Women + Film Voices Film Festival aims to recognize females in filmmaking
A still from Poster Girl
Last year, Bridesmaids was touted as the harbinger of a new era for women in film. ... But, then again, back in 2002, so was Bend It Like Beckham. And before that, the female-empowerment vehicle du jour was Thelma & Louise. The sad truth, though, is this: Even in 2011, only 5 percent of the 250 top-grossing films of the year were helmed by female directors. (In other words, for every Sofia Coppola or Kathryn Bigelow, there are roughly 19 Michael Bays.) Women make up less than one-quarter of the Academy voting base—despite being, oh, approximately 51 percent of the actual population—and less than one-third of speaking roles in the 100 top-grossing movies released last year were played by women.
Simply put, women continue to be an endangered minority in filmmaking, and it’s now more important than ever to support their efforts in film (and on film, too). The second annual Women + Film Voices Festival—a six-day, 10-film series presented by the Denver Film Society in collaboration with the Voices Salon Series—celebrates women’s contributions to cinema both old and new, domestic and international.
Here are just a few of these acclaimed films made by and about strong, smart women:
Ethel, 2012
This brand-new documentary about Robert F. Kennedy’s widow’s personal and political life is cobbled together from intimate interviews and never-before-seen footage from the family’s private collections. What’s with the V.I.P. access? Well, it might have helped that the director is the couple’s daughter, Rory Kennedy, who was born six months after her father’s assassination.
Poster Girl, 2010
Sara Nesson’s HBO short-subject documentary on Robynn Murray, a onetime high school cheerleader now struggling with PTSD after serving a tour of duty in Iraq. Nesson’s unflinching look at the gritty, real-life details of military equality earned her an Oscar nomination last year.
Twiga Stars: Tanzania’s Soccer Sisters, 2010
Thirty athletically gifted female athletes have been selected to represent Tanzania in the West African Football Tournament—but first, they must come together as the Tanzania national women’s football team, both on the field and off. Nisha Ligon’s affectionate film about women’s sports in one of the world’s most destitute regions proves that wanawake wanaweza—that is, “women are capable.” And how.
The festival will be held at the Denver FilmCenter/Colfax, running Tuesday, March 6 to Sunday, March 11. Each of the 10 films will be introduced by a Voices host (either a woman personally involved with the film or a Denver community leader), and will be followed by an open Q&A-format dialogue. View the full schedule and buy passes here.
