When a 16-year-old filmmaker was bombarded by misogynistic comments online — Keanu Reeves quietly stepped in to support her

There will be a number of people waiting to put you down when you try to chase your passion. But even if you have one supporter, you can come through, especially if that source of support is as passionate, nonchalant, yet fierce as Keanu Reeves.

The actor has been supporting young Bianca Mitchell-Avila, who stepped up to battle misogyny with a dream, according to Dexerto. On March 16, her parents, who go by u/Dense-Collection3528, shared a post revealing that Reeves stood by her side as executive producer of her documentary “Madwoman’s Game,” which features women in the world of chess. It’s set to feature at the Miami Film Festival.

​It all started in 2020 when Mitchell-Avila shared her opinions for “Queen's Gambit” and it was featured in The New York Times. Unfortunately, a bunch of misogynistic boys commented ruthlessly, assuring the young woman that females didn’t belong in the field of chess.

Many would ignore these comments, a few might get discouraged, but this young protagonist took her story into her own hands and fought back by creating a new dream — a documentary that highlights women in chess. She worked from scratch and, in 2021, showed her vision to Reeves, who was instantly inspired. 

“He loved the idea and signed on as Executive Producer. It turns out that he played on the chess team in high school,” the post read.

For the next 5 years, he continued to mentor her and showed up, even if it meant fighting back futile chauvinists. In a comment, the parents wrote, “He has helped us navigate the industry and has been there for her whenever she needs help.”

The documentary’s synopsis, as shared by the Miami Film Festival, reads, “Madwoman’s Game follows Bianca Mitchell-Avila, a young Latina chess player who sees the game not simply as competition, but as the blueprint for navigating life.” 

The film explores her journey as she travels across the world to understand the dynamics of the game and how much of it applies in real life. It adds that as the young woman battles top-class chess players, she understands the game — and life.

In 2021, she shared a snippet of her work on YouTube. She shared back then that her goal was to tell the experience of a young woman in the field of chess. She has also reached out to top female players in the game, mentioning Jennifer Shahade and Alexandra Botez.

Mitchell-Avila’s dad finally shared that the documentary is set to premiere at the Miami Film Festival on April 16. 

“Our daughter's movie Madwoman's Game is premiering at the @miamifilm festival on April 16th!” he wrote in his post. And this young creator? She has only one aim. “The world needs to know these women and young women need to be exposed to lifestyles.”

To her, chess is not a game, it’s a “lifestyle” and it needs to be experienced by those who have the passion. For this youngster, the documentary is not just a work of art, it's a response on behalf of every passionate woman who dares to dream. According to data from Ipsos, misogyny is still prevalent among many. 

Two in five women (45% globally) reported online abuse or seeing sexist content online. Among those who experienced abuse or harassment online, the percentage was higher for women (19%) compared to men (13%).

Mallory Newall, Vice President, Ipsos Public Affairs, noted, “Here in the U.S., nearly half of men believe that traditional masculinity is under threat, while around a third see women as overreacting to harassment and abuse online. This reflects wider issues in our society about sexism and misogyny, both in person and online.”  

That’s why we need role models like Reeves to step in the way they do. His empowering move for women comes from his deep sense of respect for them, reported CBS News, and multiple stories support this news.

Be it driving a stranger home when her car broke down, or never touching women during photoshoots, Reeves has been persistent in his image of a good man. The same respect pushed him to stand for Mithcell-Avila and launch her dream in style. 

u/The21Numbers wrote, “You should be so proud of your daughter and what a class act from Keanu Reeves!” u/12WillieBeaman added, “This is what being excellent to each other is about.” 

More on Scoop Upworthy 

A woman called out clothing brands with sexist laundry tags: 'Casual misogyny is problematic'

Chess star Divya Deshmukh speaks up about the deep rooted misogyny in spectator sports

Woman gamer takes a stand against misogyny in hilarious fashion during her Twitch streams