List of women's film festivals
Women's film festivals are film events geared to promote women in the film industry. Women’s film festivals began due to the lack of female voice within the film industry.[1] To combat this hindrance, their own film festival was designed. Most women's film festivals only screen films directed, produced, or written by women. Some film festivals only invite women to attend. Sometimes, some events or awards are also geared towards men, if their work promotes women's career paths or visibility in the industry.
| Name | Est. | City | Country | Type | Notes | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aichi International Women’s Film Festival | 1996 | Aichi |  Japan
|
International | aiwff.com | |
| Another Experiment by Women Film Festival | 2010 | New York |  United States
|
Special interest | Women's experimental films, featuring under-represented themes and issues | axwonline |
| Archer Film Festival | 2012 | Los Angeles | United States
|
Special interest | High school film festival, not exclusive to women filmmakers | archerfilmfestival |
| Artemis Women In Action Film and music Festival | 2015/19/20 | Los Angeles | United States
|
International | Dedicated to honouring female action and empowerment heroes. | www |
| Aswan International Women’s Film Festival | 2017 | Aswan |  Egypt
|
International | aiwff.org | |
| Athena Film Festival | 2009 | New York | United States
|
International | Barnard College event focusing on "fearless women leaders" | athenafilmfestival.com |
| Ax Wound Film Festival | Brattleboro | United States
|
Special interest | Horror films made by women | filmfreeway.com/AxWoundFilmFestival | |
| Barcelona International Women's Film Festival | 1992 | Barcelona |  Spain
|
International | mostrafilmsdones.cat | |
| Beirut International Women Film Festival | 2016 | Beirut |  Lebanon
|
International | Organized by Beirut Film Society, under the theme “Women for Change” | beirutwomenfilmfestival.com |
| Bentonville Film Festival | 2015 | Bentonville | United States
|
International | Partner of Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media | bentonvillefilmfestival.com |
| Berlin Feminist Film Week | Berlin |  Germany
|
International | Feminist films | berlinfeministfilmweek.com | |
| Berlin Lesbian Film Festival | Berlin | Germany
|
International | Films of lesbian interest; on hiatus | lesbenfilmfestival.de | |
| Birds-Eye View Film Festival | 2002 | London |  United Kingdom
|
International | Since 2014, various year-round events around the UK (formerly annual) | birds-eye-view.co.uk |
| Boston Women's Film Festival | 2018 | Boston | United States |
International | bostonwomensfest.org | |
| Breakthroughs Film Festival | 2011 | Toronto |  Canada
|
International | Short films of all genres | breakthroughsfilmfestival.com |
| Brooklyn Girl Film Festival | 2012 | Brooklyn | United States
|
International | Disbanded in 2015 | |
| Brooklyn Women's Film Festival | 2017 | Brooklyn | United States |
International | brooklynwomensfilmfestival.com | |
| Broad Humor | 2015 | Venice, California | United States
|
International | Focus on comic films by women | broadhumor.com |
| Cairo International Women's Film Festival | 2008 | Cairo | Egypt |
International | cairowomenfilmfest.com | |
| California Women’s Film Festival | Los Angeles | United States
|
International | calwomensfest.com | ||
| CASCADIA International Women’s Film Festival | 2017 | Bellingham, Washington | United States
|
International | cascadiafilmfest.org | |
| China Women's Film Festival | 2013 | Beijing |  China |
International | chinawomensff.net | |
| Citizen Jane Film Festival | 2008 | Columbia, Missouri | United States
|
International | Cancelled from 2019 | [2] |
| Corto Helvetico al Femminile | Muralto |  Switzerland
|
International | Women's International Short Film Festival | festival-chf.ch | |
| Coven Film Festival | 2019 | San Francisco , California | United States
|
International | Films by women and non-binary filmmakers from San Francisco Bay and around the world | covenfilmfestival.com |
| Crucial 21st Century Cinema #DirectedbyWomen | 2015 | Online | International | Work by women directors premiering during the 21st century | directedbywomen.com | |
| Davis Feminist Film Festival | 2006 | UC Davis | United States
|
International | Grassroots festival of short films from around the world | davis-feminist-film-festival |
| Detroit SheTown Film Festival | 2018 | Detroit | United States
|
International | Short films by or about women | detroitshetownfilmfestival.com |
| Dublin Feminist Film Festival | 2014 | Dublin |  Ireland
|
International | dublinfeministfilmfestival.com | |
| Elles Tournent – Dames Draaien Festival | 2009 | Brussels |  Belgium
|
International | ellestournent.be | |
| Eroïn Gala | 2012 | Paris |  France
|
International | Short films | eroin.us |
| Etheria Film Night | 2014 | Los Angeles | United States |
Special interest | Horror, sci-fi, thriller, dark comedy short films | etheriafilmnight.com |
| Eve Film Festival | 2018 | Ottawa | Canada
|
International | Showcases and supports work by women (including cis and trans) and genderqueer directors | evefilmfestival.ca |
| Everett Film Festival | 1997 | Everett | United States
|
International | everettfilmfestival.org | |
| Female Eye Film Festival | 2001 | Toronto | Canada |
International | femaleeyefilmfestival.com | |
| FemCine | 2010 | Santiago |  Chile
|
International | Includes some films by men | femcine.cl |
| Fem Film Festival | 2019 | Bangkok |  Thailand
|
International | Focus on Southeast Asian films. Presented by Bangkok Screening Room | bkksr.com/movies/fem-film-festival-2019 |
| Femina Fest | 2004 | Rio de Janeiro |  Brazil
|
International | On hold | feminafest.com (archived 2014) |
| Feminist & Queer International Film Festival | 2015 | Bucharest |  Romania
|
International | Disbanded | faqiff.ro/ |
| Festival Filministes | 2015 | Montreal | Canada
|
International | Organizes screenings of cinematographic works followed by discussions on various contemporary feminist issues | festivalfilministes.com |
| Festival Cine por Mujeres Madrid / Films by Women Madrid | 2018 | Madrid | Spain
|
International | All kind of feature films made by women | festivalcinepormujeres.com |
| Films, Femmes, Mediterranée | 2005 | Marseille | France
|
International | Focusing on filmmakers and actresses from Mediterranean countries | films-femmes-med.org |
| Film Festival Assen | 1980 | Assen |  Netherlands
|
International | Films focusing on women in front of and behind the camera | filmfestivalassen.nl |
| Film Festival for Women's Rights | 2006 | Seoul |  South Korea
|
International | Focusing on subjects relating to violence against women | fiwom.org |
| Filmmor Women's Film Festival on Wheels | 2003 | Istanbul, Bodrum |  Turkey
|
International | filmmor.org | |
| Flying Broom International Women's Film Festival | 1997 | Ankara | Turkey |
International | ucansupurge.org.tr | |
| For Film's Sake (formerly the WOW Film Festival) | 1996 | Sydney |  Australia
|
International | Paused since 2019 | For Film's Sake |
| FrauenFilmTage | 2004 | Vienna |  Austria
|
International | frauenfilmtage.at | |
| Freiburger Lesben Filmtage | 1990 | Freiburg | Germany
|
International | Lesbian interest films | freiburger-lesbenfilmtage.de |
| F-Sides | 2020 | Bucharest | Romania
|
Special interest | Cineclub and festival dedicated to women creators | f-sides.ro/ |
| Fusion Film Festival | 2003 | New York | United States
|
International | NYU festival | fusionfilmfestival.com |
| hecho x mujeres | 2008 | Rosario, Santa Fe |  Argentina
|
International | Disbanded in 2014 | festivalhechoxmujeres.blogspot.com/ |
| HER Docs Film Festival | 2019 | Warsaw | Poland | International | Documentary films, animations, experimental films, and video artworks directed by women | herdocs.pl |
| Her International Film Festival | 2020 | Killarney, County Kerry | Ireland | International | filmfreeway.com/YoungWomenInFilm | |
| Herat International Women's Film Festival (HIWFF) | 2013[3] | Herat | Afghanistan | International | Films about women and/or executed by women, human rights, gender equality, sexual identity, etc. Last held Nov. 2020?[3][4][5][6] | hiwff |
| High Falls Film Festival | 2001 | Rochester | United States |
International | highfallsfilmfestival | |
| Hollywood Women's Film Festival | 2019 | Hollywood | United States
|
International | Hosted by Hollywood Women's Film Institute; women filmmakers | hollywoodwomensfilminstitute.org |
| IAWRT Asian Women's Film Festival | 2005 | New Delhi |  India
|
International | Films directed by Asian women | iawrt.org |
| Ifema | 2006 | Malmö |  Sweden
|
International | Screens films by women directors | femalefilmfestival.se |
| Imagine This Women's International Film Festival | 2016 | Brooklyn | United States
|
International | imaginethisprods.com | |
| International Black Women's Film Festival | 2001 | San Francisco | United States |
International | Media by and/or about Black women from around the world | |
| International Festival of Women's Films | 1972 | New York | United States
|
International | First major women's film festival; defunct since 1976 | |
| International Images Film Festival for Women | 2002 | Harare |  Zimbabwe
|
International | Films by African women filmmakers | capatrust.orgl |
| International Women's Film Festival | 1975 | Australian capital cities | Australia |
International | One-off | |
| International Women's Film Festival In Rehovot | 2004 | Rehovot |  Israel |
International | Disbanded in 2014 | |
| International Women's Film Festival in Salé (FIFFS) | 2005 | Salé |  Morocco
|
International | fiffs.ma | |
| Internationales Frauen* Film Fest Dortmund+Köln (from Feminale) | 1984 | Cologne | Germany |
International | Formerly Feminale (founded 1984) and femme totale festivals; merged 2006. Germany's oldest feminist film festival | frauenfilmfest |
| Io Isabella International Film Week | 2005 | Valsinni |  Italy |
International | Disbanded in 2007 | |
| Journées de la femme africaine de l'image | 2014 | Ouagadougou & Banfora |  Burkina Faso
|
International | Featuring films by African women filmmakers | journeefemmeafricaine.com |
| KIN International Film Festival | 2003 | Yerevan |  Armenia
|
International | kinfestival.com | |
| LA Femme Film Festival | 2005 | Los Angeles | United States |
International | lafemme.org | |
| Laboratorio Immagine Donna | 1979 | Florence | Italy
|
International | iwfffirenze.it/ | |
| LadyBug Festival | 2009 | Gothenburg | Sweden
|
International | Short films | adybugfestival.com |
| Les Femmes Underground International Film Festival | 2015 | Phoenix/Traveling | United States |
International | lesfemmesinternational.org | |
| Lethal Lesbian | 2008 | Tel Aviv | Israel |
International | Film festival by and about women who love women | lethallesbian.com |
| London Feminist Film Festival | 2012 | London | United Kingdom
|
International | Screens feminist films by female filmmakers; ceased in 2019 | londonfeministfilmfestival.wordpress.com |
| London Lesbian Film Festival | 1991 | London, Ontario | Canada |
International | Lesbian-interest films | llff.ca |
| LUNAFEST | 2000 | Traveling, multi-city | United States
|
International | Short films | lunafest.org |
| Malmö Arab Film Festival | 2011 | Malmö | Sweden
|
International | Arab cinema | maffswe.com |
| Udada Film Festival | 2014 | Nairobi |  Kenya
|
International | Celebrating women in the arts | |
| Melbourne Women in Film Festival | 2017 | Melbourne | Australia
|
National | mwff.org.au | |
| MicGenero | 2012 | Mexico City |  Mexico
|
International | Brings gender studies and human rights closer to a diverse audience | micgenero.com |
| Mis Me Binga | 2009 | Yaoundé |  Cameroon
|
International | mismebinga.wordpress.com | |
| Mujeres Cine y la TV | 2002 | Mexico City | Mexico
|
International | mujerescineytv.org | |
| Mujeres en Foco | Buenos Aires | Argentina
|
International | mujeresenfoco.com.ar | ||
| Mumbai Women's International Film Festival | 2013 | Mumbai | India |
International | Disbanded in 2014 | |
| Mzansi Women Film Festival | 2012 | Johannesburg |  South Africa
|
International | Apparently ceased in 2017 | |
| Ndiva Women’s Film Festival | 2017 | Accra |  Ghana |
International | Films by African women and women of African descent | ndivawff.org |
| Nevada Women's Film Festival | 2015 | Las Vegas | United States
|
International | nwffest.com | |
| No Man's Land Film Festival | 2015 | Aspen | United States
|
Special interest | Adventure films | nomanslandfilmfestival.org |
| Olhares do Mediterrâneo - Cinema no Feminino | 2013 | Lisbon |  Portugal |
International | Screens films by Mediterranean women | olharesdomediterraneo.org |
| Paris Lesbian and Feminist Film Festival | 1989 | Paris | France |
International | A women-only film festival screening lesbian and feminist films | cineffable.fr |
| Port Townsend Film Festival - Women & Film | 2017 | Port Townsend | United States
|
International | Edition of the general Port Townsend Film Festival | ptfilmfest.com |
| Porto Femme - International Film Festival | 2018 | Porto | Portugal |
International | An international film festival dedicated to people who identify as women. | [1] |
| Post Alley Film Festival | Seattle | United States
|
International | Short films | postalleyfilmfestival.com | |
| POW Film Fest | 2008 | Portland | United States
|
International | powfilmfest.com | |
| Reel Sisters of the Diaspora | 1997 | Brooklyn | United States |
International | Festival for women of color filmmakers | reelsisters.com |
| Queer Women of Color Film Festival | 2005 | San Francisco | United States
|
International | Free event featuring work by queer women of color, to combat bias and nurture artist-activists, leading to social change | qwocmap.org/festival |
| Rocky Mountain Women's Film Festival | 1987 | Colorado Springs | United States |
International | rmwfilminstitute.org | |
| SAGA: Adelaide International Women's Film Festival | 2019 | Adelaide | Australia
|
International | Based on SAGA: Stockholm Women's Film Festival; grassroots festival aiming to enable women and girls to tell and shape their own stories. | sagaadelaidewiff.com |
| Scream Queen Filmfest Tokyo | 2013 | Tokyo | Japan
|
Special interest | Horror, science fiction, dark-fantasy, thriller, noir, horror-comedy; defunct since 2016? | SQFFT |
| Season Film Festival | 2001 | Helsinki |  Finland
|
International | Stems from the Woman or Artichoke film festival created in 2001; tagline: "Love & Anarchy" | hiff.fi/seasonfilmfestival |
| Seoul International Women's Film Festival | 1987 | Seoul | South Korea |
International | siwff.or.kr | |
| Shashat Women’s Film Festival | 2005 | Ramallah |  Palestine
|
Longest-running women's festival in the Arab world, with screenings in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip | shashat.org | |
| Some Prefer Cake | 2006 | Bologna | Italy
|
International | Lesbian film festival | someprefercakefestival.com |
| St. John’s International Women’s Film Festival | 1989 | St. John's | Canada |
International | womensfilmfestival.com | |
| Stockholm Feminist Film Festival | 2017 | Stockholm | Sweden
|
International | Largest women's film festival in Scandinavia | sthlmfemfilm.se |
| Stranger With My Face | 2012 | Hobart, Tasmania | Australia
|
Special interest | Horror and related genres; on hiatus | |
| Sydney Women's International Film Festival (SWIFF) | 2021 | Sydney | Australia
|
International | To support gender diversity in the film industry | www.swiff.org.au/ |
| THE ONE International Women’s Film Festival | 2016 | Chengdu | China
|
International | ||
| Through Women’s Eyes | 2000 | Sarasota | United States
|
International | throughwomenseyes.com | |
| Topaz Film Festival (formerly Flicks by Chicks) | 2001 | Dallas | United States
|
International | Films by independent filmmakers with women in at least two key roles | wifdallas.org |
| TRICKY WOMEN/TRICKY REALITIES | 2001 | Vienna | Austria
|
Special interest | Animation | trickywomen.at |
| Underwire Festival | 2010 | London | United Kingdom
|
International | underwirefestival.com | |
| Uptilt Film Fest | 1996 | Wilmington, NC | United States
|
International, Short films | Short films made by female or gender-expansive filmmakeres | uptiltfilmfest.com |
| Vancouver Women in Film Festival | 1989 | Vancouver | Canada
|
International | womeninfilm.ca | |
| WOCAF - Women of Color Arts and Film | 2005 | Atlanta and Lagos | United States
|
International | wocaf.org | |
| Women+Film | 2010 | Denver | United States
|
International | Women's film festival edition of the Denver Film Festival | denverfilm.org/women-plus-film-festival |
| Women International Film Festival | 2017 | Islamabad |  Pakistan
|
International | Encourages and facilitates young girls and women to raise their voice and create social change through filmmaking | womenthroughfilm.com |
| Women Make Waves | 1993 | Taipei |  Taiwan |
International | wmw.org.tw | |
| WOMEN Media Arts and Film Festival | 2013 | Sydney | Australia
|
International | Women's film and media | cinewest.org |
| Women of African Descent Film Festival | 2002 | Brooklyn | United States
|
International | Short films | brooklynartscouncil.org |
| Women of Color Film Festival | 1987 | Santa Cruz | United States |
International | Films by WOC, providing a platform for critical explorations of race, nation, class, gender, ethnicity, and sexuality | qwocmap.org |
| Women of the Lens | 2018 | London | United Kingdom
|
International | Film, broadcast, and digital programming, celebrating and highlighting achievements of black women and WOC in UK | womenofthelens.com |
| Women Over 50 Film Festival | 2015 | Brighton | United Kingdom
|
International | Work of older women on screen and behind the camera, an annual short film festival | wofff.co.uk |
| Women Texas Film Festival | 2016 | Dallas | United States
|
International | Tagline: Leaders, Radicals, Storytellers. Final festival held in 2020.[7] | womentxff.org |
| Women's Film Festival | 1990 | Brattleboro | United States |
International | womensfilmfestival.org | |
| Women’s Film Festival San Diego | San Diego | United States
|
International | Hosted by Women's Museum of California for female filmmakers | womensfilmfestivalsandiego.com | |
| Women's Film Society Bangladesh | 2013 | Dhaka |  Bangladesh
|
On hold | ||
| Women’s International Film & Arts Festival | 2005 | Miami & New York | United States
|
International | womensfilmfest.com | |
| Women's International Film & Television Showcase | 2008 | Los Angeles | United States
|
International | thewifts.org | |
| Women’s Rights Nights | 2010 | Skopje |  North Macedonia
|
International | Documentary film festival, screening films relating to women's rights | womensrightsnights.net |
| Women’s Voices Now Online Film Fest | 2010 | Online | International | Advocating social impact through films about women’s rights issues | womensvoicesnow.org | |
| Women X Film Festival | 2020 | Darlington | United Kingdom
|
International | filmfreeway.com/WomenX | |
| Worldwide Women's Film Festival | 2018 | Phoenix | United States |
International | wwfilmfestival.com |
See also[edit]
- International Women's Film Festival (disambiguation)
- List of film festivals
- List of LGBT film festivals
- List of LGBT-related films directed by women
References[edit]
- ^ "Top Women's Film Festivals". Raindance. Retrieved 10 May 2019.
- ^ Lewis, Anna; McGartland, Tessa (16 March 2019). "Citizen Jane canceled, Stephens promises to continue its ideals". Columbia Missourian. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
- ^ a b "Roya Film House". Roya Film House. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
- ^ "Herat International Women's Film Festival". IMDb. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
- ^ "Herat International Women's Film Festival (HIWFF)". FilmFreeway. 1 January 2020. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
- ^ Kotzathanasis, Panos (20 November 2020). "The 6th edition of Herat International Women's Film Festival Concludes". Asian Movie Pulse. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
- ^ "WTxFF says farewell". us13.campaign-archive.com. March 1, 2021. Retrieved 2023-07-12.
External links[edit]
- Top Women's Film Festivals, Raindance
- Discover 100+ Women’s Film Festivals Worldwide, Hollywomen
- Ten Women's Film Festivals (2018), The Women's Direction