THE ATHENA FILM FESTIVAL A celebration of women and leadership February 7–10, 2013 Barnard College
PROGRAM GUIDE Welcome from Barnard President Debora Spar 2 Greetings from the Festival Co-Founders 2 Welcome from Governor Cuomo 3 Best Wishes from the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment 4 Founding Organizations 5 Festival Co-Chairs 6 Honorary Host Committee 8 Industry Advisors 8 2013 Athena Film Festival Awards 10 Film Selection Committee 14 Workshops for Filmmakers 15 Films and Panels 16 Special Partners 35 Festival at a Glance 36 Friends of the Festival 38 Organizational Partners 38 Athena Film Festival Global Programs 39 Campus Map 40 Film Festival Staff and Volunteers 41 Athena Center Staff, Advisors, Leadership Council and Donors 42 Film and Panel Index 43
Welcome FROM BARNARD PRESIDENT DEBORA SPAR
The Athena Film Festival, now in its third year, has already become a wonderful Barnard tradition. In its first two years, this vibrant celebration of women and leadership has attracted thousands of people to campus. They love the remarkable films we screen and the robust conversations these films and panels engender. To be able to host this gathering of talented filmmakers and women leaders is a great privilege for the College. Over the course of this engaging weekend, we will share with you the stories of women who in spirit and accomplishment reflect the aspirations we have for all Barnard women: to be bold, spunky, willing to advocate for themselves and others, and working to make our world a better place. We hope these films and the conversations that follow will inspire and engage you and bring you back to the festival and Barnard before too long.
Debora Spar President, Barnard College
GREETINGS from the Festival Founders Thanks so much for joining us at the third annual Athena Film Festival. This year’s festival includes an amazing array of films about women and leadership. Directed by talented filmmakers, the features, documentaries, and shorts tell stories of courage, grit, persistence and indomitable spirit. There are tales of women driven by love, loyalty, and hope, who survived dark moments and fought powerful forces. There are women who laughed, ran, sailed, boxed, women who advocated for themselves, and gave of themselves for others.
Kathryn Kolbert
We are proud this year to honor distinguished women who have left their mark on the film industry. From Gale Anne Hurd—this year’s recipient of the Laura Ziskin Lifetime Achievement Award—to Ava DuVernay, Molly Haskell, Rose Kuo, and Pat Mitchell, the award winners have led with grace and integrity, blazed trails and set an exemplary example for younger women who aspire to leadership. When creating the Athena Film Festival in 2010, we set out to find a way to give filmmakers a forum for the tales of strong, bold and courageous women. In just three years, we have demonstrated that these inspiring stories have a strong audience and that creative filmmakers will use their talents to tell them. We hope you enjoy the festivities and will continue to make the Festival a must-attend, annual event.
Melissa Silverstein
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Founding Sponsor:
Kathryn Kolbert Athena Center for Leadership Studies Barnard College
/ Regina Kulik Scully, Founder & CEO
Melissa Silverstein Women and Hollywood
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February 2013 Dear Friends: It is a pleasure to welcome you to the 3rd Annual Athena Film Festival at Barnard College. New York City is a thriving center of media and entertainment, and there’s never been a better time to call the City home. Recently, the Boston Consulting Group released a study that analyzed the development and growth of New York City’s media and entertainment industries. According to the report, New York City’s entertainment industry is the strongest in its history, annually contributing $7.1 billion to the local economy and supporting 130,000 New Yorkers who work behind the scenes in film and television production. At the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, we’re dedicated to supporting and promoting all forms of media throughout the City and serving as the one-stop shop for all production needs in the City. Our office provides premier customer service – including free exterior locations, police assistance and parking privileges. We also offer the “Made in NY” Marketing Credit, which provides free advertising in subways, on bus shelters and on Taxi TV for films and television shows that shoot here, and the “Made in NY” Discount Card Program with discounts for productions at more than a thousand local businesses. Over the years, our office has also developed various programs and initiatives that encourage the exploration of career opportunities in media and entertainment. The Blueprint for Teaching and Learning in the Arts: The Moving Image, for example, is an innovative guide that outlines clear expectations for the study of film, television and animation from early elementary school through high school graduation and was developed by our office, the Department of Education and the Tribeca Film Institute. Our website – www.nyc.gov/film – contains a wealth of information for everything you’ll need to know about filming in New York City. I encourage you to contact my office at 311 or 212-NEW-YORK to find out just how easy it is to film in New York. Best wishes for a successful and enjoyable festival, Best wishes,
Katherine Oliver Commissioner Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment 4
Founding Sponsor:
/ Regina Kulik Scully, Founder & CEO
FOUNDING ORGANIZATIONS Established at Barnard College in 2009, the Athena Center for Leadership Studies is dedicated to the advancement of women’s leadership around the world. We create and promote innovative approaches to leadership development; we educate and develop new generations of women leaders; we challenge—and change—cultural stereotypes of leaders; and we foster research and public dialogue that expands our understanding of leadership. A special initiative of Barnard President Debora Spar, the Athena Center is directed by Kathryn Kolbert, a public-interest attorney and journalist, who brings to Barnard an impressive record of collaborative leadership, educational programming, and civil-rights advocacy. For more information, visit athenacenter.barnard.edu. Since its inception in 2007, Women and Hollywood has been working to raise awareness about films, TV shows, theatre, and other entertainment that highlight women and their contribution to the culture. Founder Melissa Silverstein has been featured on CNN, the BBC and in other publications including Newsweek, Salon, Chicago Tribune, the Washington Post, and the New York Times. In recent years, Silverstein has been named one of “The Top 100 Arts Tweeters” by the Times of London and “One of 10 Film Critics to Follow on Twitter” by Flavorwire. Women and Hollywood was named “One of the Top 100 Websites for Women” by ForbesWoman in 2011 and 2012. Since 2011, Women and Hollywood has been featured on the Indiewire blog network. Women and Hollywood recently published its first book, In Her Voice: Women Directors Talk Directing. For more information, visit http://blogs.indiewire.com/womenandhollywood. A distinguished leader in American higher education for over 100 years, Barnard College was the first in New York City, and one of the few in the world, where women could receive the same rigorous liberal arts education available to men. From its four-acre campus in Manhattan, Barnard’s world-class faculty educates over 2,400 gifted, curious, and independent undergraduate women, many of whom have gone on to become world leaders in diverse fields. Barnard’s dedication to the advancement of women, combined with its partnership with neighboring Columbia University, and its setting in an international city, makes it unique among American liberal arts colleges today. For more information, visit www.barnard.edu.
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Festival co-chairs
Debra Martin Chase
Diablo Cody
Greta Gerwig
Diane Levin
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Founding Sponsor:
Debra Martin Chase Debra Martin Chase is the President of Martin Chase Productions which is affiliated with Walt Disney Features and ABC. She is an Emmy-nominated motion picture and television producer whose producing credits include The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, The Princess Diaries, The Cheetah Girls, and the American Girl movie franchises. The first African-American woman to have her own producing deal at a major studio and a Harvard-trained lawyer, Chase was the producing partner of Whitney Houston in Brown House Productions and ran Denzel Washington‘s production company, Mundy Lane Entertainment. Her additional producing credits include Sparkle, Just Wright, Courage Under Fire, The Preacher’s Wife, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella and the upcoming ABC Family original musical, Lovestruck. Diablo Cody Diablo Cody broke into the Hollywood scene in 2007 writing the screenplay for Juno which earned her a WGA Award, an Independent Spirit Award, and the Oscar® for Best Original Screenplay. She went on to write the horror film, Jennifer’s Body as well as to create and executive produce the Showtime series United States of Tara. Most recently, Cody wrote and is producing a film version of the best-selling book series Sweet Valley High and is writing and executive producing a new comedy series in development for the Fox Network. Her last feature with Mandate, Young Adult, was directed by Jason Reitman. Actress Charlize Theron was nominated for a Golden Globe, and Cody was nominated for a WGA for Best Original Screenplay. Her directorial debut with Mandate is currently in post production. Greta Gerwig (BC ’06) Greta Gerwig has rapidly emerged as one of Hollywood’s most engaging actresses. She first received critical acclaim for her breakout role as Florence in Greenberg. In the film, she starred opposite Ben Stiller and earned a Gotham Award nomination for Breakthrough Performance and an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Female Lead. Gerwig then went on to star alongside Russell Brand and Helen Mirren in the comedy Arthur, followed by a supporting role in the romantic comedy No Strings Attached with Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher. Gerwig will next be seen in the film Frances Ha, a comedy she co-wrote with Noah Baumbach about an aspiring dancer who moves to New York City. Diane Levin (P ’13) Diane Levin has been an educational advocate for the past twenty-five years, serving as a Board member of the Oakwood School, IMPACT Theatre Group in Harlem, and the Parents Council at Barnard. She has worked to develop, implement and complete several long-range capital campaigns which have funded scholarships as well as programs and facilities for the arts and humanities. This year, along with her producing partner, Robbie Tollin, Levin produced a web series, Georgia, for the WIGS channel. She also is a producer of The Zookeeper’s Wife, written by Diane Ackerman and adapted by Angela Workman.
/ Regina Kulik Scully, Founder & CEO
Jon Levin
Mira Nair
Regina Kulik Scully
Jon Levin (P ’13) Jon Levin is a Motion Picture Literary Agent at Creative Artists Agency (CAA), an entertainment and sports agency based in Los Angeles where he represents many of the world’s leading filmmakers. Since joining CAA in 1979, Levin has worked on behalf of such agency clients as actors Brad Pitt, Will Smith, Robert Downey, Jr., Vince Vaughan, Tom Hanks, Cate Blanchett, and Natalie Portman; and directors Ron Howard, Robert Zemeckis, and Spike Jonze. Levin also represents such talented writers, producers and publishers as Stan Lee, Eric Roth, James Ellroy, Russell Banks, Imagine Films, DreamWorks, Digital Domain, and Plan B. He sits on the Board of the City of Hope Film Division and is a member of the Tufts Alumni Council and the Tufts Media Studies Board. Mira Nair After several years of making documentary films, Mira Nair made her entry onto the world stage in 1988 with her first feature, Salaam Bombay! Now hailed as a classic, the film received more than 25 international awards, including an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Film. Over the next decade, Nair directed four feature films including the award-winning Monsoon Wedding. In 2004, Nair directed Reese Witherspoon in an adaptation of Thackeray’s Vanity Fair. She has also directed The Namesake based on the award-winning book by Jumpha Lahiri and Amelia, starring Hilary Swank. Her most recent film, The Reluctant Fundamentalist, which opened the Venice Film Festival, is set for release in 2013. An avid philanthropist, in 2005 Nair founded Maisha, a non-profit filmmakers’ training program based in East Africa. Regina Kulik Scully Regina Kulik Scully is the CEO and Founder of Artemis Rising Foundation and the Athena Film Festival’s Founding Sponsor. Beginning her career in journalism, with stints at such media outlets as Seventeen Magazine, FOX Television, and CNN, Kulik Scully moved into public relations, first working at Hill & Knowlton and later serving as Public Relations Director for L’Oreal Cosmetics and Fragrances and Christian Dior Perfumes. In 1995, Kulik Scully became founder and CEO of RPR Marketing Communications in New York, which specializes in brand marketing and publicity for a wide range of consumer products and luxury goods. Driven by her passion for social justice, Kulik Scully also has executive produced such films as Boyhood Shadows, The Invisible War, The Big Picture, and Miss Representation, which deal with such critical issues as childhood abuse, rape in the US Military, childhood obesity, and the negative effects of media on young girls and women. An ardent activist for education reform, Kulik Scully and her husband have helped launch successful charter schools in both California and New York, including Making Waves Academy, an industry leader.
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HONORARY HOST COMMITTEE
INDUSTRY ADVISORS
Julie Parker Benello ‘92 Susan Cartsonis Dina DeLuca Chartouni ’82 Jennifer Christman ‘84 Glori Cohen P ‘14 Maria Cuomo Cole Lisa Brenner Devlin ‘97 Abigail E. Disney and Pierre N. Hauser Barbara Dobkin Wendy Ettinger Suzy Starke German Judith Helfand Caroline Hirsch Marina Weitzner Lewin ’80 and Andrew Lewin Lida Orzeck ‘68 Gigi Pritzker Nancy Stephens and Rick Rosenthal Sandra Wilkin Jacki Zehner
Nicole Bernard, SVP Audience Strategies, FOX GROUP Bonnie Bruckheimer, Producer Lisa Cortés, President, Cortés Films Penney Finkelman Cox ’73, Producer Madeline Di Nonno, Executive Director Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media Savannah Dooley, Creator, Huge Lindsay Doran, President, Three Strange Angels Geralyn White Dreyfous, Founder, Impact Partners Julie Fontaine, EVP Theatrical Publicity, Lionsgate Tom Hall, Director, Sarasota Film Festival Tanya Elaine Hamilton, Director Rachael Horovitz, Producer Annette Insdorf, Professor, Columbia University Terri Lawler, New York Women in Film & Televison Sharon Lawrence, Actress Heidi Levitt ’83, Casting Director Liz Meriwether, Creator, The New Girl Gayle Nachlis, Executive Director, Women in Film Mary Kay Place, Actress Theresa Rebeck, Playwright and Creator of Smash Gini Reticker, Director Amy Richards, Author and activist Anne Rosellini, Producer Nancy Schreiber, Director of Photography Stephanie Sharis, Snag Films Julie Taymor, Director
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Founding Sponsor:
/ Regina Kulik Scully, Founder & CEO
Athena Film Festival 2012
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The Laura Ziskin Lifetime Achievement Award
Consistent with Laura’s legacy, The Laura Ziskin Lifetime Achievement Award is given to a woman in the film industry whose leadership demonstrates vision and courage and sets a standard for other women to emulate. An extraordinary woman, Laura Ziskin (1950–2011) used her talents, indefatigable energies, and standing in the industry to make wonderful movies and to improve the lives and health of women. One of Hollywood’s leading independent producers and studio executives who was able to penetrate the inner circle of A-list producers, Ziskin produced numerous films during her career beginning with the 1985 film Murphy’s Romance to No Way Out with the then newcomer Kevin Costner and Gene Hackman. A string of hits followed including Pretty Woman, one of the most successful films in Disney’s history, which she executive produced in 1990. Laura Ziskin
“Movies are arguably the most influential, important medium in the world. They have a tremendous cultural impact. Because women are now making movies, then women’s ideas, philosophy, point of view will seep into that culture. And that’s never happened in history. Ever, ever, ever.We can’t even see the impact of that yet.” —Laura Ziskin
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In 1994, Ziskin was named President of Fox 2000 Pictures, a newly formed feature film division of 20th Century Fox. Under her stewardship, Fox 2000 released such films as Courage Under Fire, One Fine Day, Anna and the King and The Thin Red Line, which garnered seven Academy Award nominations including Best Picture. Ziskin also produced the Academy Awards on two separate occasions, earning multiple Emmy nominations for her work. She was perhaps best known for her role in producing one of the most successful franchises in Hollywood, the Spider-Man films. Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man 3 are among the highest grossing films in history. Her last film, The Amazing Spider-Man, was released in 2012. Laura Ziskin used her standing, her relationships with Hollywood executives and stars to give back to others. After being diagnosed with breast cancer she, along with Katie Couric and former Paramount head Sherry Lansing, created Stand Up to Cancer, a research and advocacy organization. Ziskin produced the historic Stand Up to Cancer television show that was simultaneously televised on all major networks, raising millions for the organization. And she told her story, repeatedly, so that other women suffering from this horrific disease would know that they are not alone.
/ Regina Kulik Scully, Founder & CEO
The 2013 Ziskin Lifetime Award winner: gale anne hurd Gale Anne Hurd is one of the industry’s most respected and innovative film and television producers. Over the course of her career, Hurd has developed and produced films that routinely garner Academy Award nominations, and TV programs that win Emmys and shatter ratings records. By continually selecting daring material, championing technological innovations, and remaining hands-on in her approach, Hurd has carved out a leading position in the male-dominated world of the blockbuster, and become a recognized creator of iconic cultural touchstones. After a successful rise from Roger Corman’s executive assistant to head of marketing, Hurd’s production career launched with the The Terminator. This success was quickly followed with Aliens, which received seven nominations and two Academy Awards, and the Oscar-winning films The Abyss and Terminator 2: Judgment Day. Gale Anne Hurd
From the helm of her production company, Valhalla Entertainment, Hurd launched the AMC’s hit drama, The Walking Dead. In addition to becoming the highest-rated drama series on television, The Walking Dead was also recently recognized by the DGA for hiring women and minority directors to direct more than half of its episodes. Other Valhalla Entertainment productions include among many others: Marvel’s smash hit The Incredible Hulk, starring Edward Norton; The Punisher and The Punisher: War Zone, based on the Marvel comic; The Hulk, directed by Academy Award winner Ang Lee; the Academy Award-nominated Armageddon; Dante’s Peak; The Relic; Dick; the Academy Award-winning film, The Ghost and The Darkness. Her producer credits include a number of television movies including HBO’s Emmy-nominated Sugartime; the Emmy Award-winning Cast a Deadly Spell, The Wronged Man; and Witch Hunt. Hurd is currently developing the feature films The Shipkiller, The Nameless, as well as a television series adaptation of Annie Jacobsen’s novel, Area 51: An Uncensored History of America’s Top Secret Military Base, and Lord Jeffrey Archer’s The Eleventh Commandment. Hurd serves on the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Board of Governors and as an officer of the Producers Guild of America. She chairs the Nicholl Screenwriting Fellowship Committee and the Executive Committee of the Producers Branch at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and is a member of the Film Festival Grants Committee.
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2013 athena film festival award winners The Athena Film Festival Awards, which recognize extraordinary women for their leadership and creative accomplishments, are presented at the opening reception on Thursday, February 7, 2013.
Ava DuVernay
Molly Haskell
Rose Kuo
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Founding Sponsor:
Ava DuVernay Ava DuVernay is a filmmaker, marketer and film distributor. At the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, DuVernay became the first African-American woman to win the Best Director Prize (Dramatic) for her second feature film Middle of Nowhere. The film was also nominated for the Grand Jury Prize (Dramatic) at Sundance, for Best Film at the 2012 Gotham Awards, and for four Indie Spirit Awards. In 2010, she wrote, produced and directed the narrative feature, I Will Follow. Her feature directorial debut was the 2008 hip-hop documentary, This is the Life, which won Audience Awards in Toronto, Los Angeles and Seattle. DuVernay has also directed and produced three television documentaries: My Mic Sounds Nice (BET), Live from the Essence Music Festival (TV One), and Essence Presents: Faith in 2010 (TV One). Previously, DuVernay worked as a film marketer and publicist for 15 years, forming DVA Media + Marketing in 1999 which provided strategy for more than 120 film and television campaigns for such acclaimed directors as Steven Spielberg, Clint Eastwood, Michael Mann and Bill Condon. DuVernay is also the founder of AAFFRM, the African-American Film Festival Releasing Movement and a member of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Molly Haskell Molly Haskell is a film critic and author who has written and lectured widely on film and the roles of women. Her books include From Reverence to Rape: the Treatment of Women in the Movies; Love and Other Infectious Diseases: a Memoir; and most recently, Frankly, My Dear: Revisited. She has taught at Barnard, Columbia, and Sarah Lawrence, served as film critic for New York magazine and Vogue, and written for many publications, including the New York Times, New York Review of Books, Town & Country, The Guardian and The Nation. She is a member of the National Society of Film Critics, has served as a member of the selection committee for the New York Film Festival, and was Artistic Director of the Sarasota French Film Festival for seven years. Her work was featured in The Library of America’s 2006 American Movie Critics, edited by Philip Lopate, and she won a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2010. Rose Kuo Rose Kuo is the executive director of the Film Society of Lincoln Center which presents international, classic and cutting-edge independent cinema, highlighted by its annual New York Film Festival and its co-presentation of 11 other film collections and festivals. Kuo has launched the Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center (including two state-of-the-art cinemas, an amphitheater and Indie Food and Wine), oversees the annual Chaplin Award Gala, and serves as publisher of Film Comment. Kuo’s career in the film industry spans two decades and includes leading world class film festivals and organizations, producing and directing fiction and documentary films, and working with critically acclaimed filmmakers. She has served as the Artistic Director of the AFI FEST, as a programmer and consultant for Los Angeles County Museum, AFI Dallas, and the San Francisco, Santa Barbara and Mill Valley film festivals. Kuo began her career as an assistant to Oscar®-winning editor Thelma Schoonmaker and as a camera assistant to famed cinematographer Haskell Wexler. Rose produced and directed California Aids Ride ‘94, executive produced The Fluffer, and has worked with renowned directors Michael Mann, Paul Schrader and Martin Scorsese.
/ Regina Kulik Scully, Founder & CEO
Pat Mitchell
Pat Mitchell Since assuming her current role as president and chief executive officer of the Paley Center for Media in 2006, Pat Mitchell has brought new life to the Center’s programming, attracting high profile leaders in entertainment, technology, business, and politics and offering its unrivaled collection of radio, television, and advertising content as a lens for exploring the powerful impact of media on society. Mitchell has spearheaded the conversion of the organization’s collection to a digital format, overseen the redevelopment of its interactive website, and negotiated content deals with prominent Internet portals and broadband companies. Prior to joining the Paley Center, Mitchell was president and CEO of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), the first woman and first producer and journalist to hold the position. During her tenure, she oversaw the development of a celebrated new series for children focusing on literacy and diversity, led public broadcasting’s conversion from analog to digital broadcasting, the launch of a high-definition PBS channel, and an on-demand and cable preschool children’s service, and more. From 1992-2000, Mitchell oversaw original productions for Ted Turner’s cable networks, where as executive producer, her documentaries and specials received thirty-seven Emmy Awards, five Peabody Awards, and two Academy Award nominations.
FORMER ATHENA FILM FESTIVAL AWARD WINNERS
2012 Laura Ziskin Lifetime Achievement Award, accepted posthumously by Julia Barry, Laura’s daughter Rachael Horovitz, Producer The Fempire: Diablo Cody, Liz Meriwether, Lorene Scafaria and Dana Fox, Writers Theresa Rebeck, Writer Dee Rees, Director and Nekisa Cooper, Producer (Emerging Filmmakers) Julie Taymor, Director 2011 Leslie Bennetts, Journalist Debra Martin Chase, Producer Abigail Disney, Producer and Gini Reticker, Director (Using Films for Social Change) Delia Ephron, Writer Greta Gerwig ’06, Actress Debra Granik, Director Tanya Hamilton, Director Chris Hegedus, Director Anne Rosellini, Writer Nancy Schreiber, Cinematographer Anne Thompson, Journalist Debra Zimmerman, Executive Director, Women Make Movies
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FILM SELECTION COMMITTEE Jennifer Christman (BC ‘84) (Committee Chair) is a Barnard alumna, parent and member of the Athena Center’s Leadership Council. Most recently, she was the Executive Director of the Picture House, an art-house theatre in Pelham, NY. Rene Bastian is the founder of Belladonna Productions. Together with producer Linda Moran, he has produced multiple films, including Sue, LIE, Transamerica, A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints, and Funny Games US, which have won a Golden Globe and received several Academy Award nominations. Nekisa Cooper, the co-founder of Northstar Pictures and producer of Pariah, is a 2008 Sundance Institute Creative Producing Fellow. She was the co-producer of the short films Orange Bow and Colonial Gods, and is currently completing the feature documentary La Muñeca Fea (The Ugly Doll), a Creative Promise Award winner from Tribeca in 2009. Chris Hegedus, a partner in Pennebaker Hegedus Films, was nominated for an Academy Award for The War Room, a behind-the-scenes film about President Bill Clinton’s 1992 campaign. Hegedus is also the recipient of CINE’s Golden Eagle Award, an Emmy Award, and lifetime achievement awards from several organizations including the International Documentary Association. Marian Masone is the Associate Director of Programming, Special Programs and Industry at the Film Society of Lincoln Center. She also has worked at the Media Center for Children, showing children’s films and conducting seminars with teachers, writers, and artists on how to teach children about film. Claudia Landsberger is the co-founder and currently Vice President of European Film Promotion (EFP), the pan European Umbrella organization that today has 34 European members representing their national cinema. Since 1995 she has been the head of Holland Film, the marketing and promotion agency for Dutch films worldwide. In 2010, it merged with EYE Film Institute Netherlands to become EYE International. Nancy Stephens’ acting career began in the 1970s and has included such films as Halloween, Halloween II and H20, The Mighty Ducks and American Dreamer as well as guest-starring roles in many television series from Charlie’s Angels to Ally McBeal to Boston Legal. An executive producer on three feature films, Mean Creek, Nearing Grace, and Kabluey, Stephens founded Whitewater Films in 2002 with her husband, producer/director Rick Rosenthal. Ilya Tovbis is the Director of the Washington Jewish Film Festival. He has programming experience in both the Jewish and broader film worlds, having previously worked with the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival, The Picture House, The JCC of NY’s Israel Film Center and the Mill Valley Film Festival.
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Founding Sponsor:
/ Regina Kulik Scully, Founder & CEO
WORKSHOPS FOR FILMMAKERS The AFI Directing Workshop for Women (DWW), which has been a major force in training women in narrative filmmaking since 1974, is partnering with The Athena Film Festival for a day of workshops and activities for female filmmakers. Since the inception of the DWW, over 250 women have been given the opportunity to participate in the innovative, unique and tuition-free training program for tomorrow’s directors. Workshops will be led by Joe Petricca, Executive Vice Dean, AFI Conservatory; Chris Schwartz, Manager and Patty West, Associate Manager of AFI Conservatory & National Workshops. Crafting a Short: How to Find Your Story and Make It a Movie Friday, February 8 at 10 AM Sulzberger Parlor, 316 Barnard Hall Filmmakers applied in advance for this specialized writing workshop. From Script to Screen: Producing a Short Film Friday, February 8 at 2 PM James Room, 418 Barnard Hall Open to all filmmakers, this workshop will provide the details to know when making a short film. Learn from DWW alumna and DWW staff (who have overseen hundreds of short films): how to finance your film, budget, find crew members, where to get equipment, insurance, permits and releases and what to do with your finished film. Directing Workshop for Women Open House Friday, February 8 at 4 PM James Room, 418 Barnard Hall Join DWW alumna and staff to watch DWW films, learn how the program selects the participants each year and hear first-hand about the workshop and how it impacts filmmakers’ careers.
The Workshops for Filmmakers are sponsored by JustFilms, a Ford Foundation initiative. Building on 75 years of support for the arts, JustFilms supports works that educate, motivate and create positive change in people’s lives by conveying stories that have the power to transform how we think and act.
Filmmakers Reception Sponsored by LunaFest Friday, February 8 at 5:15 PM Sulzberger Parlor, 316 Barnard Hall Join filmmakers from across the city at this reception. A great opportunity to network and share resources.
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FILMS & PANELS
A Hollywood Conversation with Gale Anne Hurd Friday, February 8 at 4 PM Glicker-Milstein Black Box Theatre Diana Center LL200 Hear from this year’s winner of the Athena Film Festival’s Laura Ziskin Lifetime Achievement Award, Gale Anne Hurd, as she discusses her career as one of the industry’s most respected and innovative film and television producers. Hurd has developed and produced films that routinely garner Academy Award nominations, and TV programs that win Emmys and shatter ratings records. She has carved out a leading position in the male-dominated world of the blockbuster, and become a recognized creator of iconic cultural touchstones including the cable hit, The Walking Dead, and such films as The Terminator, Aliens, The Abyss, and Terminator 2: Judgment Day.
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Founding Sponsor:
Middle of Nowhere Friday, February 8 at 6 PM Diana Center Event Oval, LL100 When Love Takes You Places You Never Thought You Would Go Director: Ava DuVernay Feature, 2012 [US] English, 97 minutes When her husband, Derek, is sentenced to eight years in a California prison, Ruby drops out of medical school to focus on ensuring Derek’s survival in his violent new environment. Driven by love, loyalty, and hope, Ruby learns to sustain the shame, separation, guilt, and grief that a prison wife must bear. Her new life challenges her identity, and propels her in new, often frightening directions of self-discovery. Winner of Best Director Award at 2012 Sundance Film Festival and Best Actor at the 2012 Gotham Awards.
/ Regina Kulik Scully, Founder & CEO
World Premiere Granny’s Got Game Friday, February 8 at 6 PM Held Auditorium, 304 Barnard Hall More Than a Team, They Are Family Director: Angela Alford Documentary, 2012 [US] English, 74 minutes Granny’s Got Game tells the story of six fiercely competitive women in their seventies who battle physical limitations and skepticism to keep doing what they love. The film follows the inspiring women for a year as they compete for another National Senior Basketball Games Championship. Q & A SESSION Director Angela Alford and team captain, Judy Barton will join the audience for a Q & A session following the film.
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Shorts Program I Friday, February 8 at 6 PM Glicker-Milstein Black Box Theater Diana Center LL200 Saturday, February 9 at 3 PM Glicker-Milstein Black Box Theater Diana Center LL200
Who is Pauline Park? Director: Jamerry Kim Documentary Short, 2012 [US] English, 12 minutes Pauline Park is a Korean-American adoptee, a transgendered woman, and a human rights activist. Yearning to belong, she has been tracing the genealogical roots of her adoptive parents, helping her, and us as well, better understand how our identities can both define and betray us at the same time.
Jasad & The Queen of Contradictions Director: Amanda Homsi-Ottosson Documentary Short, 2011 [UK, LB] English and Arabic with English subtitles, 40 minutes Meet the Lebanese poet and writer Joumana Haddad, the passionate woman behind Jasad (The Body), an erotic Arabiclanguage magazine. Controversial not only for its erotic articles and essays on sex in Arabic but also for the fact that an Arab woman is behind it all, Jasad has created both obstacles and challenges for its courageous Editor-in-Chief.
Free Kick (Libre Directo) Director: Bernabé Rico Feature Short, 2011 [ES] Spanish, 13 minutes Having turned 60, Adela is living a life she never wanted -- no children, a husband who walks all over her and, worst of all, nothing to look forward to. But one day, Adela has the chance to win €300,000 and leave her old life behind. All she has to do is kick a ball from mid-field into an open goal during the half-time of a Spanish League football match. Accepting the challenge, Adela starts training for the big day.
Stella is 95! Director and Executive Producer: Robin Baker Leacock Documentary Short, 2012 [US, CA] English, 24 minutes Although most of her peers are happily retired, Stella at age 95, is still pursuing her dreams. In her early years, she had an eclectic career as entrepreneur, inventor, and program director. In her 90’s, she revived a neighborhood park and most recently, at 95, became a playwright and director. Stella is 95! reminds us that we are never too old to make a difference.
Q & A SESSION Filmmakers Jamerry Kim (Who is Pauline Park?) and Robin Leacock (Stella is 95!) will participate in a Q & A session following the screenings.
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Founding Sponsor:
/ Regina Kulik Scully, Founder & CEO
Sneak Preview Hannah Arendt Friday, February 8 at 8 PM Northwest Corner, 120th & Broadway, 5th Floor A Stirring Portrait of One of the Most Influential Political Philosophers of the Twentieth Century Director: Margarethe von Trotta Feature, 2012 [DE] English, German with English subtitles, 113 minutes Hannah Arendt is a portrait of the genius that shook the world with her discovery of “the banality of evil.” After she covers the trial of Nazi Adolf Eichmann for the New Yorker, Arendt dares to write about the Holocaust in terms no one had heard before. Her work instantly provokes a furious scandal, and Arendt stands strong as she is attacked by friends and foes alike. But as the German-Jewish émigré struggles to suppress her own painful associations with the past, the film exposes her beguiling blend of arrogance and vulnerability — revealing a soul defined and derailed by exile.
Ginger and Rosa Friday, February 8 at 9 PM Diana Center Event Oval, LL100 A Lifelong Friendship Challenged As Their Worlds Change Director: Sally Potter Feature, 2012 [UK] English, 90 minutes London, 1962. Two teenage girls—Ginger and Rosa—are inseparable. They discuss religion, politics, and hairstyles, and dream of lives bigger than their mothers’. But as the Cold War meets the sexual revolution, and the threat of nuclear holocaust escalates, the lifelong friendship of the two girls is shattered by a clash of desire and the determination to survive.
Q & A SESSION Journalist Regina Weinreich and screenwriter Pamela Katz will participate in a Q & A session following the film.
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SHORTS PROGRAM II Friday, February 8 at 9 PM Glicker-Milstein Black Box Theater Diana Center LL200 Sunday, February 10 at 12 PM Glicker-Milstein Black Box Theater Diana Center LL200 DevOUT Director, Writers and Producers: Diana Neille and Sana Gulzar Documentary Short, 2011 [US] English, 37 minutes DevOUT follows the lives of women in New York and New Jersey who are trying to reconcile their lesbian sexuality with their commitment to Orthodox Judaism, which condemns homosexuality in the harshest terms. Meet Chani, Pam, Elissa, Hayley, Lina and Miriam as they deal with being shunned, while still remaining devoted to their strict faith and community. Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend Director: Sarah Knight Documentary Short, 2010 [US] English, 26 minutes A stirring portrait of Nicole Sherry, head groundskeeper for the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards, one of the only two women to hold this job in Major League Baseball.
ABC Director: Madli Lääne Documentary Short, 2011 [DE] Loma/Liberian with English subtitles, 12 minutes All 17-year old Vele wants is to learn how to read and write— to keep up with her seven-year-old daughter. After endless years of the Liberian civil war, her ability to sign her own name is her next big step towards independence—away from the painful past, into a brighter future. 55 Socks Director: Co Hoedeman Animated Short, 2011 [CA] English, 8 minutes Based on a poem by Marie Jacobs, 55 Socks, pays tribute to the ingenuity of the Dutch people during a dark period of their history—the winter of hunger in 1944-45. During the closing months of the war in occupied Holland, enterprising women unravel a beautiful bedspread to knit 55 socks and then barter them for food. In a Heartbeat Director, Producer and Writer: Karolina Lewicka Feature Short, 2011 [IS] Silent, 7 minutes A nine-year old girl, often scared of the world around her and no friends, finds the courage to stand up against bullies when she sees a classmate picked on by two older boys. The only one who takes a stand, she enlists her classmates to join her, and in turn, overcomes her own shyness and fear. Q & A SESSION Director Sarah Knight (Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend) and film subjects, Howard Weinberg and Chani Getter (DevOUT) will join the audience for a Q & A session following the film.
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Founding Sponsor:
/ Regina Kulik Scully, Founder & CEO
A Special Screening for Young Audiences & Families Band of Sisters Brave Saturday, February 9 at 12 PM Saturday, February 9 at 12 PM Held Auditorium, 304 Barnard Hall Diana Center Event Oval, LL100 Activists For Social Justice: The Journey of U.S. Catholic Nuns With Courage and Moxie, a Young Princess Fights for her Freedom Director: Mary Fishman Documentary, 2012 [US] English, 88 minutes Directors: Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman The work of two nuns outside a Chicago-area deportation Animated Feature, 2012 [US] English, 100 minutes center introduces us to the tumultuous and engaged world of Determined to make her own path in life, Princess Merida U.S. Catholic nuns in the fifty years following Vatican II. From defies a custom that brings chaos to her kingdom. Granted sheltered “daughters of the church� once swathed in medieval one wish, Merida must rely on her bravery and archery skills dress to activists for social justice, Band of Sisters follows the to undo a beastly curse. Nominated for the 2013 Academy journey of these religious women as they work for civil rights, Award for Best Animated Feature. and immigration reform, and become increasingly relevant and visible in aid of the poor and disenfranchised. Q & A SESSION Director Brenda Chapman will participate in a Q & A session Q & A SESSION following the film. Director Mary Fishman will join the audience for a Q & A session following the film.
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Book Launch In Her Voice: Women Directors Talk Directing by Melissa Silverstein Saturday, February 9 at 12 PM James Room, 418 Barnard Hall This unique volume, In Her Voice, includes interviews with more than 40 feature and documentary directors from around the world including Debra Granik (Winter’s Bone), Courtney Hunt (Frozen River), Callie Khouri (Mad Money), Sally Potter (Rage), Lone Scherfig (An Education) and Lynn Shelton (Humpday). The book is a testament to the significance of women directors and their growing influence in the world of filmmaking. Please join Melissa Silverstein and several of the women directors included in the book as they discuss In Her Voice and the importance of having more female directors making films.
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Founding Sponsor:
/ Regina Kulik Scully, Founder & CEO
Sunday, February 10 at 3 PM Glicker-Milstein Black Box Theater Diana Center LL200
Hilary’s Straws Director and Producer: Phil Cox Documentary Short, 2012 [UK, US] English, 3 minutes Record-breaking English sailor Hilary Lister, a quadriplegic since age 15, and her friends smash up a wheel chair, some metal pipes and a few electric circuit boards. The result is a unique, technical invention that leads her to conquer the oceans of the world and set her spirit free.
Prizefighter Director: Angela Wong Documentary Short, 2012 [US] English, 24 minutes During the 2012 Olympics, women were finally able to box and represent their countries on international television. But even before the Olympics legitimized women’s boxing, amateur fighters like Heather “the Heat” Hardy were steadily paving their own roads towards boxing gold. This is Heather’s story.
Georgena Terry Director, Executive Producer and Writer: Amanda Zackem Documentary Short, 2011 [US] English, 6 minutes Georgena Terry, founder of Terry Bicycles, revolutionized the women’s biking industry by creating a frame specifically for a woman’s body. This is the story of how she got her start and the challenges she faced within the women’s biking movement.
She, Who Excels in Solitude Director: Mako Kamitsuna Feature Short, 2012 [US] English, 20 minutes In 1960, during the Space Race, a woman vying to become the first female astronaut meets a nurse ready to give up on a dream of her own. Inspired by a true event.
Self Portrait with Cows Going Home and Other Works: A Portrait of Sylvia Plachy Director: Rebecca Dreyfus Documentary Short, 2008 [US] English, 10 minutes A film portrait of photographer Sylvia Plachy, perhaps best known for her weekly pictures in the Village Voice, explores her celebrated work that spans more than four decades. Plachy’s son, actor Adrien Brody, contributes a delightful score.
SHORTS PROGRAM III Saturday, February 9 at 12 PM Glicker-Milstein Black Box Theater Diana Center LL200
New York Premiere Our Rhineland Director and Writer: Faren Humes Feature Short, 2011 [US] German with English subtitles, 16 minutes During the Third Reich, many Germans of mixed race were located, identified and forcibly sterilized. Our Rhineland follows two sisters as they fight back and confront what it means to be a part of the resistance.
Q & A SESSION Filmmakers Faren Humes, Mako Kamitsuna, Rebecca Dreyfus, and documentary subjects Heather Hardy and Sylvia Plachy will participate in a Q & A session following the screenings.
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Putin’s Kiss Saturday, February 9 at 3 PM Held Auditorium, 304 Barnard Hall
The Girl Saturday, February 9 at 3 PM Diana Center Event Oval, LL100
Moral Quandaries Inside Russia’s Youth Movement
Life as a Smuggler has Both Rewards and Consequences
Director: Lise Birk Pedersen Documentary, 2011 [RU] Russian with English subtitles, 85 minutes Putin’s Kiss portrays contemporary life in Russia through the story of Masha, a 19-year-old girl who is a member of Nashi, a political youth organization connected with the Kremlin. Extremely ambitious, the young Masha quickly rises to the top of Nashi, but begins to question her involvement when a dissident journalist whom she has befriended is savagely attacked.
Director: David Riker Feature, 2012 [US] English, Spanish with English subtitles, 90 minutes Emotionally distraught from losing custody of her son Georgie and running out of options to earn a living to win him back, single mother Ashley becomes desperate when she loses her job at a local Austin megastore. So when the risky opportunity arises to become a coyote—smuggling illegal immigrants over the Texas border—she takes it. The harrowing experience results in unforeseen rewards and consequences, as Ashley forges an intense bond with a young Mexican girl who forces her to confront her past, accept the mistakes she’s made, and look to the future. Q & A SESSION Director David Riker will join the audience for a Q & A session following the film.
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Founding Sponsor:
/ Regina Kulik Scully, Founder & CEO
SHORTS PROGRAM I Saturday, February 9 at 3 PM Glicker-Milstein Black Box Theater Diana Center LL200
Sponsored By Fox Audience Strategy Beasts of the Southern Wild Saturday, February 9 at 6 PM Diana Center Event Oval, LL100
See page 18 for full description.
The Extraordinary Story of a Fierce and Unbreakable Six-Year-Old
Alumnae Reception Saturday, February 9 at 4 PM Sulzberger Parlor, 316 Barnard Hall Join Barnard alumnae and friends for wine, cheese and conversation at this reception.
Director: Benh Zeitlin Feature, 2012 [US] English, 93 minutes In a forgotten but defiant bayou community cut off from the rest of the world by a sprawling levee, a six-year-old girl is in balance with the universe, until a fierce storm changes her reality. Buoyed by her childish optimism and extraordinary imagination, and desperate to save her ailing father and sinking home, this tiny hero must learn to survive unstoppable catastrophes. Hailed as one of 2012’s most original films, Beasts of the Southern Wild appeared on many critics year-end top 10 lists. Nominated for four 2013 Academy Awards including Best Picture.
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WONDER WOMEN! The Untold Story of American Superheroines Saturday, February 9 at 6 PM Held Auditorium, 304 Barnard Hall
Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel Saturday, February 9 at 6 PM Northwest Corner, 120th & Broadway, 5th Floor
An Enlightening Counterpoint to the Male-Dominated Genre
Director: Lisa Immordino Vreeland Documentary, 2011 [US] English, 86 minutes The legendary Diana Vreeland was the arbiter of the fashion world for four decades. From her early days as a columnist at Harper’s Bazaar to her eight-year reign as Editor-in-Chief at Vogue beginning in 1963, Vreeland’s larger-than-life personality and flair for the slightly outrageous gave her the final word in pushing fashion forward and helped her create new definitions of beauty.
Director and Writer: Kristy Guevera-Flanagan Documentary, 2012 [US] English, 62 minutes Tracing the fascinating evolution and legacy of Wonder Woman and superheroines in film—from the birth of the comic book superheroine in the 1940s to the blockbusters of today—WONDER WOMEN! examines how popular representations of women reflect society’s anxieties about women’s power and liberation. Goes behind the scenes with Lynda Carter, Lindsay Wagner, comic writers and artists, and real life superheroines as well.
An Engaging Look at One of Fashion’s Pioneers
Q & A SESSION Producer Kelcey Edwards will join the audience for a Q & A session following the film.
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Founding Sponsor:
/ Regina Kulik Scully, Founder & CEO
World Premiere Women Aren’t Funny Saturday, February 9 at 9 PM Diana Center Event Oval, LL100
New York Premiere I Stand Corrected Saturday, February 9 at 9 PM Held Auditorium, 304 Barnard Hall
Endearing. Touching. Revealing. Ridiculous. But Most Importantly, Funny.
From John to Jennifer: An Intimate Study of Jazz Star, Jennifer Leitham
Director: Bonnie McFarlane Documentary, 2012 [US] English, 78 minutes Female comedian Bonnie McFarlane sets out with fellow comedian and husband Rich Vos (and their adorable 3 year old) to find out once and for all if women are funny and report her unbiased findings in this important documentary film. Working around stand up gigs, quarrelling with her husband and parenting their daughter, Bonnie manages to squeeze in interviews with a wide range of comedians, club owners, talent bookers and writers about why there remains such a pervasive, negative stereotype about women in comedy.
Director and Executive Producer: Andrea Meyerson Documentary, 2012 [US] English, 84 minutes Watch Jennifer Leitham perform and it’s obvious the striking redhead is an original. When this world-famous jazz bassist takes center-stage, she’s a special talent made all the more unique because Jennifer Leitham began her life and career as John Leitham. I Stand Corrected explores Leitham’s enlightening story of success and survival, of betrayal and compassion, and the risks she takes to embrace who she truly is.
Q & A SESSION Director Bonnie McFarlane will join the audience for a Q & A session following the film.
Q & A SESSION Director/Executive Producer Andrea Meyerson and film subject Jennifer Leitham will join the audience for a Q & A session following the film.
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Violeta Went to Heaven (Violeta Se Fue a Los Cielos) Saturday, February 9 at 9 PM Northwest Corner, 120th & Broadway, 5th Floor The Tale of Chilean Folksinger Violeta Parra, Latin America’s Iconic Musician Director: Andrés Wood Biographical Feature, 2011 [CL, AR, BR, ES] Spanish and French with English subtitles, 110 minutes This is the extraordinary story of the poet and folksinger Violeta Parra, whose songs have become hymns for Chileans and Latin Americans alike. Director Andrés Wood traces the intensity and explosive vitality of her life, from humble origins to international fame, her defense of indigenous cultures, and devotion to her art.
The Invisible War Sunday, February 10 at 12 PM Diana Event Oval, LL100 A Powerful Expose of the Epidemic of Rape in the U.S. Military Director and Writer: Kirby Dick Documentary, 2012 [US] English, 93 minutes The Invisible War is a groundbreaking investigative documentary about one of America’s most shameful and best kept secrets: the epidemic of rape within the U.S. military. The film paints a startling picture of the breadth of the problem—today, a female soldier in combat zones is more likely to be raped by a fellow soldier than killed by enemy fire. Indeed, the Department of Defense estimates there were a staggering 22,800 violent sex crimes in the military in 2011. The Invisible War is a moving indictment of the systemic cover-up of military sex crimes, chronicling the women’s struggles to rebuild their lives and fight for justice. It also features hard-hitting interviews with high-ranking military officials and members of Congress that reveal the long-hidden history of rape in the military, and what can be done to bring about much-needed change. Nominated for the 2013 Academy Award for Best Documentary. Q & A Session Executive Producers Regina Kulik Scully and Maria Cuomo Cole will join the audience for a Q & A session following the film.
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Founding Sponsor:
/ Regina Kulik Scully, Founder & CEO
A Special Screening for Young Audiences & Families La Rafle (The Roundup) Future Weather Sunday, February 10 at 12 PM Sunday, February 10 at 12 PM Northwest Corner, 120th & Broadway, 5th Floor Held Auditorium, 304 Barnard Hall A Devastating Look at the Vel’ d’Hiv Roundup in the Summer A Teen and Her Grandmother Rethink Their Lives in the of 1942 Face of Disaster Director: Roselyn Bosch Director and Writer: Jenny Deller Feature, 2010 [FR] French, German, Yiddish with English Feature, 2012 [US] English, 100 minutes subtitles, 115 minutes Abandoned by her single mom, a teenaged girl becomes This French box office hit is the story of the infamous Vel’ obsessed with ecological disaster, forcing her and her d’Hiv roundup in 1942 when French police carried out grandmother, a functioning alcoholic, to rethink their an extensive raid on Jews in greater Paris, resulting in futures. Inspired by a New Yorker article on global warming, the arrest of more than 13,000 people—including 4,000 Future Weather uses the refuge of science and the children. Told from the perspective of the children and the environment as a backdrop as the two women learn to trust nurse who cared for them, this is an emotionally astute and each other and leap into the unknown. sensitive exploration of a long taboo subject in France— one that caused former French President Jacques Chirac Q & A SESSION to issue a public apology in 1995. Producer Kristin Fairweather will join the audience for a Q & A session following the film.
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SHORTS PROGRAM II Sunday, February 10 at 12 PM Glicker-Milstein Black Box Theater Diana Center LL200 See page 20 for full description.
Sundance Institute Presents Exploring the barriers and opportunities for independent women filmmakers Sunday, February 10 at 1:30 PM James Room, 418 Barnard Hall The Sundance Institute has partnered with Women and Film to examine the submissions and selections for the Sundance Film Festival and for Sundance Institute Feature Film and Documentary Film Programs to determine whether gender makes a difference. After examining data from multiple years, the research identifies systemic obstacles that hinder women directors at key stages in their independent film careers. The research was released at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. Keri Putnam, Executive Director of the Sundance Institute, and Professor Stacy Smith, one of the study’s authors, will participate in the discussion.
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Founding Sponsor:
/ Regina Kulik Scully, Founder & CEO
U.S. Premiere Fast Girls Sunday, February 10 at 3 PM Diana Center Event Oval, LL100
A Special Screening for Young Audiences & Families Inocente Sunday, February 10 at 3 PM Held Auditorium, 304 Barnard Hall
The Inspirational Journey of Two Rivals Making the Run of Their Lives
A Timely Snapshot of the New Face of Homelessness in America, Children
Director: Regan Hall Feature, 2012 [UK] English, 91 minutes When a sassy streetwise runner meets an ambitious, wealthy competitor, their two worlds collide with explosive results. As the fast girls strive to qualify for the World Championships, they battle adversity and rivalry on a dramatic, heartwarming and inspirational journey.
Directors and Producers: Sean Fine and Andrea Nix Fine Documentary, 2012 [US] English and Spanish with English subtitles, 40 minutes At 15, Inocente refuses to let her dream of becoming an artist be thwarted by her life as an undocumented, homeless immigrant. The extraordinary sweep of color on her canvases creates a world that looks nothing like her own dark past—punctuated by a father deported for domestic abuse, an alcoholic and defeated mother of four, an endless shuffle through San Diego’s homeless shelters, and the constant threat of deportation. Neither sentimental nor sensational, Inocente will immerse you in the very real, day-to-day existence of a young girl who is battling staggering challenges. But the hope in Inocente’s story proves that the hand she has been dealt does not define her, her dreams do. Nominated for the 2013 Academy Award for Best Documentary Short. Q & A SESSION Producer Yael Melamede will join the audience for a Q & A session following the film.
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Birth Story: Ina May Gaskin AND The Farm Midwives Sunday, February 10 at 3 PM Northwest Corner, 120th & Broadway, 5th Floor
SHORTS PROGRAM III Sunday, February 10 at 3 PM Glicker-Milstein Black Box Theater Diana Center LL200
Mothers of Mid-Wifery: The Unlikely Women who Changed a Generation’s Approach to Childbirth
See page 23 for full description.
Directors: Sara Lamm and Mary Wigmore Documentary, 2011 [US] English, 95 minutes Birth Story: Ina May Gaskin and The Farm Midwives captures a spirited group of women who taught themselves how to deliver babies on a 1970s hippie commune. They grew their own food, built their own houses, published their own books, and as word of their social experiment spread, created a model of care for women and babies that changed a generation’s approach to childbirth. Today, as nearly one-third of all U.S. babies are born via C-section, they labor on, fighting to preserve their knowledge and pushing, once again, for the rebirth of birth.
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Founding Sponsor:
/ Regina Kulik Scully, Founder & CEO
Sponsored by Chicken & Egg Pictures WORKS IN PROGRESS Sunday, February 10 at 3:30 PM James Room, 418 Barnard Hall The Illusionists Director, Executive Producer and Writer: Elena Rossini Documentary, [IT] English, French, Italian, Japanese, 14 minutes Multi-billion dollar industries saturate our lives with images of unattainable beauty, exporting body hatred from New York to Beirut to Tokyo. The Illusionists turns the mirror on media, exposing the absurd, sometimes humorous, and shocking images.. Everybody Knows...Elizabeth Murray Director and Writer: Kristi Zea Documentary, [US] English,10 minutes Everybody Knows… Elizabeth Murray traces the life and work of this remarkable woman, whose paintings established her as a veritable iconoclast of the 20th Century art world. From her impoverished childhood to her struggles as a single mother, Elizabeth fought to play in a man’s world and have it all. Girls Gone Vinyl : The Untold Story of Female DJs Directors: Yevgenya Feterovich & David London Documentary, [US] English, 16 minutes In the electronic music industry, male DJs outnumber females by almost one hundred to one. The filmmakers traveled the world to find out why and talked with female DJs about their struggles and successes. Missing in Action: The Women Behind Television’s Golden Age Directors: Molly Sackler and Jason Wulkowicz Documentary, [US] English, 13 minutes
Missing in Action is the untold story of the unsung women who helped invent television in post WWII New York. Largely uncredited, they were television’s first directors, producers, writers, and production assistants, pioneers in a new medium with old rules. She’s Beautiful When She’s Angry Film By: Mary Dore and Nancy Kennedy Documentary, [US] English, 11 minutes She’s Beautiful When She’s Angry tells the story of the brilliant, impassioned activists who launched the women’s liberation movement in the 1960’s. Brimming with personal stories, dramatic re-enactments and humor, the film shows the birth of a tempestuous, far-reaching movement that changed gender politics forever. A Quiet Inquisition Directors: Alessandra Zeka & Holen Kahn This is the reality of living in Nicaragua, one of the six countries in the world where the termination of any pregnancy is illegal and actively prosecuted -- whether it is the result of rape or incest, or even if it’s the only way to save a woman’s life or health. Q & A SESSION Filmmakers Elena Rossini (The Illusionists), Kristi Zea (Everybody Knows…Elizabeth Murray), Yevgenya Feterovich, Maggie Derthick (Girls Gone Vinyl), Molly Sackler, Jason Wulkowicz (Missing in Action) as well as Mary Dore and Nancy Kennedy (She’s Beautiful When She’s Angry) will join the audience for a Q & A session following the screenings. Judith Helfand, cofounder of Chicken & Egg Pictures, will moderate.
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Closing Film / Sneak Preview Brave Miss World Sunday, February 10 at 6 PM Diana Center Event Oval, LL100 Former “Miss World� Reaches Out To Fellow Rape Survivors Director and Producer: Cecilia Peck Documentary, 2013 [US, IL] English, Hebrew, Italian with English Subtitles, 99 minutes Linor Abargil was held captive, stabbed, and raped just before winning the Miss World crown. Ten years later, convinced she is healed, Abargil confronts her past and reaches out to other survivors. But breaking her silence comes at a high personal cost. Q & A SESSION Director Cecilia Peck and Producer/Editor Inbal Lessner will join the audience for a Q & A session following the film.
Athena Film Festival 2012
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Founding Sponsor:
/ Regina Kulik Scully, Founder & CEO
SPECIAL PARTNERS V-DAY: ONE BILLION RISING A film by Eve Ensler and Tony Stroebel Today on the planet, a billion women—one of every three women—will be raped or beaten in her lifetime. That’s ONE BILLION mothers, daughters, sisters, partners, and friends violated. V-Day refuses to stand by. On February 14, 2013, V-Day is inviting one billion women and those who love them to walk out, dance, rise up and demand an end to this violence. 13,000 organizations around the globe have already signed on and One Billion Rising actions are being planned in over 182 countries. For more information visit, www.onebillionrising.org. This film will be screened prior to all short films.
10x10: Educate Girls. Change the World 10x10 presents Girl Rising, a feature film and a social action campaign, created and launched by an award-winning team of former ABC News journalists in association with The Documentary Group and Paul Allen’s Vulcan Productions. The film uses the power of storytelling and the leverage of strategic partnerships to deliver a single message: educating girls in developing nations will change the world. A chapter of this film will be shown prior to Inocente.
MAKERS: WOMEN CHANGING AMERICA A multi-platform video experience created by Dyllan McGee with AOL and PBS Premieres on PBS, February 26, 2013. More than a movie, MAKERS is a movement; a comprehensive and compelling testament to the contribution so many women have made to America’s past, present and future. The project started with close to 150 original interviews (celebrated leaders such as Billie Jean King, Sandra Day O’Connor and Faye Wattleton and unsung heroes such as Maria Pepe and Kathrine Switzer. Makers.com hosts thousands of short, 3-5 minute stories that are meant to entertain and educate. The site receives close to 1.5 million visitors a month, with more interviews to be added in the years ahead. These profiles are meant to fill in the gaps of women’s history and to inspire future historic work on behalf of women. Tune in February 26 and learn more at www.makers.com. A different Maker interview will be screened prior to each fulllength feature.
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Festival At a glance FRIDAY, february 8 10 AM—AFI Workshop: Crafting a Short The Diana Center
2 PM—AFI Workshop: From Script to Screen James Room
SATURDay, february 9 12 PM—Brave Diana Event Oval 12 PM—Band of Sisters Held Auditorium 12 PM—Shorts Program III Black Box Theatre 12 PM—Book Launch: In Her Voice James Room
3 PM—The Girl Diana Event Oval 3 PM—Putin’s Kiss Held Auditorium 3 PM—Shorts Program I Black Box Theatre
SUNDay, february 10 12 PM—La Rafle Northwest Corner 12 PM—Future Weather Held Auditorium 12 PM—Shorts Program II Black Box Theatre
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Founding Sponsor:
/ Regina Kulik Scully, Founder & CEO
1:30 PM—Sundance Research James Room
3 PM—Birth Story Northwest Corner 3 PM—Fast Girls Diana Event Oval 3 PM—Inocente Held Auditorium 3 PM—Shorts Program III Black Box Theatre 3:30 PM—Works in Progress James Room
4 PM—AFI DWW Open House James Room 4 PM—Hollywood Conversation: Gale Anne Hurd Black Box Theatre 5:15 PM—Filmmaker’s Reception Sulzberger Parlor 6 PM—Granny’s Got Game Held Auditorium 6 PM—Shorts Program I Black Box Theatre 6 PM—Middle of Nowhere Diana Event Oval
6 PM—Beasts of the Southern Wild Diana Event Oval 6 PM—Diana Vreeland Northwest Corner 6 PM—Wonder Women! Held Auditorium
8 PM—Hannah Arendt Northwest Corner 9 PM—Ginger and Rosa Diana Event Oval 9 PM—Shorts Program II Black Box Theatre
9 PM—I Stand Corrected Held Auditorium 9 PM—Violeta Went to Heaven Northwest Corner 9 PM—Women Arent Funny Diana Event Oval
6 PM—Brave Miss World Diana Event Oval
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FRIENDS OF THE FESTIVAL
ORGANIZATIONAL PARTNERS Arts & Business Council of NY Association of Junior Leagues International Bitch Magazine Bust Magazine ClaudiaChan.com Columbia University Film Productions Eleanor Roosevelt Legacy Committee Downtown Community TV Feministing Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media Girl Scouts of Greater New York H.G. Fairfield Arts Center for the Environment International Museum of Women ITVS/Women and Girls Lead Manhattan Neighborhood Network Manhattan Young Democrats Morningside Area Alliance Ms. Foundation for Women National Women’s History Museum
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Founding Sponsor:
The New Agenda New York Women’s Foundation New York Women in Film and Television NOW-NYC Producer’s Guild of America Reel Lives/Media that Matters Shooting People UN Women UN Women Metro NY Chapter V-Day/One Billion Rising Women’s Campaign Fund Vital Voices WAM!NYC (Women, Action & the Media) Women Make Movies Women’s City Club of New York Women’s Media Center Women’s ENews Women in Film
/ Regina Kulik Scully, Founder & CEO
ATHENA FILM FESTIVAL GLOBAL PROGRAMS
This fall, the Athena Film Festival has launched Athena Global Shorts, which will bring to audiences across the globe an hour-long special collection of four shorts. Previously screened at the 2012 Athena Film Festival, the films celebrate the power, audacity and creativity of international women leaders. The program, a collaboration with UN Women, the United Nations entity for gender equality and the empowerment of women, will be screened in countries throughout the world. The collection will also be available for screening before national and international audiences—wherever the films can stimulate a conversation about the importance of women’s leadership. The program is sponsored by:
This year, along with allies from across the globe, the Athena Film Festival helped launch the International Women’s Film Festival Network (IWFFN) to support and promote women’s voices, visions and leadership, both onscreen and behind the scenes. With 29 film festivals participating worldwide and still growing, the Network strives to amplify the visibility of women filmmakers, more prominently showcase their work, and demonstrate that audiences will attend films about women and girls. By working in collaboration, the Network will expand and enhance the importance of women’s film festivals and will enable members to exchange knowledge and expertise. At the 2013 Berlin International Film Festival, The Athena Film Festival will join with the Dortmund | Cologne International Women’s Film Festival and with members of the newly created International Women’s Film Festival Network to hold an international discussion to encourage a more equitable playing field for women-directed work.
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Campus map
BARNARD CAMPUS
ANA EVENT OVAL VENUES 00 Diana Center
Information and Tickets
CKER-MILSTEIN The Diana Center ACK BOX THEATRE 1st Floor 00 Diana Center
NORTHWEST CORNER
Screenings, Panels & MES ROOM Receptions Barnard Hall
5
Diana Event Oval
LL100 Diana Center LIUS HELD AUDITORIUM GHall licker-Milstein Black Box Theatre 4 Barnard LL200 Diana Center
RTHWEST CORNER James Room th Street418 & Broadway, Barnard Hall 5th Floor
JuliusPARLOR Held Auditorium LZBERGER 304 Barnard Hall Barnard Hall
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ILDING MAIN ENTRANCE
Food ENTRANCE HEELCHAIR
Liz’s Place (Coffee and snacks) CURITY / INFORMATION 1st Floor Diana Center
BWAYFriday, 8 AM–9 PM Saturday, 12–9 PM Sunday, 12–9 PM
LEHMAN LAWN
4
MAIN GATE
We gladly provide assistive devices upon request.
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Founding Sponsor:
/ Regina Kulik Scully, Founder & CEO
CATHEDRAL GARDENS
ATTAN AVE.
110TH STREET
ATHENA FILM FESTIVAL STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS Co-Founders Kathryn Kolbert Athena Center for Leadership Studies at Barnard College
Outreach Coordinator Tami Woronoff
Melissa Silverstein Women and Hollywood
Hospitality Coordinator Layna Fisher
Artistic Director Melissa Silverstein
Web Design theCoup.org
Operations Coordinator Maria Perez-Martinez
Tickets Rudy Scala, CUArts
Technical Director Michael Comstock Indre Studios
Interns Julia Kennedy Charlie Gillette
Development Stephanie Berger, Matt Everett Berger Hirschberg Strategies
Sun Min, Lindsay Stuffle Barnard Communications
Barnard Staff Sasha Hill Bret Silver Abigail Feder-Kane Lisa Buonaiuto David Hopson Patricia Keim Joanne Kwong Beth Saidel Julio Vazquez Carol Wynne
Events Support Tiffany Dugan Amanda Gates-Elston Anthony Otero
Volunteers Many thanks as well to the nearly 300 volunteers who have helped make the festival a success, including Margaret Boykin and Allan Strauss.
Public Relations Lina Plath, Clare Anne Darragh, Kathryn Kennedy, Stephanie Davidson, Nora Bloom Frank PR
Volunteer Manager Jeanne Baron
Athena Film Festival 41
ATHENA center for leadership studies Staff Sasha Hill Kathryn Kolbert Abigail Sara Lewis Maria Perez-Martinez Tomika Rodriguez Erin Vilardi Faculty Advisory Board Alexander Cooley Flora S. Davidson Alan Dye
Debra Minkoff David Weiman Kim Johnson Board of Advisors Kim K. Azzarelli Nancy Barry Dr. Jacqueline K. Barton Stephanie Bell-Rose Stephanie Berger The Honorable Margot Botsford ‘69
Wendy Myers Cambor Jolyne Caruso-FitzGerald ‘81 Ronnie Eldridge ‘52 Anne Sutherland Fuchs Ellen Futter ‘71 Dr. Helene Gayle ‘76 Betsy Gotbaum ‘60 Phyllis Grann ‘58 Rosabeth Moss Kanter Helene Kaplan ‘53, The Honorable Judith Kaye ‘58 Shelly Lazarus
Linda Fayne Levinson ‘62 Liz Neumark ‘77 Indra Nooyi Anna Quindlen ‘74 Susan Stamberg ‘59 Meryl Tisch ‘77 Faye Wattleton Anne Weisberg Sheila Wellington Constance Hess Williams ‘66 Marie Wilson Melinda Wolfe
LEADERSHIP COUNCIL AND DONORS The Athena Center for Leadership Studies is deeply indebted to the extraordinary donors whose gifts have enabled us to launch and grow this ambitious programs. For the endowment of the Constance Hess Williams Directorship of the Athena Center Constance Hess Williams ’66 The Founding Donors of the Athena Center for Leadership Studies Francene Sussner Rodgers ’67 Constance Hess Williams ’66 Lucille Zanghi and James Dow P ’10
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Founding Sponsor:
The Founding Donors of the Financial Fluency Program Laird Grant Groody ’67 Patricia Harrigan Nadosy ’68 Mollie Rosenthal Memorial Fund Susan Weber ’77
Marina Lewin ’80 Marley Blue Lewis ’05 Anna Longobardo ’49 Nancy McGregor Manne ’80 P ’14 Jyoti Menon ’01 Claire Newman Terry Newman ’79 Lida Orzeck ’68 Athena Leadership Council Daphne Fodor Philipson ’69 Pat Nadosy ’68 (Co-Chair) Philippa Portnoy ’86 Azita Raji ’83 (Co-Chair) Francene Sussner Rodgers ’67 April Benson ’73 Dr. Maria Emanuel Ryan ’85 Dina De Luca Chartouni ’82 Rochelle Cooper Jennifer Christman ’84 Schneider ’84 P ’12 Glori Cohen P’14 Andra Shapiro ’80, P’14 Bea Drechsler ’84 Joan Smith P ’02 Leah Dunaief ’62 Eleanor Wagner ’71 Mary Beth Forshaw ’84 Carla Walworth P ’12 Vivian Fried ’82 Margaret Withgott, M.D. ’76 Marjorie Gittelman ’82 Lisa Wolfe ’82 Anne Josephson ’91 Paula Throckmorton Lori Lesser Zakaria ’89 Amy Levenson ’85 Lucille R. Zanghi P ’10 Anonymous
/ Regina Kulik Scully, Founder & CEO
Additional Donors Helen Armbrust ’77 Ina and Howard Drew P ’13 Exxon Mobil Foundation Ford Motor Company Goldman Sachs Gives IBM, Inc. Despina Keegan and Brian Keegan Marina Weitzner Lewin ’80 and Andrew Lewin, The Andrew and Marina Lewin Family Foundation Kit Miller and Jon Christensen P ’13 Richard Rosenzweig, Andrea J. Will Memorial Foundation Carol Krongold Silberstein ’69 and Alan M. Silberstein Ruth Steinberg ’72
INDEX OF FILMS, PANELS AND WORKSHOPS FOR FILMMAKERS
55 Socks 20
Prizefighter 23
ABC 20
Putin’s Kiss 24
Band of Sisters 21
A Quiet Inquisition 33
Beasts of the Southern Wild 25
Self-Portrait with Cows Going Home and Other Works: A Portrait of Sylvia Plachy 23
Birth Story: Ina May Gaskin & The Farm Midwives 32 Brave 21 Brave Miss World (Sneak Preview) 34 Crafting a Short: How to Find Your Story and Make it a Movie 15 DevOUT 20 Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend 20 Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel 26 Everybody Knows…Elizabeth Murray 33 Fast Girls (U.S. Premiere) 31 Free Kick (Libre Directo) 18
She, Who Excels in Solitude 23 She’s Beautiful When She’s Angry 33 Stella is 95! 18 Sundance Institute Presents: New Study About Women Directors in Independent Film 30 Violeta Went to Heaven (Violeta Se Fue a Los Cielos) 28 Who is Pauline Park? 18 Women Aren’t Funny (World Premiere) 27 WONDER WOMEN! The Untold Story of American Superheroines 26
From Script to Screen: Producing a Short Film 15 Future Weather 29 Georgena Terry 23 Ginger and Rosa 19 The Girl 24 Girl’s Gone Vinyl: The Untold Story of Female DJs 33 Granny’s Got Game (World Premiere) 17 Hannah Arendt (Sneak Preview) 19 Hilary’s Straws 23 A Hollywood Conversation with Gale Anne Hurd 16 I Stand Corrected 27 In A Heartbeat 20 In Her Voice: Women Directors Talking Directing (Book Launch) 22 The Invisible War 28 The Illusionists 33 Inocente 31 Jasad & The Queen of Contradictions 18 La Rafle (The Roundup) 29 Middle of Nowhere 16 Missing in Action: The Women Behind Television’s Golden Age 33 Our Rhineland (NY Premiere) 23
Athena Film Festival 43
NOTES
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Founding Sponsor:
/ Regina Kulik Scully, Founder & CEO