decades. In the mid-1970s, frustrated that there were so few films about women, she created Wild West Women Films (originally Ishtar Films) in 1976 to create films and media for women’s studies programs, and to educate women and men about women’s place in history and the arts.
Martha taught English, ethics, and women’s studies for over 40 years in high schools and colleges, most recently at the Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles.
When women celebrated the 50th Anniversary of their right to vote in 1970, Martha marched down 5th Avenue in New York City; for the 75th Anniversary, she produced the first of her women’s history films, VOTES FOR WOMEN. For the centennial of California women’s suffrage, her film CALIFORNIA WOMEN WIN THE VOTE was featured as a centerpiece of that celebration.
In 2016, Martha wrote and produced INEZ MILHOLLAND on the centennial of her death as a tribute to Inez and all suffragists who dedicated themselves to the cause of women’s suffrage.
Martha is on the board of the National Women’s History Project and Girls Learn International. She is a mentor at Girls Today, Women Tomorrow. She is a member of the Alliance of Women Directors. She is a graduate of Earlham College (BA), New York University (MA, PhD) and AFI’s Directing Workshop for Women. She is the Executive Director of Wild West Women, Inc., a non-profit company she cofounded to produce films about women in order to provide positive role models for women and girls.