Prepare for four days of the finest female-directed film when London Feminist Film Festival (LFFF) starts on Thursday 29th November.
During the festival, Hackney Picturehouse will be screening six feature length films and 10 short films from 14 different countries all chosen based on their quality and feminist content.
Anna Read, Festival Director said: “The festival will be a celebration of feminist films past and present. Our aim is to inspire discussion about feminism and film, to support women directors, and to get feminist films seen by a wider audience”.
Five of the films shown will be receiving their UK premiere – most notably the festival opener Lesbiana- A Parallel Revolution by Myriam Fougère. This powerful documentary explores the lesbian feminist movement of the 1980s through a combination of archive footage and interviews. The post-screening panel discussion will feature human rights practitioner, Linda Bellos OBE.
Another exciting and inspiring premiere is Taxi Sister by Theresa Traore - a documentary about the realities of life for one of Senegal’s few female cab drivers. Plenty more thought provoking documentaries will be screened, covering topics as diverse as Kung Fu Grandmas to the Afro-German feminist movement. The award-winning The Witches of Gambaga observes a community of women condemned to live in a camp for ‘witches’ in Northern Ghana.
Kickstarter funded comedy The Womanhood by Yvonne LaBarge will be making its UK debut at the festival. This lighthearted short film sees a 10-year-old girl being inducted into the world of Womanhood following her first period.
A classic of feminist cinema will be marking its 30th anniversary at the festival. A Question of Silence was Marleen Gorris’ debut film. It tells the story of three women who decide to murder a male shopkeeper after he accuses one of them of shoplifting. The women are complete strangers but come together to commit the crime, prompting questions about pressures of life in male dominated society.
Post-film panels will follow screenings and include experts in the fields of feminism and filmmaking. LFFF matron, Bidisha, will chair all panels. She said: “This incredible line-up shows the diversity and power of women's voices, as well as our artistic boldness and fearlessness in tackling the storylines, characters, issues, and approaches that so many other films shy away from.”
Tickets for festival screenings are available now from the LFFF website and from the Hackney Picturehouse website.
Image via London Feminist Film Festival Press Office