Move over Oscars, the Female Voices Rock Film Festival will return to Brooklyn May 5-7, to showcase this year’s most visionary independent films from women creators. Priority for this year’s festival is to shed light on films created by storytellers long marginalized in Hollywood, especially women of color and LGBTQ+ voices. The festival maintains that these stories make for some of the most important and enlightening films, and strives to use the Female Voices Rock festival’s platform to uplift these filmmakers.
The Female Voices Rock festival was launched in 2019. In 2018, the festival’s data showed women comprised only 20% of all directors, writers, producers, editors and cinematographers working on the top 250 US domestic grossing films. While the representation of women in film has grown and adapted exponentially in the past couple of years, the Female Voices Rock film festival strives to have those same standards reflected behind the scenes as well.
Creating a safe and inspiring space for women to express themselves, share visionary stories and meet future collaborators is what Female Voices Rock is all about. Each year we thrive to do better and to increase diversity and inclusion by making sure women’s voices continue to be championed
Catherine Delaloye, founder and executive director
Premiering at the festival this year are Erica Eng’s “Americanized,” a story of Eng struggling with finding her place in Oakland’s hip-hop culture as a Chinese American; Abbey George’s “Jesus Would Have Loved Punk Rock,” about two girls taking on their corrupt Catholic high school’s administration; Kayla Arend’s “Leaving YellowStone,” a horror about a woman who finds herself amidst a crumbling relationship in the isolated wood; and many more, see the full list below.
This year, producer Kira Leinonen is recruiting industry professionals for the festival’s industry panels to bring invaluable information to participants in developing short films into features, steps in producing your first film, budgeting, editing and more. Past festivals have procured panelists from films so varied as The 1619 Project, Everything Everywhere All At Once, The Manchurian Candidate and The Woman King, to name a few. This year’s panelists and film line-up are to be announced.
Americanized – directed by Erica Eng
Anniversary – directed by Lain Kienzle
Bienvenidos a Los Angeles – directed by Lisa Cole
Birth Rights – directed by Maria Rosales
Call Button – directed by Rhona Rees
Choices – directed by Kameishia D Wooten
Counting – directed by Sarah Young
Daddy – directed by Jo Steinhart
Firecracker – directed by Caroline Guo
Five Star Review – directed by Vivien Vitolo
Girls Night In – directed Alison Roberto
Her and I – directed by Stephanie Marin
Hummingbird – directed by Lindsey E. Gary
I’m Sorry, I Tried, I Love You – directed by Goldie Jones
In Sickness & In Health – directed by Sarah Smick
Incurable – directed by Bahare Nikjoo
Jesus Would Have Loved Punk Rock – directed by Abbey George
Leaving Yellowstone – directed by Kayla Arend
Mama Retreat – directed by Eileen Álarez
Mary Meet Grace – directed by Faryl Amadeus
Matka/Polka (Mother/Pole) – directed by Joanna Suchomska
No Man’s Land – directed by Kristen Buckels
Punch Line – directed by Becky Cheatle
Rearranging Skin: A Love Letter to the World
Resurrection – directed by Luiza Budejko
Ro & the Stardust – directed by Eunice Levis
SAM – directed by Ryan Thielen, Jen Stafford
The Blue Dream – directed by Angelita Mendoza
Tooth – directed by Jillian Corsie
Unattached – directed by Fanny Texier
Wannabe – directed by Josie AndrewsWho? How? and Where? – directed by Victoria Garza
Festival attendees can expect, in addition to screenings, workshops, parties, talks with industry professionals, networking opportunities, with more to be announced. The festival, held at the Wythe Hotel in Brooklyn, will begin on Friday, May 5 with an opening night party from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. A single day pass for Saturday is $40 and $50 for Sunday. The all access pass, $125, ensures access to the Opening Night Party, awards ceremony and closing party, filmmaker brunch, all screening blocks and industry panels, red carpet access and one drink ticket for the opening and closing parties. Tickets and more information can be found here.
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