A courageous factory worker fights for equal pay when cheated by her company in Director Rachel Feldman’s drama, Lilly.

Based on the true story of Lilly Ledbetter, Feldman’s film reveals how the hard-working Alabama factory supervisor discovers that her company has been paying her half of what her male counterparts receive and begins a historic fight for justice and equality that stretches all the way to Washington, DC.

On May 10, after the DGA membership screening in New York, Feldman discussed the making of Lilly during a Q&A moderated by Director Deborah Kampmeier (Tape). She also spoke about the film during a conversation moderated by Director Amber Sealey (Out of My Mind) following the Los Angeles screening on May 18.

During the New York conversation, Feldman revealed how her directing style has changed over the years.

“As a Director who came up as a storyboard artist and as an assistant to big Directors on studio movies, my responsibility was the Director’s notebook. I’m a systems person by nature. My early years were all about the notebook, the planning, the shot list, down to the teeth. And when I first started directing, I very much stuck to the plan. And, as you mature, you become more comfortable with your craft, and you have all that work you’ve done just implanted. You don’t need to be looking at your notes constantly. You know the plan. I’ve allowed myself to be present, to not be afraid of other people’s ideas, and to be able to take a little piece of this idea and a little piece of that idea.”

Lilly is Feldman’s feature debut. Her other directorial credits include episodes of The Baxters, Criminal Minds, Blue Bloods, The Rookie, Beyond the Break, Lizzie McGuire, Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction, The Jersey, Sisters, Picket Fences and The Commish. She has been a DGA member since 1986 and has served as a co-chair of the Women’s Steering Committee.