LA International Women's Film Festival Announces 2018 Lineup on International Women's Day

  LOS ANGELES, CA - 03/08/2018

The Los Angeles Women’s International Women’s Film Festival celebrates and shines a spotlight on the cinematic achievements of women from around the world. Now in its 14^th year, the festival is produced by the Alliance of Women Filmmakers and will highlight stories of justice and injustice, choice, survival, and resilience made by and about women from March 22 -25 at the LA Live Regal Cinemas.

The festival comes at a time when women’s voices are taking center stage politically and culturally and, in an era, where female filmmakers have declared #TimesUp on the historically male-driven industry. The festival serves as a platform for women filmmakers worldwide to share their unique stories and cultural experiences. This year’s presenting sponsor is the Golden Door, architect of experiences designed with self-care in mind and a company with a deep commitment to philanthropy.

Diana Means, the Festival Director and Founder of the Alliance of Women Filmmakers is committed to supporting underrepresented women in the film industry and has worked to craft a lineup that is deeply intentional in its commitment to diversity and inclusion. “At this pivotal tipping point in America’s history I’m proud to be championing and amplifying women’s voices,” said Means.

Dates:             Thursday, March 22, 2018 – Sunday, March 25, 2018

Location:        LA Live Regal Cinemas

                        1000 W Olympic Blvd.

                        Los Angeles, CA  90015

Tickets:           https://www.goelevent.com/LAWFF/e/Search

The 14th annual Los Angeles Women’s International Women’s Film Festival is proud to present a 2018 program that includes four days of features, documentaries, shorts, and panel discussions.

This year’s opening night feature, “They,” is directed by Anahita Ghazvinizadeh. Ghazvinizadeh, who was born in Tehran, received her BFA in film from Tehran University of Art and her MFA in studio arts from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She is the winner of the First Cinéfondation Award at Cannes and the Silver Hugo at the Chicago International Film Festival. “They” focuses on fourteen-year-old J, who goes by the pronoun “They” and lives in the suburbs of Chicago.

Known for its attention to documentary films, the festival will feature several this year that highlight extreme resilience including “California's Forgotten Children,” a feature documentary about child sex trafficking in California. The film features stories from abolitionist, leaders, and advocates in addition to following true stories of young girls and boys who were commercially sexually exploited.  “The Apology” follows the personal journeys of three former “comfort women” who were among the 200,000 girls and young women kidnapped and forced into military sexual slavery by the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II.

Additionally, compelling narrative features based on true stories showcase the unique perspectives of female filmmakers. “Butterfly Caught” offers a peek into the darker side of Hollywood's bright facade following three aspiring actresses who set out to break into the cut-throat world of acting in Los Angeles and “Don’t Tell” explores the true events that changed Australian child protection laws after a young woman who fought back after enduring sexual abuse at a prestigious private school. This film is a poignant story about finding the courage to stand up, speak out and fight against injustice.

Other highlights include documentary film Seeing is Believing: Women Direct followed by a panel of women filmmakers highlighting members of the “50 Women Can Take the Lead in Film and Entertainment. These members belong to an ambitious program and community of women seeking to close the gender parity gap in Hollywood.

To see the full festival lineup including a full list of sponsors and events  go to  https://www.lawomensfest.com

About the Alliance of Women Filmmakers

The Alliance of Women Filmmakers (AFW) is a Non-profit 501(c)(3) organization created to empower women filmmakers to create diverse roles for women, as well as educate and inform audiences of social, political and health issues impacting women globally. AWF produces events throughout the year that provide resources and exposure for women filmmakers.