Melbourne Women in Film Festival in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia | Non-profit organisation

Melbourne Women in Film Festival

Locality: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

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25.01.2022 #FemaleFilmmakerFriday time! Today, we're taking you aaalll the way back to visit the 'god-mother' of American avante-garde cinema, Maya Deren, and her seminal 1943 experimental short 'Meshes of the Afternoon'. (UNRATED) 'Meshes of the Afternoon' is a 14 minute art film, starring Deren herself, which is hauntingly beautiful and years before its time. The narrative is circular and it's themes/motifs can be interpreted in various ways. However, to loosely summarise, it follow...s a woman experiencing vivid dreams about a hooded man in her home. Maya Deren was a Ukranian-born American experimental filmmaker working mainly throughout the 40's and 50's. Her work is widely considered to be some of the most important, foremost films in the canon of avante-garde cinema. Her aim was to create a unique cinematic art form that explores the "...creative potentialities of the movie camera itself, and [which is] freed from the influence of other artistic idioms, such as literature, theater, the plastic and pictorial arts." (Maya Deren). Her work lives on to this day in the digital landscape, as many of her films have been shared online, featuring new sound/music added by her many modern admirers. Deren's work is widely accessible across various streaming platforms if you look for it - we recommend renting 'Meshes of the Afternoon' from Vimeo to get the most authentic, HQ experience. Head to our Linktree at https://linktr.ee/mwff

25.01.2022 Here's a recommendation for the upcoming weekend! Showing in cinemas right now is 'Misbehaviour' (directed by Philippa Lowthorpe) -- the story of the UK Women's Liberation Movement and their protest against the 1970 Miss World Beauty Pageant. If you catch it, let us know what you think! #womeninfilm #womendirectors #misbehaviour #feminist #melbourne #thingstodo #movietime #moviestowatch

24.01.2022 Awesome news - this year's Australian Director's Guild Awards will be free to the public and streamable this October 19th! Nominees for the 2020 award season include Natalie Erika James for 'Relic', Imogen Thomas for 'Emu Runner' and and Maya Newell for 'In My Blood It Runs'. You can find the full list of nominees here: https://adg.org.au/awards ... #ausfilm #womeninfilm #melbournefilm

23.01.2022 Happy Halloween-Eve, everyone! This #FemaleFilmmakerFriday, we're celebrating one of Australia's best exports & the director of one of the best horror films of the 2010's - Jennifer Kent. Brisbane-born and a NIDA graduate, Jennifer Kent has been heavily involved in film and television for the past few decades. She began working mostly as an actress, until she found herself deeply inspired by the film 'Dancer in the Dark' (2000). She wrote to Lars Von Trier and asked to s...hadow him, and was invited to do assistant directorial work on 'Dogville' (2002). In 2002, Kent directed her short film 'Monster' which received mass critical acclaim in the festival circuit. She later adapted it into the modern horror classic, 'The Babadook' (2014) - a haunting reflection of grief, depression and isolation, which follows the exhausted widow Amelia (Essie Davies) as she tries to raise her troubled son alone. In 2018, Kent produced another Australian-based film - 'The Nightingale' which moved, captivated and disturbed audiences around the world. Kent's incredible talent shines through her work, and she has a penchant for telling important and gut-wrenching stories of complex women trying to navigate trauma. We are very proud that she represents Australian talent on the world stage. If you haven't seen 'The Babadook' yet, it's our Halloween movie recommendation for you all! It's available on Prime Video - load up with your spookiest Halloween snacks, get comfy and prepare to be thoroughly creeped. You can find the link at www.linktr.ee/mwff #thebabadook #jenniferkent #womeninfilm #halloween #horrormovies #australianmade #spookyseason #filmmaking

22.01.2022 Having trouble finding the perfect Halloween flick for your Saturday night? We've compiled a short list of some of our favourite horrors/thrillers/general gore fests made by women Let us know what you'll be watching tonight! #halloween #spookyseason #womeninfilm #americanpsycho #rawfilm #relic #horrormovies #JennifersBody #TheBabadook #films #australianmade

22.01.2022 The incredible Jill Bilcock in a free online conversation tomorrow night. Amazing opportunity to hear from one of Australia's most iconic editors!

22.01.2022 The eighth annual Melbourne WebFest is now online and more accessible than ever this 4-6 of September! Melbourne WebFest are very kindly offering two of our followers Festival Passes, which allow the lucky recipients to access all sessions, including their panels, workshops and networking events. In order to go in the running for a pass, just comment down below with what you're most excited to see at WebFest this year! Winners will be chosen and contacted this Sunday eve...ning Wherever you are around the globe, experience an action-packed schedule of on-demand web series screenings, industry panels, development workshops, the live Pitch iview competition w/ ABC iview, networking opportunities, and their gala awards night. Full program details are available at bit.ly/MelbWebFest2020 #melbournefilm #melbournewebfest #digitalfilm

21.01.2022 Friday 4th is our regular submission deadline. Don't forget to get your short films in for next year's festival! https://filmfreeway.com/MelbourneWomeninFilmFestival #filmfestivals #callforentries #womenfilmmakers

21.01.2022 Heads up! Here's an awesome free event to help you get your Halloween on this Saturday: "Static Vision favourite Mattie Do - Laos' first and (to date) only woman film director - who will be joining the team live, following the feature, for an extended Q+A." The spooky season might just be the best time of year for film-lovers. Check out Static Vision's entire line-up of screenings and get good-and-creeped out this weekend ... #halloween #melbourne #womeninfilm #thelongwalk #staticvision #cursedsignal #spookyseason

21.01.2022 On right now is Taiwan Film Festival in Australia. Screening as part of their online program is the Australian premiere of The Good Daughter, a documentary from filmmaker Sally Wu. It wraps up on the 30th July, so there is still a bit of time to check it out! Filmed over the course of three years, The Good Daughter, nominated for Best Documentary, is a heartfelt and complex documentary that tells the story of a foreign bride and immigration culture in Taiwan. Azhe migrates t...o Taiwan, through an arranged marriage with Long, in order to support her impoverished family in Vietnam. As they pursue the dream of a happy family in a small fishing village, conflicting values and a tyrant mother-in-law come between them. The Good Daughter is an intimate and unflinching portrait of Azhe as she navigates conflicting values, discrimination and harsh working conditions. https://www.taiwanfilmfestival.org.au/tgd

20.01.2022 So it can be done...

20.01.2022 "We put in a rainforest, a desert, and an ocean with a living coral reef. It was a global curiosity -- human beings separated from life." Well, this sure takes on a different tone in 2020, huh. Our friends at The Capitol - RMIT University are hosting a FREE online event series for space junkies, eco-futurists, and lock-down extremists, centred around the stranger-than-fiction Sundance documentary "Spaceship Earth", which details the crazy events surrounding the BIOSPHERE... 2 experiment of 1991. Over the 4th-6th November, the event series includes a screening of the documentary, a live masterclass with director Matt Wolf about archival approaches to documentary, and a super exciting panel discussion. The panel is titled "Ground control to lockdown town: Should we leave Earth? Provocations from science, speculative design & science fiction" - it features some brilliant women panellists including Dr Michelle Gee, director of the Sir Lawrence Wackett Centre, and Dr Rose Michael, speculative fiction writer. The event is free but registration is essential! You can find the link at https://linktr.ee/mwff #womeninfilm #spaceshipearth #thecaptiol #sciencefiction #masterclass #ecofutures

20.01.2022 "I just want people to look at my films for now and forever more and know that I was a keeper of the culture. I presented it [African American culture] in its most endearing form and in the most honest way possible." This week's #FemaleFilmmakerFriday, Ruth E. Carter, has designed costumes for over 40 films in her extraordinary career. Predominantly, she has worked on some of the most notable contributions to the canon of African-American cinema. From the high tops and jerse...y's of Spike Lee's "Do the Right Thing" (1989), to the historical fashions of "Dolemite Is My Name" (2019), Amistad (1997) and Selma (2014), Carter has made a huge influence on contemporary cinema. Ruth's technical ability, artistry, and meticulous detail is perhaps best showcased by her Oscar-winning work on the 2018 Marvel blockbuster, "Black Panther" where she bought the fictional futuristic society of Wakanda to life. She combined bright African geometric designs with high-tech modernised armour that blew away audiences the world over. "Black Panther" is available to stream on Disney+ - you can find the link at https://linktr.ee/mwff #womeninfilm #fashioninfilm #BlackPanther

20.01.2022 "When I buy a new book, I read the last page first. That way, in case I die before I finish, I know how it ends. That, my friend, is a dark side." - Harry from 'When Harry Met Sally' Happy #FemaleFilmmakerFriday lovely people! This week's filmmaker is so iconic, SO firmly embedded in popular culture, even we're surprised we haven't already covered her in this series - of course it's three time Academy Award nominee, Nora Ephron. Nora was born in 1941 to a family of writers ...- both her parents and her two younger sisters became screenwriters, and her sister Hallie is a journalist and novelist. Nora's career prior to filmmaking was as eclectic and interesting as she was. She interned at the White House under President JFK, and then worked as a mail girl at NewsWeek because she wasn't allowed to write due to being a woman (don't worry - she soon took part in a successful class action lawsuit against the paper for sexual discrimination). She worked as a highly successful journalist and columnist and wrote many important feminist pieces/critiques. It wasn't until the early 80s that she coscripted her first major feature film, Silkwood (1983) - which also became her first Oscar nomination. Nora quickly became one of the industry's most beloved and successful writer/directors. She excelled at writing incredibly clever, witty scripts with wonderfully flawed women at their core - including 'When Harry Met Sally' (1989), 'Sleepless in Seattle' (1993) and her last film, 'Julie and Julia' (2009). Sadly, Nora passed away in 2012 due to acute myeloid leukaemia. She is remembered by friends, colleagues and the world for her remarkable creativity, her talent, her humour, and her unwavering support of other women. In a commencement speech to her alma mater, she said, "Don't underestimate how much antagonism there is toward women and how many people wish we could turn the clock back. One of the things people always say to you if you get upset is, don't take it personally, but listen hard to what's going on and, please, I beg you, take it personally. Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim." You can watch 'When Harry Met Sally' (1989) on Stan AU via the top link at www.linktr.ee/mwff #womeninfilm #noraephron #romcom #whenharrymetsally #filmmaking

20.01.2022 "Among the 62 films that competed between 2017 and 2019, only four were made by women." It is wonderful to see more women creators featured at Venice in 2020 - 44% of competing films! But we hope this upward motion is a continued trend and not just an outlier year. We want to see talented women get their films shown and their careers launched on a global stage!

20.01.2022 What are you all watching at Melbourne International Film Festival 68 1/2? Great to see so many women-directed features in the program, including tonight's spotlight film "Ellie & Abbie (& Ellie's Dead Aunt)", as well as "Dark City Beneath the Beat", "Kala Azar", and "The Leadership", to name a few. Hopefully some of us will take the plunge and watch the mammoth 14 hour documentary "Women Make Film" - maybe just not all in one go! (Although if you do - good on ya!) ... #melbournefilm #womeninfilm #miff2020

20.01.2022 "Uncle Sam, tell me this, if I will never know me, how can you?" - poet Joshua Abah featured in "Black is King". It's been fascinating to see how many different ways Beyoncé's new visual album has been received since its release, as it exists in so many different spaces. It's a celebration of Black culture, mythology, history, designers, and artists around the globe. It's a sensory feast and an unbelievable piece of film art. It's a difficult and emotional reflection on the experiences of the African diaspora. Yet, its also an album produced to supplement a Disney remake and is very much a product of a broader corporate machine. What do you think about visual albums as a film medium?

19.01.2022 Happy #FemaleFilmmakerFriday everyone! Today we're celebrating the career of one of the pioneers of Japanese anime, Reiko Okuyama. Okuyama started out as an animator at Toei Doga in 1958 - many of you might know its modern iteration, Toei Animation, which is responsible for several iconic anime series such as Dragon Ball and Sailor Moon. Okuyama's career in animation was actually a result of a misunderstanding. She applied for her first job believing that they were a company... that produced children's books - thankfully she stayed on after she showed obvious talent for animating. In animation during these early years, it was common practice that women would perform roles such as tracing or drawing transition panels (known as "in-betweening"), rather than taking on major creative tasks such as character design and directing. It was also expected that women employees should retire once they were married or had children. Okuyama eschewed these expectations and quickly rose through the ranks until she eventually became a top animator, working as the key animator for 'Arabian Nights: The Adventures of Sinbad' (1962). Around this period that she married a fellow animator and they had their first child. Both of them insisted on staying at work full time while raising their child, despite societal expectations. Okuyama went on to work as a hugely successful key animator and animation director on numerous productions, including 'The Little Mermaid' (1975) and 'Grave of the Fireflies' (1988). Her legacy has helped pave the way for generations of women animators to be legitimised in their workplaces as leaders and artists.

18.01.2022 #FemaleFilmmakerFriday Week 17! It feels like it's been ages since we started this series to help you all through isolation. All of us here in Melbourne are still locking down, so we hope this series can continue to help you all pass the time with great, accessible, women-made content. We're celebrating one of Bollywood's most notable female directors, Farah Khan, and her 2007 film 'Om Shanti Om', featuring Shah Rukh Khan (the 'King' of Bollywood) and the acting debut of Deep...ika Pudakone. (RATED M) In the 1970s, Om is an aspiring actor working as a background extra on various film sets. He is deeply in love with a star actress, Shanti - but she is oblivious and secretly married to a rich film producer, Mukesh. When Shanti reveals her pregnancy to Mukesh, he locks her in a burning movie set - Om tries to save her and they both perish in the flames. 30 years later, Om has been reincarnated as a highly successful movie star. Upon meeting a much older Mukesh, memories of Om's old life return and he seeks revenge for Shanti's death. Farah Khan is an internationally celebrated choreographer and director, and the first woman to be nominated for a Filmfare Best Director's Award. At the time of it's release, 'Om Shanti Om' was the highest grossing Hindi film of all time. The film is a bundle of energy - a wonderful celebration and tongue-in-cheek spoof of epic Bollywood films, filled with great music, references and cameos. Khan has a wonderful eye for movement, setting and spectacle - and we can honestly say, we've never seen a credits sequence where everyone from the lighting department to the hair/makeup team walk the red carpet while being cheered by adoring fans 'Om Shanti Om' is available to stream on Netflix AU - find the link at https://linktr.ee/mwff #womeninfilm #bollywood #hindifilm

18.01.2022 Here's just one of the many female-directed documentaries we can't wait to see at this years Melbourne Documentary Film Festival. Check it out from June 30th to July 15th!

18.01.2022 Exciting news! We have an all access pass to giveaway for the IN FABRIC: A long weekend for fashion victims and film fetishists online series happening on the 11th, 12th and 14th of September via The Capitol - RMIT University. The line up is fab including an online screening of Peter Strickland's seductive, consumerist satire, In Fabric (2018), followed by a live conversation between the director and film critic Alexandra Heller-Nicholas. There's also a public masterclass wit...h Strickland and In Fabric costume designer Jo Thompson (This is England, Little Birds) will deep-dive into the topics of fashion victims, desire, bodies and consumption with Dr Ricarda Bigolin. For your chance to win, simply comment below and answer the question - are you a fashion victim or fashion fetishist? The winner will be announced at 12pm Friday 11th September. Click to find more details about the program - https://bit.ly/33eg8Vp

18.01.2022 Today were sharing the story of our 21st #FemaleFilmmakerFriday - Marcia Lucas, the unsung hero of Star Wars. (There are spoilers ahead for A New Hope so be warned!) In 1977, the first rough cut of A New Hope wasnt looking great: tension was lacking, characters were introduced in ways that didnt make sense, and comedy and drama intersected in odd ways. A New Hope as we know it today was in large part an achievement of the editing team, including Marcia Lucas, the high...ly respected editor (and George Lucas wife.) Marcia was well-established at this point in her career shed been Martin Scorseses primary cutter for films such as Alice Doesnt Live Here Anymore and Taxi Driver, the latter she was Oscar-nominated for. Marcia is credited with creating many of the moments which made Star Wars human from relatively small moments like Luke and Leias good-luck kiss before they swing over a chasm, to much larger ones. Originally, Obi-Wan Kenobi was going to survive his duel with Darth Vader. It was Marcia who suggested that Obi-Wan had to be killed, creating one of pop cultures most iconic moments and establishing the emotional tension between Luke and Vader that would define the franchise. Her most impressive feat was rebuilding the finale from the ground up: originally, the Death Star was not preparing to destroy the Rebel base at all, and Luke even had a couple of goes at shooting the exhaust port. Marcia reused footage from previous scenes and cut shots so that the Rebels were fighting for their survival ensuring that the audience gripped their chairs as Luke flew through the trench. She told George, If the audience doesnt cheer when Han Solo comes in at the last second in the Millennium Falcon to help Lukethe picture doesnt work. This final fight is one of the most impressive feats of sci-fi filmmaking, and influenced countless movies for decades to come. Because of her and the editing teams exhaustive work, they won the Academy Award for Best Editing. We thank Marcia for her talent, her storytelling, and her contributions to a story which is beloved by millions. A New Hope is available to stream on Disney+ at https://www.disneyplus.com//star-wars-a-new-h/12fVeZxD2fWJ #womeninfilm #starwars

18.01.2022 Meet Amy, our awesome social media coordinator!

16.01.2022 Milicents incredible life should have earned her an honoured place in film history but few even recognise her name. Mallory OMeara, author of Lady from the Black Lagoon. This weeks #FemaleFilmmakerFriday is the pioneering SFX artist, makeup artist, and animator, Millicent Patrick - a woman who changed horror and sci-fi forever. Millicent was a gifted artist. In the 1930's, she received three scholarships to Chouinard Art Institute, and in 1939 she was hired in Wal...t Disney's entirely female ink and paint department. Some have credited her as being the first female animator at Disney - this is unproven and probably unlikely, but what is certain is she made an impressive name for herself during her time at the studio. She animated the unique and eerie pastel graphics behind Chernabog, the feared creature in 'Fantasia's 'Night on Bald Mountain' Sequence. Over the years she worked on-and-off as an illustrator, model and actress until 1952 when she was then hired as the makeup artist on a B movie, later named "Creature From the Black Lagoon." Several people who worked on the film set state unequivocally that she designed the Creature (now known as the legendary Gill-man by fans) which went on to influence horror and sci-fi film for generations - perhaps most recently as an homage in Guillermo Del Toro's 'The Shape of Water' (2017). Millicent was even photographed with the mask and marketed by the studio as "The Beauty Who Created the Beast." However, in a move that is all too common in women's film history, the head of the makeup department was displeased that she had been given the credit for the Creature. After much argument, they rebranded the campaign and had Millicent take pictures with more masks from the Universal lot, and the tagline was changed to "The Beauty Who Lives With the Beasts" - ostensibly removing her credit from the work. However, Millicent is remembered for her remarkable contributions by a small but loyal fanbase. We recommend watching Creature From the Black Lagoon which can be purchased on Prime Video- you can find the link here: https://linktr.ee/mwff #womeninfilm #sfx

16.01.2022 Be sure to tune in to NITV at 8:30 pm on Monday night to watch the fantastic new short documentary, 'Lady Lash' (Dir: Rochelle Humphrey). Filmed on Wurundjeri,... Boonwurrung and Kokatha country, this new project celebrates the power of creativity against adversity lead by an all female key creative team. More info at the event page --> Lady Lash Documentary Screening on NITV Monday 31st Aug @8.30PM

15.01.2022 It's our 13th #FemaleFilmmakerFriday , and we're celebrating the fantastic Amma Asante, and her 2013 historical feature, Belle. Amma Asante is a brilliant, award-winning British filmmaker, born in London to parents from Ghana. She has directed a myriad of period films, including Belle, A United Kingdom (2016) and Where Hands Touch (2018). Her work on the beautiful period film 'Belle' was inspired by the real portrait painting of Dido Elizabeth Belle Lindsay and her cousin,... Elizabeth. Dido was a real mixed-race woman raised in England as a free gentlewoman at the end of the 18th century. Asante explained in an interview with The Guardian, "You see a biracial girl, a woman of colour, who's depicted slightly higher than her white counterpart. She's staring directly out, with a very confident eye. This painting flipped tradition and everything the 18th century told us about portraiture. What I saw was an opportunity to tell a story that would combine art history and politics." Belle is available to stream for free on SBS On Demand - but hurry, it's only up for another 16 days! Find the link here: https://linktr.ee/mwff

15.01.2022 Want to help support up-and-coming, Asian-Australian, LGBTQ+ cinema? 'TU NÁ' is a short film produced by friend of the festival, Mimo Mukii, that is looking for your support. TU NÁ is a coming-of-age short film following teenager David Yao as he struggles to reconcile his burgeoning queer identity with his filial duties and expectations from his Chinese immigrant mother Xiao Yu. Through the film, the mother and son engage in a filial push and pull, a (tu) and (ná), na...vigating what it means to be a third culture family. The film is already in the post-production stage, it just needs a little help to get over the finish line. Head to the link below to help support local film! #australianfilm #asianfilm #womeninfilm #crowdfunding #morethan #queerfilm

15.01.2022 Awesome to see some fantastic reviews are coming in for Regina King's directorial debut, 'One Night in Miami' - it's definitely one to keep an eye on!

15.01.2022 I discovered very early that there are two ways for a woman producer to go. You could be aggressive, or you can be very nice. So I arrive on the set, in my tight jeans, and people wonder. Then they see I’m nice. Then, finally, they see I mean business. Debra Hill, LA Times. We're having trouble letting Halloween go - so to round off our recent run of spooky filmmakers, today's #FemaleFilmmakerFriday is a tribute to Debra Hill - writer, producer, and co-creator of one of c...inema's most iconic horror franchises, 'Halloween' (1978). Debra Hill grew up in Haddonfield, New Jersey - the town that would go on to be the namesake of the sleepy suburbs that Michael Myers would terrorise. She took a somewhat unconventional path to Hollywood - originally, she worked as a flight attendant and briefly settled in Jamaica, writing liner notes for jazz musicians. This led to more writing jobs, which led to her moving to California to work as a production assistant and "script girl" (as it was called back then) on low budget films. 'Halloween' was written by Hill and John Carpenter within 3 weeks. It was a low-budget, independent film with an inexperienced cast and crew. But in Debra's extremely capable hands as producer, it went on to become one of the most successful independent films of all time, earning $70 million globally. Halloween quickly became Ground Zero for a generation of new and exciting horror/slasher films. Debra went on to become a much loved and respected producer, working on 32 titles including 'The Fog' (1980) and 'Escape From New York' (1981). Debra is remembered by many as a mentor for emerging women in the industry. Producer Stacy Sher ('Erin Brokovich', 'Django Unchained') referred to her as "part den mother, part cheerleader. She championed Jaime Lee Curtis for the lead role in Halloween, ensured that the teenage characters felt grounded and realistic, and was deeply passionate about womens' representation in directorial roles. Sadly, Debra passed away in 2005 before her own directorial debut - but her legacy as a filmmaker and advocate will be deeply felt for years to come. 'Halloween' is available to stream on Stan AU - you can find the link at linktr.ee/mwff #womeninfilm #halloween #halloweenmovie #debrahill #spookyseason #johncarpenter #horrormovies #filmhistory

14.01.2022 Happy #FemaleFilmmakerFriday everybody! We have a really great selection for you this week. This Friday's filmmaker is a trailblazer, an inspiration, and above all an incredible activist - Essie Coffey, affectionately known as the 'Bush Queen'. Essie Coffey was a Muruwari woman, born near Goodooga in Northern NSW. Following her marriage to Albert Coffey, Essie settled in Brewarrina - she helped found the Aboriginal Movement in the town during the 60s, and established the Wes...tern Aboriginal Legal Service in the 70s. Essie was deeply talented and incredibly versatile - known for her tireless advocacy work, her musical affinity as a Country/Western singer, and her parentage of 18 children (10 of whom were adopted), at age 38 she also directed the 1978 documentary 'My Survival as an Aboriginal'. It is the first film directed by an Indigenous woman, and according to Romaine Moreton, 'It was one of the first Australian films where an Indigenous Australian was directly involved in deciding how she and her community would be represented.' The confronting and frequently beautiful film made waves around the world. A copy was gifted to Queen Elizabeth II at the opening of the new Parliament House in 1988. Essie went on to film the follow-up documentary 'My Life as I Live It' (1993), and was awarded the Order of Australia for service to the Aboriginal community. She was nominated for an MBE, but refused explaining, "I knocked the MBE back because I'm not a member of the British Empire". You can read about Essie, 'My Survival as an Aboriginal', and Romaine Moreton's wonderful summary of the film via the top link at www.linktr.ee/mwff #WomeninFilm #aboriginalart #australianmade #documentary #cinema #essiecoffey

14.01.2022 TGIF! Today our #FemaleFilmmakerFriday is the fantastic director, Gurinder Chadha, and her classic noughties comedy, "Bend it Like Beckham" (2002). (RATED PG) Jess is the 18 year old daughter of Indian parents living in England, and she is forbidden from partaking in her greatest passion - soccer. She secretly plays for fun with her friends at the local park where she's scouted by Jules, a local teenage semi-pro soccer player. Jess agrees to join Jules' team, and she goes to... great lengths to hide her new secret from her family. Gurinder Chadha was born in Kenya to Indian parents - her family was part of the Indian diaspora that lived in the British colonies of East Africa. She grew up in England where she found great success as a journalist, directing documentaries for the BBC, Channel 4 and the British Film Institute. She then moved into writing and directing an impressive catalogue of films, including "Bride and Prejudice" (2004), "Angus, Thongs, and Perfect Snogging" (2008) and "Blinded by the Light" (2019). Bend It Like Beckham has had a deep and lasting impact on audiences - it spoke to a large population of unrecognised young people from migrant families who had to navigate the societal expectations of both the country they live in, and the culture they come from. Also, it supplied many-a teenager with crushes on Keira Knightly and Parminda Nagra - but we digress. "Bend It Like Beckham" is available to rent on YouTube - link available at https://linktr.ee/mwff #womeninfilm #benditlikebeckham

14.01.2022 Yes! Can't wait to see this project!

13.01.2022 When we first met her, she said, ‘All of my movies are about healing. And this is no different. This, if anything, is the most important job I’ve ever done.’ At the time, I didn’t understand exactly what that meant. - Gennie Rim, 'Over the Moon' producer. This week's #FemaleFilmmakerFriday celebrates the life and legacy of Audrey Wells - the talented screenwriter, director and producer. Wells was born in San Francisco, California. She attended UC Berkeley and UCLA, and wo...rked as a disk jockey at a jazz radio station. She burst onto the scene in 1996 with her first feature screenplay, 'The Truth About Cats and Dogs'. Over her career, Wells had a real penchant for writing romance and comedy - her screenplays included 'George of the Jungle' (1997), Guinevere (1999), her directorial debut 'Under the Tuscan Sun' (2003). But she also leant a deft hand to writing deeply serious themes, especially in her adaptation of 'The Hate U Give' (2018). This year, the animated feature 'Over the Moon' (2020) was released on Netflix. The story follows a young Chinese girl, Fei Fei, who builds a rocket ship to find the Moon Goddess Chang'e. She does this to prove that eternal love exists, as her dad is considering remarrying after the death of Fei Fei's mother from a terminal illness. Sadly, Wells passed away during production in 2018. She wrote the film as a love letter to her own daughter and husband while she was suffering from terminal cancer. The film is a beautiful tribute to Chinese art, culture, and mythology, as well as poignant rumination on grief and moving forward. 'Over the Moon' actress and friend of Wells, Sandra Oh told AP News, "...this being her final project I don’t really have the right words yet. It was my primary drive to do the film because it’s like she wants me to say these words. How can I not? These are the words that she left us, you know? And so, I’m just really grateful to be a part of the film." 'Over the Moon' is available to stream on Netflix - you can find the link at linktr.ee/mwff #overthemoon #netflix #womeninfilm #animation #screenwriter

12.01.2022 "The day he left me is the day I died...but then I was reborn as a witch!" - 'The Love Witch', 2016. Our 30th #FemaleFilmmakerFriday is the definition of cool, and a perfect choice for this very spooky season. Today we're celebrating Anna Biller, director of 'Viva' (2007) and 'The Love Witch' (2016). Anna Biller is an LA-born independent filmmaker who creates aesthetically stunning films frequently inspired by the style, form and tropes of old Technicolour Hollywood films... from the 50s, 60s and 70s. Her work features a strong feminist lens and makes critical commentary on both old and modern-day gender roles. Biller is probably best-known for her work on the 2016 comedy horror/tragedy, 'The Love Witch'. Set in the swinging 60s, Elaine is a young witch who uses magic to make men fall in love with her - with fatal results. The film wowed audiences the world over across the international festival circuit. The meticulous detail put into production makes the viewer fall deep into the lush and deeply nostalgic world of a soft-focus, 1960s B-movie. As Peter Bradshaw from The Guardian puts it, "It's a B-movie with A-grade potency." 'The Love Witch' took seven years to create from conception to release - it should be noted that Biller hand-made all of the costumes and props on both of her feature films. She is truly a Renaissance woman! This Halloween (aka next Saturday), Cursed Signal: A Static Vision Spooktacular will be hosting a free screening of 'The Love Witch' and a live Q&A with Anna Biller herself! We suggest registering ASAP for a spot, it's sure to be an awesome afternoon. #thelovewitch #annabiller #halloween #womeninfilm #spookyseason #Vivafilm #hollywood #filmhistory

12.01.2022 Great news! Melbourne WebFests Pitch iview competition has been extended to Tuesday 25th August. Get your pitches in!

11.01.2022 *Giveaway Closed! Thank you to everyone who participated* "Why the title 'Brazen Hussies?' To be brazen is to be bold and without shame. To be a hussy is to be a girl or a woman who behaves in a disrespectful and inappropriate (read slutty) way...It is a term that was turned on those who would use it as an insult and proudly reclaimed by the Women's Liberation Movement." - director Catherine Dwyer Melbourne's cinema scene is officially back in action, and what better way to c...elebrate than to see the brilliant feature documentary, Brazen Hussies - a celebration of the bold women of Australia's feminist revolution of the late 60s-70s. We're offering our Melbourne Facebook fans the chance to win double-passes to the film now showing at Cinema Nova, Lido, Classic Elsternwick and Palace cinemas. Simply tag the person you'd like to bring with you in the comments below to go in the running! (We're also holding the same contest on Instagram and Twitter, follow us at @mwff_au for more chances to win!) 'Brazen Hussies' shows us a daring and diverse group of women joined forces to defy the status quo, demand equality and create profound social change - contributing to one of the greatest social movements of the 20th Century. Head to https://www.brazenhussies.com.au/watch to find a screening near you! #melbourne #giveaway #documentary #womeninfilm #cinema #feministfilm

11.01.2022 "We personally have vowed to make sure that her name isnt forgotten, that her case isnt forgotten, to use every platform I can to elevate her voice, elevate her case, elevate the call that these officers are arrested. We're excited to see such timely and important directorial debut from filmmaker Oge Egbuonu in her 2020 documentary "(In)Visible Portraits." The film has come at a particularly poignant moment as people all over the world demand justice for the murder of Breo...nna Taylor. Egbuonu explains,I think her case plays into what the film is about, which has been this erasure of Black women, whether its in society or white supremacy or in comparison to Black men." She is self-distributing the documentary via Vimeo - you can rent or buy the film online now at https://vimeo.com/ondemand/invisibleportraits #womeninfilm #blacklivesmatter

10.01.2022 Happy #FemaleFilmmakerFriday! Today were celebrating the career of Wendy Carlos the brilliant film composer and pioneer of electronic music. In the mid-60s, Carlos studied music composition at the Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center, the very first electronic music center in the U.S.A. It was around this time that she struck up a personal friendship with Robert Moog, the inventor of the Moog synthesiser, and helped him refine his inventions to create new and unbelie...vable music. She found commercial and critical success with her pioneering use of the synthesiser and helped break down the walls between digital and instrumental music. In 1971, Carlos composed and recorded the soundtrack for A Clockwork Orange, an eerie and masterfully crafted score that was celebrated by critics and moviegoers the world over however, she shied away from the spotlight for the next several years. In a 1979 interview with Playboy, she announced to the world her identity as a transgender woman. It was a substantial risk given the era and climate, as she explained, I fear for my friends; were going to become targets for the wrath of those who judge what Ive doneIm also afraid from the musical standpoint. It may prevent me from being taken seriously again. But Ive gotten tired of lyingThe climate has changed and the time is ripe. Thankfully, her career only continued to soar and she later recounted The public turned out to be amazing tolerant or, if you wish, indifferent and only lamented the time she had spent denying her identity. She went on to write the scores for iconic films such as The Shining (1980) and Tron (1982). Many of her films are available to stream on various platforms - see our Linktree for some suggestions at https://linktr.ee/mwff

10.01.2022 SUBMISSIONS ARE OPEN! Our submissions for the 2021 festival are now open! We welcome short film submissions of any genre, style or theme from women working within all areas of the Australian, Aotearoa New Zealand or wider Pasifika screen industries. Our 2021 theme will be announced at the end of year but we can reveal that we also welcome short films and web series that engage with notions of the future, digital, mobile and online technologies and platforms, and non-traditio...nal or interactive storytelling approaches. Early bird end July 17. Check out all the details on our Film Freeway page. https://filmfreeway.com/MelbourneWomeninFilmFestival #womenmakemovies #womenfilmmakers #melbourne #filmfestival

09.01.2022 Nearly a decade after it's initial release, 'Tomboy' directed by Céline Sciamma ('Portrait of a Lady on Fire') has made a surprising impact on South Korean audiences. Here's an interesting article about Korea's demand for women-made, women-oriented film, as well as clever social media merchandising for indies.

09.01.2022 Today is our 20th #FemaleFilmmakerFriday in past weeks weve focused exclusively on women directors, but we want to celebrate the talented women behind the scenes that make the movies we love. We asked our friends at Power of Post an amazing collective of women working in post-production to choose this weeks iconic filmmaker. So today were taking a look at the fascinating career of Esfir Shub. Esfir was a prolific Russian editor whose career began during the crux of ...the Russian Revolution. She spent her early years editing pre-revolution films from overseas to be appropriate for Soviet audiences. After honing this craft, she became an unexpected pioneer of a brand new sub-genre which emerged out of the Soviet Union in the early 20s the compilation film, a documentary style of compiling and creatively editing archival footage to create new meaning. She restored and organised much of her films footage herself. Early on, she worked exceedingly hard to be recognised for her talents as a filmmaker and film theorist, alongside her male friends and contemporaries such as Sergei Eisenstein thankfully, now we know her immense contributions to cinema history. Mars Williamson from Power of Post explains, Not only was she able to create a new genre but she was able to restore footage that would have been otherwise lost. Her footage helped to correctly recount the start of the Russian revolution. Thank you to Power of Post for this weeks selection please give them a like and a follow on FB and Insta @PowerofPost <3

08.01.2022 A woman-made film about one of Australia's greatest feminist artists - we can't wait for this one to drop! Who out there remembers the incredible influence of Reddy and her anthem "I Am Woman"?

08.01.2022 "A team of high-profile Australian women, including Leah Purcell and Rachel Ward, have signed on to write and direct an anticipated Shakespearean television series co-produced by Margot Robbie." Expect to see some exciting women-made content on Aussie screens in the near future

07.01.2022 Zendayas reaction to winning an Emmy is THE BEST! Enjoy...

07.01.2022 Attention women and gender diverse filmmakers Got a short film, web series or music video? Submissions for the 2022 Melbourne Women in Film Festival are now open! We want to see your amazing work - make us laugh, make us cry, or whatever else in between you've got in store. First Nations, Pasifika, trans, and gender diverse filmmakers, and filmmakers with disability are eligible for fee waivers - send us an email at [email protected]. ... For all the details, head to https://filmfreeway.com/MelbourneWomeninFilmFestival. #womeninfilm #mwff #melbournefilm #australianfilm #newzealandfilm #filmfestivals

06.01.2022 Hey hey everyone! Heads up - this Sunday, JIFF are holding an online screening of 'Hey Hey It's Esther Blueburger'. Can you believe it's already been 12 years since this one came out? Geez, time flies. The screening is followed by an all-women Q&A panel, featuring writer/director Cathy Randall, producer Miriam Stein, lead actor Danielle Catanzariti (who plays Esther Blueburger), all in conversation with JIFF Festival Manager Erin Rosenburg. Don't forget to register via the e...vent below! Happy watching #jiff #womeninfilm #australianfilm #filmfestival #watchalong

06.01.2022 "This is the true story of a man and a gun and a car. The gun belonged to the man. The car might have been yours - or that young couple across the aisle. What you will see in the next seventy minutes could have happened to you. For the facts are actual." This #FemaleFilmmakerFriday, we're celebrating Ida Lupino and her 1953 film 'The Hitch-Hiker' - the first mainstream film-noir directed by a woman. Two men on their way to a fishing trip in Mexico pick up a random hitch hike...r. The stranger is revealed to be a murderer on the run after he killed several other people while hitch hiking. He holds them at gun point and forces them to help him evade police. Ida Lupino was an extremely talented English-American actress, singer, director, and producer in 1950s Hollywood. Known for her tenacity, insane work ethic and trailblazing, Lupino carved out a place for herself in cinema history. The label on the back of her director's chair read "The Mother of Us All..." She took on endless acting jobs and used clever methods to fund her low-budget productions. She often joked that she had been a "poor man's Bette Davis" as an actress, and had later become the "poor man's Don Siegel" as a director - some even called her the female 'Hitch'. We'd rather refer to her as the inimitable, and the first, Ida Lupino. 'The Hitch-Hiker' is now public domain, and can be viewed via The Library of Congress' online collection of films. #womeninfilm #filmnoir #classichollywood

05.01.2022 WIFT Victoria is seeking nominations from women-identifying screen practitioners from diverse backgrounds to join their board and better represent all women working in screen in Victoria. Details are below.

05.01.2022 Welcome back to another #FemaleFilmmakerFriday! This week we're looking at director and animator, Nora Twomey, and the Academy Award nominated 'The Breadwinner' (2017). (RATED M) Based on the novel by Deborah Ellis, 'The Breadwinner' follows the story of 11 year old Parvana who lives in Afghanistan under Taliban rule. After her father is unjustly arrested, her family is left without any male relatives able to support them. Parvana cuts her hair and dresses as a boy to get the... resources the family needs, putting herself in danger every day. The Breadwinner is a stunning piece of animation, utilising a mixture of mediums and an array of bold colours and patterns. The success of this film comes down to its great story, and the superb direction by Nora Twomey and the team at Cartoon Saloon studios (which she co-founded). Her films are beautifully stylised, mixing traditional and digital techniques, and tend to be coming-of-age stories taking visual inspiration from the worlds of her stories. As always, the films we recommend are streamable. The Breadwinner' is available to stream on Netflix AU - you can find the link at https://linktr.ee/mwff

05.01.2022 True Colors Festival is going online from the 3rd-12th of December! The FREE 10-day digital event offers a feast of about 30 award-winning full length and short films, documentaries and dialogues. Curated around the theme "One World, One Family", the films turn the spotlight on the universal experiences of connection, hope, dreams, struggle and transformation; and on the vision of a diverse and inclusive world. There are some awesome women-made films in this program, includi...ng: Listen (2020; Portugal/United Kingdom) by Ana Rocha de Sousa that won Lion of the Future for Best Debut Feature and Lion Special Award by the Jury at the Venice Film Festival 2020 Dahdi (2014; Singapore), by Kirsten Tan Moral (1982, Philippines) by the legendary Marilou Díaz-Abaya Talentime (2009; Malaysia), the final masterpiece by Yasmin Ahmad before her untimely passing. Check out their amazing program at https://truecolors2020.jp//program/true-colors-film-festi/ #tcff20 #truecolorsfestival #OneWorldOneFamily #filmfestival #movies #cinematography #independentfilm #indiefilm #asianfilm

04.01.2022 Here's one to keep an eye out for! "Picture a Scientist" (2020) tells the stories of three remarkable female researchers, and asks us to consider how gender and racial biases have led to women scientists becoming a minority in their fields - experiences that will resonate with many women in both academia and professional industries. It also celebrates the "...bold and inspiring scientific luminaries who are changing the culture of science and providing new perspectives on h...ow to make it more diverse, equitable and open to all." (Alissa Simon, Variety) Right now the film is having a limited digital release - hopefully we see this one become accessible in Australia soon! #womeninfilm

03.01.2022 So saddened by the news today. Vale RBG. You were truly an inspiration.

02.01.2022 Don't forget - our 2021 submission deadline is tomorrow! All of you brilliant creators out there, we want to see your fantastic short films! To find out more about our submissions and rules, head to our website at https://mwff.org.au/festival-submissions #womeninfilm #melbournefilm #australianfilm #shortfilm

02.01.2022 It's time for #FemaleFilmmakerFriday! Remember when the extraordinarily talented Natalie Erika James spoke at MWFF this February, and her debut feature film 'Relic' was making huge waves at Sundance? Well, the wave has only continued to surge and 'Relic' has dropped on Stan. today! ... (RATED M) When elderly mother Edna suddenly disappears, her daughter Kay and granddaughter Sam travel to her run-down family home, and discover clear signs of Edna's rapidly deteriorating dementia. When Edna suddenly returns without explanation for her whereabouts, Kay and Sam begin to realise the insidious energy perpetuating through both the home and their grandmother. Natalie Erika James is an Australian-Japanese writer/director, based out of Melbourne. This is her first feature, but she's been producing brilliant short films for the past several years - many of you will recall her film 'Drum Wave' which played at MWFF 2020. 'Relic' is an exceptional debut, layering themes of loss, mental health, claustrophobia and trauma in a story about the strained relations between three generations of women. We love watching homegrown female talent excel and can't wait to see what Natalie will do next. You can stream the film right now at https://play.stan.com.au/programs/2658312