We recently connected with Rosalie Kicks and have shared our conversation below.

Rosalie , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. One of the things we most admire about small businesses is their ability to diverge from the corporate/industry standard. Is there something that you or your brand do that differs from the industry standard? We’d love to hear about it as well as any stories you might have that illustrate how or why this difference matters.

MovieJawn is a quarterly print movie publication and website where movies are all that matter. Each quarterly print issue features a theme and our staff writers interpret that theme as they see fit sharing their thoughts on movies of various eras. On our website, MovieJawn.com we post reviews and feature articles on a daily basis.

I believe something that sets us apart from larger publications is that we are not corporate backed. Instead our publication is fully reader supported through donations, patron subscription and sales through our website and at events.

Rosalie , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I attended Temple University graduating with as a double major in Film and Journalism.

MovieJawn was founded in 2015 by a friend of mine. Several years ago, after they decided to pursue other opportunities, I stepped in as Editor in Chief.

MovieJawn is an inclusive writing collective dedicated to the love of motion pictures. Our admiration is expressed in print and online formats and is composed of eighty staff writers from all over the world. Our publication strives to be inclusive not only in our fondness of the cinema but in those that write for us. From silent pictures to talkies, MovieJawn celebrates all eras and genres of film. Much like a friend, we hope to guide the reader to their next favorite watch while sharing a perspective on a flick that is different from one’s own view.

I believe something we offer that is different than other publications out there is our focus on more than just Hollywood Blockbusters and A-list actors. We try to uncover the hidden gems within cinema and provide coverage to motion pictures that may not otherwise receive the opportunity.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

MovieJawn has been in existence for ten years, yet I feel that at this very moment we are about to have our breakout. Many people (especially our peers) are starting to take notice to the work we have been doing in the space of film criticism and writing.

I think what has helped us build our reputation and get us to this current place is our determination and kindness. MovieJawn refuses to give up despite the numerous roadblocks that we are faced with as an independent publication. Not being afraid to ask for help and the willingness to provide a helping hand when needed also has added to our success. We may not have the resources available to us like larger outlets, but we always come ready to work and take each and every opportunity given to us seriously.

What else should we know about how you took your side hustle and scaled it up into what it is today?

Up until April 2024, for seventeen years I worked in the Human Resources field for a large corporation while managing/running MovieJawn in the moonlight. Being able to now focus on MovieJawn full time has truly been a wonderful experience for me and has helped me devote more efforts into growing the publication, working with our staff more closely, providing direction for the future and ultimately doing something that I truly am passionate about.

This year, we hope to continue our growth by reaching 100 supporters on Patreon, circulation of 500 and to pay each and every writer for their work. Presently our writers are paid on a donation basis via our website – which is completely reader supported. I am hoping that with our continued growth we can truly make MovieJawn sustainable.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.moviejawn.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moviejawn/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@moviejawn0711
• Other: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/moviejawn.bsky.social

  Substack: https://moviejawn.substack.com/

Image Credits

All photos are mine (Rosalie Kicks)