Imagine This Women's International Film Festival Returns for Fifth Edition

The Imagine This Women's Film Festival is returning for a fifth edition, running September 25 - October 4. Originally scheduled to take place at Firelight Studio in Dumbo, Brooklyn, New York, the festival has shifted online to continue with their mission: supporting womxn by sharing their work with the public, promoting equal opportunities for BIPOC womxn and the LGBTQIA+ community, and providing educational support and professional development. This year's virtual film festival will include narrative and documentary features and 51 shorts and 5 screenplays from 21 countries.

The 5th edition lineup will feature thought-provoking, inspiring, and diverse stories to a community not normally available at in-person events. "We are excited to introduce Imagine This Women's Film Festival to a whole new audience who might not have had the opportunity to enjoy some of the boldest and thought-provoking films and stories made by womxn filmmakers and storytellers while we continue with our mission to amplify and empower independent and aspiring womxn filmmakers from around the world, especially during these of times," said Patrice Francois, founder and director of the festival.

Selected films in this year's lineup include: Tender, written and directed by Felicia Pride, writer of QUEEN SUGAR and Grey's Anatomy; Freeze, written and directed by Maya Albanese, starring Nora Zehetner (Designated Survivor, Grey's Anatomy), Adrian Grenier (Entourage, Clickbait), Chris Parnell (Rick and Morty, Archer, 30 Rock), Kel Mitchell (All That, Game Shakers), Mindy Sterling (The Goldbergs, Black-ish), and Rick Overton (Groundhog Day, I'm Dying Up Here); and Age of Dysphoria, directed by Jessica Petelle, starring Laura Vandervoort (V, Bitten, Smallville, VWARS), Gordon Pinsent (Away From Her, The Shipping News), and Rainbow Sun Francks (Jett, High Fidelity, The Umbrella Academy).

Headlining ITWIFF special events will be Sara Bennette, who was the second female ever to win an Oscar for VFX, which she did in 2016 for Alex Garland's feature Ex-Machinaa??a??; she also received a 2016 BAFTA Film Award nomination for the same film.

Imagine This Women's Film Festival Founder and director of the festival said: "As a black women-owned film festival, it is imperative that we bring the voices of marginalized filmmakers to the forefront." This year the festival will focus on telling BIPOC stories with a Storytelling Redefined Panel: Telling Authentic BIPOC Stories. The Panel will feature Amy J. Aniobi, executive producer, writer, and director (Insecure, 2 Dope Queens, Honeymoon); Kelly Park, director, (Country Comfort, Alexa & Katie, The Neighborhood, Family Reunion); Lynn Chen, actress and director (Shameless, Silicon Valley, I Will Make You Mine); Oge Egbuonu (In Visible Portraits, Eye In The Sky and Loving) Dayna Lynne North, writer and executive producer (Young Love, Insecure, Single Ladies); and Shirley Vernae Willams, director and producer (Refinerey29, Alone, Intent to Destroy: Death, Denial & Depiction).

Key Festival Highlights

Friday, September 25, 6PM EST

Storytelling Redefined: Telling Authentic BIPOC Stories. The Panel will feature Amy J. Aniobi, executive producer, writer, and director (Insecure, 2 Dope Queens, Honeymoon); Kelly Park, director, (Country Comfort, Alexa & Katie, The Neighborhood, Family Reunion); Lynn Chen, actress and director (Shameless, Silicon Valley, I Will Make You Mine); Dayna Lynne North, writer & executive produce (Young Love, Insecure, Single Ladies); Shirley Willams, director and producer (Refinerey29).

Friday, September 25, 10pm EST

Opening Party with dj.shErOck*. An LA native raised in NY who's one of the most sought, bicoastal women DJs. Catch her spinning her signature blend of world, pop, hip-hop, R&B, soulful house, dance, tribal, and reggae as well as underground tracks.

Saturday, September 26, 1pm EST

Workshop on Crafting A Successful Film Strategy. Hosted by Rebekah Louisa Smith, founder of Film Doctor, learn how to get your film seen by the right people in the right places in order to fast-track your film on the road to success

Thursday, October 1, 4pm EST

A Fireside chat with Lydia Hearst. Hearst is an actress and model. (Z Nation, Psycho Sister-in-Law, Between Worlds, Grace & Grit, and Root Letter).

Saturday, October 3, 5pm EST

A Fireside chat with Felicia Pride. Felicia Pride is a Film / TV writer and an emerging director who has written for Ava DuVernay's QUEEN SUGAR for two seasons and currently writes for Grey's Anatomy. She has sold a drama pilot, a book adaptation, to NBC's Universal Cable Productions and the erotic romantic feature Deeper to Universal Pictures with Will Packer Productions producing. She is the co-writer and executive producer of the film Really Love, produced by MACRO, which won a Special Grand Jury Prize at SXSW. She recently made her directorial debut with a tender short film that she also wrote and that premiered at Outfest Fusion.

Sunday, October 4, 6pm EST

A conversation with Sara Bennette, a visual effects supervisor and a co-founder owner of Milk, a multiple award-winning, independent visual effects company based in London. Bennett became the second-ever woman to receive an Oscar for visual effects when she won the 2016 Academy Award for Best Visual Effects for Alex Garland's feature Ex Machina, for which she also received a 2016 BAFTA Film Award nomination.

Sunday, October 4, 8pm EST

Closing Night Party with DJ Kara. DJ Kara is an LA-based DJ who spins tunes for the Greater Los Angeles Area.

Below is a partial line-up of films at ITWIFF.

Documentary Feature

A Whore Like Me:

Dir. Sharon Yaish and Sharon Yaish, Israel, 62min.

When Chilla was 22, she was kidnapped from a pub in Hungary and sold to a group of Israelis dealing with human trafficking for prostitution.

Key Cast: Sharon Yaish

Made in Auschwitz - THE UNTOLD STORY of Block 10:

Dir. Sonya Winterberg and Sylvia Nagel, 113 min.

The untold story of the women of Block 10. Some 70 years ago, gynecologist Carl Clauberg conducted sterilization experiments in Auschwitz on women and girls.

Key Cast: Renée Duering, Gideon Greif

Short Films

Honeymoon:

Dir. Amy Aniobi, United States, 14 min.

Honeymoon tells the story of a newlywed couple on their first night together, made all the more awkward, romantic and honest, because they only just met.

Key Cast: Tayo Elesin, Tomiwa Edun

It's Me:

Dir. Helen Randag, United Kingdom, 14 min.

"It's Me" is a dark tale of a game that cannot be sustained. Set over the course of an evening, a mother remembers moments from a game she played with her son throughout his childhood. Tragedy strikes when he unexpectedly returns.

Key Cast: Maxine Peake, Barney Harris, Russell Tovey

Freeze:

Dir. Maya Albanese, United States, 14 min.

When Joy's fairytale life crashes and burns on her 35th birthday, the TICK-TOCK of her biological clock pushes her to try new things.

Key Cast: Nora Zehetner, Adrian Grenier, Chris Parnell, Kel Mitchell, Mindy Sterling, Rick Overton, Jazzmun Crayton, and John Ennis

Age of Dysphoria:

Dir. Jessica Petelle, Cuba, 20 min.

A young woman (Laura Vandervoort) tracks down an elderly man (Gordon Pinsent) to make amends for the tragedy that devastated both of their lives.

Key Cast: Laura Vandervoort, Rainbow Sun Francks, Nola Augustson, Jill Frappier and Gordon Pinsent

Tender

Dir. Felecia Pride, United States, 15 min.

After an unexpected one night stand, two women at very different stages of their lives, share an even more intimate morning after.

Key Cast: Trishauna Clarke, Farelle Walker

Short Documentary

Carrying Tomorrow:

Dir. Sarah Davis and Caleb Lucky, Ethiopia, 22 min.

For women and girls in the Amhara region of Ethiopia, becoming pregnant can be a death sentence. It is the leading cause of death for women of reproductive age and could be almost entirely preventable with access to basic surgical care

A Second Family:

Dir. Ramon Sanchez Orense and Susanne Maria Krauss, Congo, 7 min.

Goma, DR Congo. A few years ago, Amina's mother couldn't afford a "normal" school for her only daughter. So, she took her to a school for deaf children even though Amina could hear perfectly well.

High Flying Jade (New York premiere)

Dir. Katherine Sweetman, Vietnam, 21 min.

Walking the line between mindfulness and an adrenaline rush, a bipolar American aerialist tries to reconcile her suicidal inclinations, her past life as an air traffic controller, and the pressures of training for opening night at the Vietnamese circus.

Key cast: Jade White

Music Video

Amber Mark's Generous

Dir. Nathalie Christmas, United States, 4 min.

An Old Hollywood actress channels her personal love-life resulting in a stunning performance of champagne and feathers. Key Cast: Amber Mark

For the complete 2020 Film Schedule and additional information about the programming slate, visit ITWIFF at www.imaginethisprods.com.

Ticket Information:

All special events are free and open to the public.

A single ticket, which gives access to a specific screening and its corresponding live stream filmmaker Q&A, is $10. All-Access Passes start at $30.

Purchase tickets and passes at http://itwiff2020.eventive.org.

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