2021 OFFICIAL FILM SELECTION

The 8th

The 8th traces Ireland’s campaign to remove the 8th Amendment – a constitutional ban on abortion. It shows a country’s transformation from a conservative state in thrall to the Catholic church to a more liberal secular society. ​​The 8th includes voices from both sides of the debate, but its primary focus is on the dynamic female leaders of the pro-choice campaign. The film follows the veteran campaigner Ailbhe Smyth and self-described glitter-activist Andrea Horan as they chart a bold strategy of grassroots activism and engineer the impossible. This dramatic story is underscored by a vivid exploration of the wrenching failures that led to this defining moment in Irish history. ​​An urgent narrative, a cautionary tale and a roadmap for progressive reforms in a modern era where authoritarianism is on the rise, The 8th shows a country forging a new progressive path at a time when reproductive rights are threatened around the world.

From the Directors: Pandora’s box was open and Irish women could no longer stay silent and neither could I. As three Irish women who have grown up in Ireland and lived under the shadow of the 8th amendment, we felt it was one of the most important stories we could tell in our lifetimes.

Directed by Aideen Kane, Lucy Kennedy, Maeve O’Boyle

Mrs.  F

In the fishing village of Makoko, the largest slum on water in Nigeria, Mrs F. wants to unite women and perform the play called “Hear Word”; a women empowerment project about gender inequality based on true stories to get women out of their oppressed position, to convince them to speak up and encourage them to connect.
But even before she can start, she must overcome the unruly gatekeepers of patriarchy and religion.

From the Director: With the film “MRS F” Chris wants to provoke thought about the potential to achieve change through development and contribute to reversing the mis- guided perception that exists about Africa in general and Nigeria in particular; to show the strength and potential of its people.

Directed by Chris van der Vorm

The Delta of Bucharest

The history of a place, of the energy it gives off.

In turn, monastery, prison, camp, natural park : the Delta of Bucharest becomes a « film space » where all the parallel lives materialize…

About the Film: This documentary is a plunge into a world that is simultaneously extremely cruel and exceptionally beautiful, a product of the dreams of each generation. It is these dreams that helped women to survive decades in prison, tortured and isolated, with no books or paper to evade their situation anywhere but in their own heads. Ceaușescu’s dream of creating a lake spanning several hectares was a crazy one. Văcăresti today represents a dream for young architects and ecologists who have come to project their vision of a better and cleaner future. —All about Romanian Cinema (AaRC)

 Directed by Eva Pervolovici

SHORT FILMS

Break the Silence: right to bleed with dignity

In Nepal, an old custom ‘Chaupadi’ which is a practice of banishing women during their menstruation, has threatened women’s lives for ages. Though there have been so many efforts to eradicate the chaupadi both inside and outside of Nepal, the lives of women have not changed significantly. Where did this bad custom originate? Is this only a matter of a particular religion? Why do women’s lives not change despite so much effort?

Through the testimony of women in Bara district, we encountered wrong perceptions and oppression of menstruation, which lies deeper behind the chaupadi practice. 

Menstruation cannot be hidden nor be left unspoken. We have to break the silence and go forward, to bleed with dignity.

Directed by Haechan Ha and Yumin Kim

Chick Flicks

Chick Flicks is a short documentary that explores the experience of women-identifying film students as they navigate a very white male dominated industry, the me-too movement, racism, industry sexism and a film school that perpetuates it all. The Film follows film students, but it also follows Industry professionals navigating the male- dominated industry. Including interviews from: Netflix show runner Kathryn O’Kane, Award winning filmmaker Lynne Sachs, New York Women in Film & Television Community Engagement Director Katie Chambers, and more.

From the Director: Diversity to me in filmmaking means being able to listen to stories that differ from your own, whether it be because of race, class, gender, political beliefs, ability, etc and still appreciate the storytelling and filmmaking. Diversity to me means allowing yourself to be uncomfortable listening to a story you don’t and can’t possibly relate to, and allowing yourself to learn something from it. Diversity to me in filmmaking means stories that represent the real world. Diversity means celebrating differences, and recognizing privileges one may have.

 Directed by Tatiana Jorio

January 14th

A young couple’s anniversary takes a bittersweet turn when a police officer pulls the husband over on a questionable traffic stop. Inspired by true events, January 14th is a personal story combined with a social issue that resonates prominently within the African-American community.

From the Director: JANUARY 14TH was inspired by my parent’s 35+ year marriage. They were best friends who had journeyed through heaven and hell together. To say they were in love would be an understatement…The 14-minute film was shot over two days in Los Angeles with a small, but talented crew. Chemistry between all the actors, above any previous experience, was what we were looking for. The budget was small, but we focused on capturing the soul of the story despite the limitations.

Directed by La’Chris Jordan 

Malinchista

A 2D animated short film reclaiming a Spanish slur to empower Latinx women by retelling the story of La Malinche.

From the Director: My life goal is to create Latinx and social justice informed media to educate and empower others. Mari, the mixed Mexican woman protagonist, is myself when I was in High School. I was still a quiet, kinda awkward art kid still trying to figure out who I was and also figuring out how I fit into my heritage as a light-skinned, half Mexican, half European American, not quite belonging to one or the other. When learning about La Malinche in my Mexican American studies class, I found it fascinating that there’s still no written or spoken record of what she herself thought. Especially when her name, La Malinche, is a slur. “Malinchista” means “a traitor to your own people” in the Spanish language, and is still used today. By reclaiming the word “Malinchista,” we hope to give Malinche her voice back 500 years later, and empower Latinx women everywhere who feel like they don’t have one.

Directed by Flora Rees-Arredondo

OutSwing

When a knee injury ended his professional athletic career, Akhtar Zeb decided to share his love for the game of Cricket with the students of Mashal Model School, a non-profit organization providing education to underprivileged children on the outskirts of Islamabad. Mashal serves an impoverished neighborhood near the shrine of Bari Imam, where internally displaced Pakhtuns have relocated from remote areas impacted by natural disasters and violent conflict.

When Akhtar invites some of the neighborhood girls to form a Cricket team, each of them gets a taste of the freedom and confidence that come from participating in sports, but they have to weigh the joy of playing against the responsibilities and expectations of their families. Deeply held cultural values bring conflict for the girls, and the burdens of their young lives threaten their ability to practice and play the game. Whether in the face of family pressure or community condemnation, the girls struggle and sacrifice for the right to play.

It’s more than just a game. It’s a match that changes many lives.

Directed by Samar Minallah Khan

Postcards From The Orient

Postcards From The Orient is a subliminal retelling of the colonialist, Western male gaze and its hyper-sexualised representation of Middle Eastern femininity during the epoch of the Ottomon Empire – “he does not forget to probe: he decides not to see”. Along with synchronised words by May Ziade in voiceover, abstract composition, burlesque mis en scene and use of method acting, the film sensuously unlocks the door to reveal the untold truths of the Orient.

From the Director: This film started with a desire to dismantle the illusions of the colonial (and male) gaze, focusing on the Eastern woman’s place, space, and subjectivity.

 Directed by  Sis Gürdal

Tarcila: Indigenous Solutions to Climate Change from Peru

TARCILA is a short documentary that introduces viewers to activist Tarcila Rivera Zea, a Quechua elder fighting for indigenous rights in Peru. Zea’s lifelong efforts to empower her people are growing increasingly crucial, as the weather becomes more unreliable and climate change raises the stakes. TARCILA focuses on solutions, highlighting what’s working for indigenous farmers. Zea and her organization Chirapaq are the heroes of this story, and their journey shows the power of including Indigenous women and Traditional Knowledge in the response to climate change.

 Directed by Sarah Kuck

The Missfits

An all-girls robotics team competes to smash stereotypes and prove themselves in a male-dominated field, while also trying to get through high school.

From the Director: “With ‘The Missfits’, my intention is to tell the story of how adolescent girls – through their actions and choices – can redefine gender and race expectations for STEM. I address this larger theme while focusing on the personal experiences of the girls and what they are going through on a more intimate level. The robotics season is the centerpiece of the film, providing its narrative through-line. However, the heart of the film depicts what it is like to be an adolescent girl juggling familial, social, and academic expectations in today’s world.”

 Directed by Ellie Wen

The Whole Truth

Mallory is a smart, well intentioned but lonely young police officer who must interview Jenny, a difficult schoolgirl, about her sexual assault at the hands of her teacher. As she struggles to get Jenny to confront her trauma, an unlikely bond forms between the two women. To help Jenny, Mallory must finally face the truth about her own past and find the strength to talk about it.

From the Director: This film to me is about the strength women can find in each other and how despite generational gaps of equality we are all in this together.

Working on this film with an all female crew gave us the unique opportunity to tell our stories through a lens we control. No more would harm against women be glorified or stylised. The Whole Truth exists as a vehicle of change; one that aims to shift the paradigm and one that I am very excited to share with the world. I hope this film shows the hope I know still exists for women who are affected daily by coercion and suppression.

Directed by Yelita Ali
Executive Producer Sophie Max

Welcome Back (Bienvenidos)

An insightful short story, inspired by real life events, observing one of the most oppressed countries, while exploring the incredible bond between a mother and her daughter. 

From the Director: This is a deeply personal story for me. Being a proud daughter to a Venezuelan mother, it is a story I have yearned to tell since I began making films. Having my whole family in Venezuela has been one of the hardest things I have had to deal with, and has caused an immense weight in my heart…The film is intended to offer A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE ON IMMIGRATION. “WELCOME BACK” seeks to lend a voice to the people of Venezuela, while offering insight as to what often happens when we send our immigrants, “back to where they came from.”

Directed by Tiffany K. Guillen

When I’m at Home

A young woman returns home from abroad after several years to confront the trauma of sexual assault from her past.The silent witnesses of her trauma still live with the old lies. Are they brave enough for the truth?

From the Director: We would like to change common rules that are deeply misogynistic. We want to break the silence and question common social behavior towards women that are socially stigmatized because they were victims of sexual abusers.
The film was shot by DP Milica Drakulic with a sophisticated touch of documentary-style filming in order to allow the audience to dive into the internal flow of pain, anger, revenge, and forgiveness with our main actress.

Directed by Ivana Todorovic

You Will Get Another One (Utapata Mwingine)

Utapata Mwingine (You Will Get Another One) is a documentary about the impact of stigma and silence surrounding Pregnancy and Infant Child Loss (PAIL) in Kenya. The film follows the founder of Empower Mama, Vivian Gaiko, a young Kenyan woman who lost her two-week old daughter after a sudden illness in 2014. Vivian’s organization supports grieving parents while raising awareness about the negative consequences of ignoring a parent’s grief. Her initiative includes holding public commemorations where parents can openly remember the children that they lost.

From the Director: I wanted to explore the many losses that Vivian experienced after the death of her daughter, including the loss to the right to grieve which was taken away by the people and institutions around her. The film aims to make audiences understand that for a parent whose child has died, the life they’re mourning cannot be replaced by another; For them hakuna mwingine (there is no other one).

Directed by Lydia Matata