By Mabel Pais

Featuring

Pratibha’s Parmar’s MY NAME IS ANDREA

Tanmay Chowdhary and Tanvi Chowdhary’s HONEY (MADHU)

Snigdha Kapoor’s LOOK LIKE YOU

Co-Producer Aneesh Chaganty’s MISSING

 and more

The Athena Film Festival (AFF) at the Barnard College campus, New York City presents its 13th annual showcase, March 2-5, 2023. This is a joint partnership between Barnard’s Athena Center for Leadership and the initiative Women and Hollywood.

The annual festival includes film screenings, in-depth conversations and panels with filmmakers and industry experts, a series of programs that support the pipeline of women creatives, and a wide variety of events focused on celebrating and amplifying the stories of bold, courageous women leaders.

“Entering the 13th year of the Athena Film Festival I could not feel more proud of the unique and exciting slate of films we are sharing with our audiences this year. We look forward to bringing these important and underrepresented voices to the big screen,” said Melissa Silverstein, Co-Founder and Artistic Director of AFF and Founder of Women and Hollywood.

“The narratives we see shape our understanding of the world,” said Umbeen Bhatti, Constance Hess Williams ’66 Director of Barnard’s Athena Center for Leadership. “At the Athena Film Festival, audiences won’t encounter tired, outdated narratives, but rather, narratives that more accurately reflect the world we live in and the future we want to build.”

SCHEDULE & UPDATES

For the film schedule & regular updates, visit aff23.eventive.org/schedule.

TICKETS

Passes and tickets for the 2023 Athena Film Festival are available at athenafilmfestival.com.

NARRATIVES

Angry Annie (Annie Colère)

France l Director: Blandine Lenoir l Writers: Blandine Lenoir and Axelle Robert

Producers: Aurora Films, Local Films

Daughter of Rage (La Hija de Todas las Rabias)

New York Premiere l Nicaragua l Director/Writer: Laura Baumeister de Montis l Producers: Martha Orozco, Laura Baumeister de Montis, Rossana Baumeister, and Bruna Haddad

Fogaréu

Brazil, France l Director: Flávia Neves l Writers: Melanie Dimantas and Flávia Neves l Producers: Mayra Faour Auad, Vania Catani, and Thomas Sparfel

My Emptiness and I (Mi vacío y yo)

Spain l Director: Adrián Silvestre l Writers: Raphaëlle Pérez, Adrián Silvestre, and Carlos Marques-Marcet l Producers: Testamento and Alba Sotorra

Missing

United States l Directors/Writers: Nick Johnson and Will Merrick l Producers: Aneesh Chaganty, Sev Ohanian, and Natalie Qasabian

Moving On

United States l Director/Writer: Paul Weitz l Producers: Paul Weitz, Stephanie Meurer, Andrew Miano, Chris Parker, and Dylan Sellers

Rachel Hendrix

United States l Director/Writer: Victor Nuñez l Producer: Heidi Levitt

The Lost King

New York Premiere l United Kingdom l Director: Stephen Frears

Writers: Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope l Producers: Steve Coogan, Christine Langan, and Dan Winch

Vera Dreams of the Sea

Kosovo l Director: Kaltrina Krasniqi l Writer: Doruntina Basha l Producer: Shkumbin Istrefi

DOCUMENTARIES

Body Parts

United States l Director: Kristy Guevara-Flanagan l Producer: Helen Hood Scheer

Black Mothers Love and Resist

United States l Director/Writer: Débora Souza Silva l Producers: Débora Souza Silva, David Felix Sutcliffe, Adina Luo, and Loi Ameera Almeron

Buffy Sainte-Marie: Carry It On

Canada l Director: Madison Thomas l Writers: Andrea Warner and Madison Thomas l Producer: Stephen Paniccia

Category: Woman

Canada l Director/Writer: Phyllis Ellis l Producers: Phyllis Ellis and Howard Fraiberg

Esther Newton Made Me Gay

United States l Director: Jean Carlomusto l Producers: Jean Carlomusto and Shanti Avirgan

The Fire That Took Her

United States l Director: Patricia Gillespie l Producers: Julie Goldman, Kristi Jacobson, Carolyn Hepburn, Christopher Clements, and Tracy Elizabeth Jarrett

Jeannette

United States l Director: Maris Curran l Producer: Jon Coplon

Judy Blume Forever

United States l Directors/Producers: Davina Pardo and Leah Wolchok l Producers: Sara Bernstein, Marcella Steingar, and Justin Wilkes

Mama Bears

United States l Director: Daresha Kyi l Producer: Laura Tatham

My Name Is Andrea

United States l Director: Pratibha Parmar l Producer: Shaheen Haq

Queen of the Deuce

Canada, Greece l Director: Valerie Kontakos l Writers: Christos Asteriou, Valerie Kontakos, and Despina Pavlaki l Producers: Ed Barreveld, Valerie Kontakos, and Despina Pavlaki

SHORTS

CANS Can’t Stand

United States l Directors: Matt Nadel and Megan Plotka l Producer: Matt Nadel

El Carrito

United States l Director/Writer: Zahida Pirani l Producers: Zahida Pirani, Mauricio Piratova, and Ran Yan

The Feeling of Being Close to You (能靠近你的感觉)

Singapore/United States l Director/Writer/Producer: Ash Goh Hua

Glazing

New York Premiere l United States l Director/Writer/Producer: Lilli Carré

Honey (Madhu)

India l Directors: Tanmay Chowdhary and Tanvi Chowdhary l Writer: Tanvi Chowdhary l Producer: Sue-Ellen Chitunya

Lilith’s Eve

United Kingdom l Director: Sam de Ceccatty l Writers: Manon Ardisson and Sam de Ceccatty l Producer: Manon Ardisson

Long Line of Ladies

United States l Directors: Rayka Zehtabchi and Shaandiin Tome l Producers: Garrett Schiff, Rayka Zehtabchi, Sam Davis, and Pimm Tripp-Allen

Look Like You

United States l Director/Writer: Snigdha Kapoor l Producers: Pulkit Datta and Lauren Sowa

Love, Barbara

United States l Director: Brydie O’Connor l Writers: Brydie O’Connor and Matt Hixon l Producers: Brydie O’Connor and Myriam Schroeter

The Panola Project

United States l Directors/Writers: Rachael DeCruz and Jeremy S. Levine l Producers: Rachael DeCruz, Jeremy S. Levine, and Melissa Fajardo

United States l Directors: Shenny De Los Angeles and Maria Marrone l Writer/Producer: Shenny De Los Angeles

Still Waters

United States l Director/Writer: Aurora Brachman l Producer: Mariales Diaz

Talk Black

United States l Director/Writer: Destiny Macon l Producers: Destiny Macon, Jonathan Baty, Brad Jayne, Kisha Imani Cameron, and Smitha Lee

 To Wade or Row

United States l Director/Writer: Rebecca van der Meulen l Producers: Leanne Macaione and Dina Barossi

THE ANTHEM FILM ESTIVAL

Learn more at athenafilmfestival.com.

THE ATHENA CENTER AT BARNARD COLLEGE

Learn more at athenacenter.barnard.edu.

WOMEN AND HOLLYWOOD

Learn more at womenandhollywood.com.

BARNARD COLLEGE

Learn more at barnard.edu.

ARTEMIS RISING FOUNDATION

Learn more at artemisrising.org

(Mabel Pais writes on Social Issues, The Arts and Entertainment, Health & Wellness, Cuisine and Spirituality)