FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ATHENA FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES LINEUP OF NARRATIVE, DOCUMENTARY AND SHORT FILMS
FILMS INCLUDE BEYOND THE LIGHTS, DREAMCATCHER, DUKHTAR, OBVIOUS CHILD, QUE CARAMBRA ES LA VIDA & WE ARE THE BEST! AMONG OTHERS
The festival runs from February 5 – 8
New York, NY (January 9, 2015) – The Athena Film Festival announced today its 2015 lineup, featuring an array of narrative, documentary and short films. The festival and its upcoming slate honor extraordinary women in the entertainment industry and spotlight films that showcase women’s leadership in real life and the fictional world. Now in its fifth year, the festival runs from Thursday, February 5 through Sunday, February 8 on the Barnard College campus in Morningside Heights. Regina K. Scully, the Phoebe Snow Foundation, and the Artemis Rising Foundation are the festival’s Founding Sponsors.
The festival opens on Thursday night with the New York Premiere of DREAMCATCHER, a documentary directed by Kim Longinotto. 2015 Athena awardee Gina Prince-Bythewood, director of BEYOND THE LIGHTS, will participate in a Q & A on Saturday night following a screening of the film starring Gugu Mbatha-Raw.
Among the feature films included in this year’s lineup are: OBVIOUS CHILD, starring Jenny Slate and directed by Gillian Robespierre, WE ARE THE BEST!, starring Mira Barkhammar, Mira Grosin and Liv LeMoyne and directed by Lukas Moodysson, and DUKHTAR, directed by Afia Nathaniel. The documentary category includes: VESSEL, directed by Diana Whitten, SEPIDEH – REACHING FOR THE STARS, directed by Berit Madsen, QUE CARAMBA ES LA VIDA, directed by Doris Dörrie, and OUT IN THE NIGHT, directed by Blair Dorosh- Walther. A wide variety of shorts will be featured including: THE LION’S MOUTH OPENS, directed by Academy Award®-nominee Lucy Walker, MUTED, directed by Rachel Goldberg, STOP TELLING WOMEN TO SMILE, directed by Dean Peterson, and AFRONAUTS, directed by Frances Bodomo.
“We are thrilled to celebrate the fifth year of this unique film festival with an inspiring and diverse range of films,” said Kathryn Kolbert, co-founder of the Festival and Constance Hess Williams Director of the Athena Center for Leadership Studies. “Where better to celebrate the power and leadership of women in film than on the Barnard College campus in New York, which will be transformed this February with screenings, panels and our annual awards ceremony.”
“These films were selected for the power of their stories to inspire us to think about women's leadership differently,” said Melissa Silverstein, co-founder and Artistic Director of the Festival and founder of Women and Hollywood. “We are proud to unveil a 2015 line-up that continues to provide a place for audiences to learn, experience and connect.”
As previously announced Academy Award®-winning actress and filmmaker Jodie Foster will receive this year’s Laura Ziskin Lifetime Achievement Award. Additional awardees include Sheila Nevins, President of HBO Documentary Films, Gina Prince-Bythewood, director, writer and producer behind films such as Love & Basketball, The Secret Life of Bees and Beyond the Lights, and Cathy Schulman, Academy Award® winning producer, President of Mandalay Pictures, and President of Women in Film, known for films including Crash, The Illusionist, Darfur Now and Bernie.
The current lineup follows. Additional screenings, panels and special events will be announced in the coming weeks.
Please visit http://www.athenafilmfestival.com for regular updates and to purchase tickets or passes.
FEATURES
Beyond The Lights Director: Gina Prince-Bythewood Run Time: 116 minutes Language: English The pressures of fame have superstar singer Noni on the edge, until she meets Kaz, a young cop who works to help her find the courage to develop her own voice and break free to become the artist she was meant to be. Named one of the top 10 best films of 2014 by New York Times film critic Manohla Dargis.
Dukhtar Director: Afia Nathaniel Run Time: 93 minutes Language: Urdu/Pashto Set in Pakistan, Dukhtar (Daughter) is a dramatic story of a mother who kidnaps her ten-year-old daughter to save her from the fate of a child bride. Their daring escape triggers a relentless hunt. As their pursuers close in, mother and daughter meet a cynical truck driver who offers unlikely hope.
For Those Who Can Tell No Tales Director: Jasmila Zbanic Run Time: 82 minutes Language: English/Bosnian Instead of visiting Fiji like everybody else, Kym, an Australian tourist, decides to travel to Višegrad, Bosnia, a small town steeped in history, on the border of Serbia. After a night of insomnia in the 'romantic' Hotel Vilina Vlas, Kym discovers what happened there during the war. No longer an ordinary tourist, her life will never again be the same.
Maïna Director: Michel Poulette Run Time: 100 minutes Language: Innu Six hundred years ago, in the aftermath of a bloody confrontation between her Innu tribe and the Inuit, the “Men from the Land of Ice”, Maïna fulfills a death-bed promise to her friend Matsii, following the trail of her enemies to retrieve Matsii’s 11-year-old son, Nipki, who has been captured by the Inuit. Maïna is taken captive herself and forced to travel to the Land of Ice. This beautiful film daringly introduces us to the fascinating civilizations that lived on the American continent.
Obvious Child Director: Gillian Robespierre Run Time: 84 minutes Language: English On stage, aspiring comedian Donna Stern is unapologetically herself, joking about topics as intimate as her sex life and as crude as her day-old underwear. But when Donna gets dumped, loses her job, and finds herself pregnant, she surprisingly discovers that the most terrifying thing isn’t facing adulthood on her own, but allowing herself to accept the support and love of others.
We Are the Best! Director: Lukas Moodysson Run Time: 102 minutes Language: Swedish We are the Best! revolves around three girls in 1980’s Stockholm who decide to form a punk band—despite not having any instruments and being told by everyone that punk is dead. Based on a graphic novel, the feature is a paean to DIY culture and the power of rebellion.
DOCUMENTARIES
#CHICAGOGIRL – The Social Network Takes on a Dictator Director: Joe Piscatella Run Time: 74 minutes Language: English/Arabic Armed only with a laptop, a smartphone, and her determination, 19-year-old Ala’a Basatneh is contributing to the Syrian revolution from her Chicago bedroom. Six thousand miles away from Damascus, she orchestrates an impressive array of social media to coordinate and protect the Syrian protestors from President Bashar al-Assad's rule of terror. And while she is out of the regime’s reach, there’s no telling when the other shoe will drop.
Althea Director: Rex Miller Run Time: 83 minutes Language: English Althea Gibson was the first African-American to play and win at Wimbledon and Forest Hills, a decade before the great Arthur Ashe, only to be shunned by the highly segregated world of tennis. The film details her roots as a sharecropper's daughter, her family's migration north to Harlem, her mentoring from Sugar Ray Robinson, David Dinkins, and others, and her rising fame that thrusts her unwillingly into the glare of the early Civil Rights movement.
Born to Fly: Elizabeth Streb vs. Gravity Director: Catherine Gund Run Time: 82 minutes Language: English Elizabeth Streb and the STREB Extreme Action Company form a motley troupe of flyers and crashers. Propelled by Streb’s edict that “anything too safe is not action,” these daredevils challenge the assumptions of art, aging, injury, gender, and human possibility. Born to Fly offers a breathtaking tale about the necessity of art, inspiring audiences hungry for a more tactile and fierce experience.
Dreamcatcher – Opening Night Film & New York Premiere Director: Kim Longinotto Run Time: 98 minutes Language: English Dreamcatcher is a portrait of Brenda Myers-Powell, a former Chicago prostitute, who helps women and teenage girls break the cycle of sexual abuse and exploitation. The film lays bare the hidden violence that devastates the lives of young women, their families, and the communities where they live. It is Brenda’s compassion and unflinching intervention that turns these desperate lives around.
In The Game – Full-Length Work-in-Progress Director: Maria Finitzo Run Time: 77 minutes Language: English/Spanish In the Game follows the ups and downs of an Hispanic girls soccer team to reveal the impact that race, class, and gender has on life’s opportunities.
Kate Bornstein is a Queer & Pleasant Danger Director: Sam Feder Run Time: 72 minutes Language: English Trans-dyke. Reluctant polyamorist. Sadomasochist. Recovering Scientologist. Pioneering gender outlaw. Performance artist and writer, Kate Bornstein, deconstructs gender—and her own identity. Sam Feder’s playful and meditative portrait, captures rollicking public performances and painful personal revelations as it bears witness to Bornstein as a trailblazing artist-theorist-activist who inhabits a space between male and female with wit, style and astonishing candor.
Out in the Night Director: Blair Dorosh-Walther Run Time: 75 minutes Language: English Out in the Night tells the story of a group of African-American lesbian teenagers from Newark, N.J. who are out, one hot August night in 2006, in a gay friendly neighborhood of New York City. When an older man sexually and violently confronts the group, two of the teens defend themselves and stabs the man. The women are rounded up and charged with gang assault, assault, and attempted murder. They are called a “Gang of Killer Lesbians” by the media and in activist circles become known as The New Jersey 4.
Que Caramba Es La Vida Director: Doris Dörrie Run Time: 86 minutes Language: Spanish More than just music, Mariachi is an essential part of Mexican culture that views the world from a macho perspective. The business is tough and women are seldom appreciated in this strictly male domain. Nevertheless, a handful of female musicians choose to be Mariachi and when the Mariachi women sing about death, love and poverty, the heavy issues of everyday life in Mexico City appear slightly more bearable.
Sepideh – Reaching for the Stars Director: Berit Madsen Run Time: 90 minutes Language: Farsi In a rural village far from Tehran, the night sky glows brilliantly, unimpeded by light pollution, and a teenage girl named Sepideh dreams of becoming an astronomer. Lugging a telescope as tall as herself, Sepideh spends her nights stargazing, inspired by Anousheh Ansari, the first Iranian in space. But achieving such a lofty ambition is easier said than done for an Iranian girl. Vessel Director: Diana Whitten Run Time: 88 minutes Language: English/Spanish/Portuguese/Swahili/Polish Vessel begins with a young doctor, Rebecca Gomperts, horrified by the realities created by anti-abortion laws around the world. To challenge these inequities, Gomperts provides abortions on a ship in offshore waters, but her project, Women on Waves, faces governmental, religious, and military blockades. But undeterred, Gomperts turns to new technologies to bypass the law—and trains women to give themselves safe medical abortions using WHO-sanctioned protocols with pills.
SHORTS
Afronauts Director: Frances Bodomo Run Time: 13 minutes Language: English As America prepares to send Apollo 11 to the moon, the Zambia Space Academy in the African desert is rushing to launch their rocket first. They train by rolling their astronaut, 17-year-old Matha Mwamba, down hills in barrels to simulate weightlessness. As the clock counts down to blast off, and as the Bantu- 7 Rocket looks more and more lopsided, Matha, the only woman in the group, must decide if she’s willing to die to keep her dreams alive.
Brittney Griner: Lifesize Director: Melissa Johnson Run Time: 16 minutes Language: English Screening before the documentary Althea, this is a rite of passage story of Basketball Center, Brittney Griner’s, inaugural season with the Zhejiang Golden Bulls. Director Melissa Johnson collaborated with espnW’s Kate Fagan, to chronicle Brittney’s transformation from amateur to professional, as Griner moves from a celebrated kid with unlimited potential to a self-reliant adult with the capacity to make her championship dreams a reality.
Flying Solo: A Transgender Widow Fights Discrimination Director: Leslie Von Pless Run Time: 8 minutes Language: English At 92, Robina Asti, a WWII veteran and pilot, tells her story of living as a transgender woman and her fight to be treated like any other widow.
Haenyeo: Women of the Sea Director: Alex Igidbashian, Daye Jeong, Kevin Sawicki Run Time: 12 minutes Language: Korean This short documentary provides a portrait of Chuwar Park, an unbelievably vibrant 82-year-old free-diver from Jeju Island, South Korea. Examining her daily routine as well as her past, Park sheds light on the unique matriarchal culture that hunts for ocean game.
Houreya Wa Ein (Eye and Mermaid) Director: Shahad Ameen Run Time: 14 minutes Language: Arabic Ten-year-old Hanan lives in a fishing village on the coast of the Arabian Peninsula. She wants to join her father on his nighttime fishing trips, but he doesn’t want her to come along. In the morning, he always returns with wonderful black pearls, but where do they come from? Does he harbor a secret?
The Lion’s Mouth Opens Director: Lucy Walker Run Time: 27 minutes Language: English A courageous young Scottish actress takes the boldest step imaginable to confront the risk of having inherited the fatal, incurable Huntington's Disease.
Muted Director: Rachel Goldberg Run Time: 18 minutes Language: English The Gladwells struggle to get media attention and law enforcement support when their teenage daughter disappears.
Rosita Lopez for President Director: Rachel Goldberg Run Time: 9 minutes Language: English A 14-year-old girl is running for President of the United States. As she tries to garner votes, she renews more than just a faith in democracy in the people she meets.
Stop Telling Women to Smile Director: Dean Peterson Run Time: 7 minutes Language: English The film highlights an art series by Tatyana Fazlalizadeh that addresses gender- based street harassment by placing portraits of women, complete with captions that speak directly to offenders, in outdoor public spaces.
ABOUT THE ATHENA FILM FESTIVAL Now in its fifth year, the Athena Film Festival—a celebration of women and leadership—is an engaging weekend of feature films, documentaries and shorts that highlight women’s leadership in real life and the fictional world. The four-day festival, which includes conversations with directors, producers and actors, as well as activities for filmmakers, will be held Feb. 5-8, 2015 in the heart of New York—at Barnard College (117th & Broadway).
ABOUT WOMEN AND HOLLYWOOD Women and Hollywood educates, advocates, and agitates for gender parity across the entertainment industry. In only seven years, it has grown to be one of the most respected sites focused on women's issues and popular culture, and its founder, Melissa Silverstein, has become a well-respected leader on the subject. For more information, visit: http://blogs.indiewire.com/womenandhollywood/
ABOUT THE ATHENA CENTER Established at Barnard College in 2009, the Athena Center for Leadership Studies is a catalyst for the education, development and advancement of inspired and courageous women leaders worldwide. Renowned civil rights attorney, Kathryn Kolbert, is the Center’s Constance Hess Williams Director. For more information, visit: http://athenacenter.barnard.edu/
ABOUT BARNARD COLLEGE The idea was bold for its time. Founded in 1889, Barnard was the only college in New York City, and one of the few in the nation, where women could receive the same rigorous and challenging education available to men. This year, Barnard celebrates 125 years as the premier liberal arts college for women at Columbia University and remains devoted to empowering extraordinary women to become even more exceptional. For more information, visit www.barnard.edu.
ABOUT ARTEMIS RISING FOUNDATION Artemis Rising Foundation is committed to transforming our culture through Media, Education, the Arts and Spirit. Regina K. Scully is the founder and CEO.
# # # MEDIA INQUIRIES FRANK PR | (646) 861-0843 LINA PLATH | [email protected] CLARE ANNE DARRAGH | [email protected]