Imagine This Productions has announced the 136 films and 17 screenplays named as finalists for 2022 Imagine This Women's International Film Festival (ITWIFF), which will be presented in a hybrid format in New York from Sept. 23 to Oct. 2, 2022. The women's film festival aims to empower independent, aspiring women filmmakers from around the world and to amplify their voices and creative work.
Selections for this year's ITWIFF will take audiences around the globe, with original works by local and international filmmakers from countries such as Haiti, Ecuador, Poland, Lebanon, Yemen, Burkina Faso, and Peru, to name a few. The festival's lineup showcases diverse, thought-provoking, inspiring stories as well as numerous debuts, including seven world premieres, three North American premieres, nine U.S. premieres, and 34 New York premieres.
Describing the festival, ITWIFF's founder and director Patrice Francois said, "As a Black women-owned film festival, it's important for me that we bring voices of marginalized filmmakers to the forefront. Women remain underrepresented in the film industry compared to men, and we want to change that by giving them a space and providing educational opportunities." Francois added, "We're trying to create a platform of diverse storytellers from all over the world that is available to everyone in order to create an inclusive environment that supports and elevates women storytellers. We create opportunities for women to bring their stories to the screen and share with the community."
In the months leading up to the festival, ITWIFF has been extremely grateful for its sponsors and partners, each of which has aligned with the festival and contributed to enhancing the overall festival experience. In-kind contributions come from Final Draft, the choice of professional screenwriters and filmmakers around the world; FL Studio, a complete software music production environment; Digital Audio Workstation; and the International Screenwriters' Association. The festival's drink sponsors are Bridge Lane Wine and Sprig CBD-Infused Sparkling Water, while its theater partner is Regal Essex Crossing.
Below is a partial lineup of films being screened at the 2022 ITWIFF. To view the full lineup of narrative features, short films, web series, documentary features, short documentaries, animated films, and music videos, visit the schedule at www.imaginethisprods.com.
The Justice of Bunny King, dir. Gaysorn Thavat, New Zealand, 101 min Bunny King (Essie Davis), a headstrong mother of two with a sketchy past, earns her keep by washing windows at traffic lights. Using her razor-sharp wit to charm money from gridlocked motorists, she saves every cent to retake custody of her kids. After promising her daughter a birthday party, Bunny must fight social services and break the rules to keep her word, but in doing so risks losing her children altogether. Accompanied by her niece Tonyah (Thomasin McKenzie), a fierce teenager running away from home, Bunny is in a race against the clock and headed toward an epic showdown with the authorities. Key cast: Essie Davis (The Babadook, Game of Thrones, Thomasin McKenzie (Jojo Rabbit, Last Night in Soho)
In Her Name, dir. Sarah Carter, United States, 87 min In Her Name is a dramedy about estranged sisters forced to confront their differences while dealing with family bankruptcy and their formerly important artist-father's terminal illness. Immersed in the absurdity of the Los Angeles art world, they fall through the spiritual rabbit hole that is their childhood home. However tragic their lives remain, they find love once again. Key cast: Erin Hammond, Ciera Danielle, James Aaron Oliver, Nyambi Nyambi, Philippe Caland
Short Films Fight Like a Mother, dir. Meagan Noel Fulps, United States, 12 min An amateur boxer attempts a comeback after having a baby. Key cast: Ashley Platz, Alyshia Ochse, Eme Ikwuakor, Sam Daly
Lady in a World of SOBs, dir. Shira Sznaider, Israel, 23 min Following an ordinary night of BDSM, graffiti of a nude beheaded woman appears under Lady's window. Lady needs to defend herself not only from her anonymous predator but also from those who are looking out for her safety. Key cast: Timna Peretz, Imri Biton
Me and You, dir. Alexandra Muhawi-Ho, United States, 14 min 33-year-old Amira struggles to find her place between her Arab and American identities while living with and navigating her relationship with her culturally traditional yet loving mother. Key cast: Lareina Phelan, Samar El-Zein, Sean Ricciardi
Dorlis, dir. Enricka MH, Martinique, 15 min Nora, a 15-year-old Martiniquan teenager, has to follow her mother and 6-year-old sister, Mélissa, to the north of the island to live at Henri's, her grandfather who has been paralyzed following a recent stroke. As they settle at the old man's house to provide him with daily assistance, the atmosphere of the house and Henri's presence soon make Nora's childhood memories resurface, embodied in the fear of an aggressive evil mind. Key cast: Louise Marion, Isabelle Ménal, Aliou Cissé, Séréna Bylon
Hummingbird, dir. Lindsey E. Gary, United States, 15 min Over the course of one disorienting evening, Rosa discovers that her daughter has developed unusual abilities that threaten the harmony of her perfect family, not to mention the world at large. Key cast: Stella Maeve, Ella Grace Helton, Christopher Allen
Lake Pluto, dir. Biz Jones, United States, 15 min Out on a solo camping trip, overwhelmed millennial Kore seeks clarity but may get the answers that she seeks an unexpected visitor: her eerie doppelgänger. Back in the 1960s at the same lake, teenager Laura is magnetically drawn to her own double, while her sister Janie watches in horror. Key cast: Biz Jones, Jam Murphy, Raquel Orendáin Shrestha, Hannah Sobon, Michelle Marlowe
Lake the Lady Edison, dir. Jeannie Donohoe, United States, 15 min In 1870, Margaret Knight launches a first-of-its-kind patent dispute when she is forced to prove in court that she, a designer, is the rightful owner of the patent of a machine that puts bottoms on paper bags, not Charles Annan, the man who has already built the machine. Key cast: Dani Deetté (Ozark), (The Sinner), Adam Fristoe, (The Walking Dead), (The Devil All the Time), Jonathan Horne (The Resident, MacGyver)
Keep This Far Apart (New York premiere), dirs. Tyne Rafaeli and Whitney White, United States, 25 min Keep This Far Apart is a digital anthology series created by the rising stars of the American theater that explores a time capsule of U.S. history through a woman-identifying lens. Between the mass devastation of human life, the unprecedented interruption of routine, and the civil unrest caused by police violence against Black communities, Keep This Far Apart follows six women as they navigate a unique crucible in time. Key cast: Antoinette Crowe-Legacy, Peter Mark Kendall, Allison Byrnes, Zoë Chao, Samantha Ressler, Rupert Friend
How to Hack Birth Control, dir. Sassy Mohen, United States, 27 min How to Hack Birth Control is a three-segment series that focuses on how to navigate and take charge in today's universe of contraception. Told with the sharp wit and perky charm of narrator Ruth (Xanthe Paige), the film takes a run at scenarios that are not supposed to be talked about and answers all of the questions that women truly want to ask but are taught to be too afraid to do so. Key cast: Jackie Jacobson, Austin Powell, Aisha Renee Holden, Megan Rach, Danny Royce Documentary Features
Gateway Grinds, dir. Eva Lewis, United Kingdom, 75 min Gateway Grinds is the first-ever documentary about the iconic Gateways Club, probably the most famous lesbian club in the world, made even more notorious by its 10-minute scene in the film The Killing of Sister George.
At Your Cervix (World premiere), dir. A'magine, United States, 77 min At Your Cervix follows sexuality educator, activist, and filmmaker A'magine on her journey to expose the unethical and often traumatic ways in which medical and nursing students are taught to perform pelvic exams-that is, by practicing on anesthetized patients before surgery without their consent, a direct result of the violent, racist, misogynist history of gynecology. At Your Cervix goes inside medical schools and hospitals to follow students as they try to reconcile their personal ethics with the abusive learning methods that they encounter.
On the Pulse of Life, dir. Jessica Jones, United States, 4 min Dive into the birth justice moment in Alameda County, California, where Black babies are less than half as likely to survive as White ones and join the fight for a future where the first few breaths of life are equally precious for all.
Wastewater: A Tale of Two Cities, dir. Sarah Franke, United States, 22 min This other tale of two cities, both plagued by decades of a lack of investment and racial discrimination in their wastewater infrastructure and facing further challenges amid climate change, is told by community members, advocates, utility operators, and elected officials. As the United States grapples with how to fund long overdue infrastructure needs, Wastewater: A Tale of Two Cities brings to light the need for urgency and equity in those decisions.
Taste of Refuge, dir. Felisha Pedersen, Denmark, 12 min Teddy, a refugee who has escaped the Eritrean/Ethiopian war, opens a restaurant in Copenhagen with the help of a Danish mentor while forging an unlikely friendship in the process.
54 Miles to Home, dir. Claire Haughey, United States, 25 min In 1965, three Black farming families risked their lives by providing refuge to the thousands of voting rights marchers on the historic five-day, 54-mile march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. Nearly 60 years later, the Halls, Steeles, and Gardners share for the first time what their parents and grandparents sacrificed and how their families' legacies and the historic land can be preserved for generations to come. Their stories help to unveil the rural and agricultural roots of the civil rights movement while asking the seemingly timeless American question: how do you fight for what you know is right when the majority is against you?
Key events slated for this year's ITWIFF include:
6:00 p.m. EST - The Justice of Bunny King, starring Essie Davis (The Babadook, Game of Thrones) and Thomasin McKenzie (Jojo Rabbit, Last Night in Soho) at Regal Essex Crossing 8:00 p.m. EST - Short block screenings at Regal Essex Crossing 10:00 p.m. EST - Opening-night party with open bar and light fare at SOMMWHERE, with wine provided by Bridge Lane Wine and CBD-infused sparkling beverage provided by Sprig Saturday, September 24 (In-Person)
2:00 p.m. EST - All-day short block screenings at Regal Essex Crossing 10:00 p.m. EST - Filmmakers' open-bar mixer at the Grand Delancy Sunday, September 25 (In-Person)
11:00 a.m. EST - Filmmaker's brunch and rosé at SOMMWHERE, with wine provided by Bridge Lane Wine and CBD-infused sparkling beverage provided by Sprig 2:00 p.m. EST - All-day short block screenings at Regal Essex Crossing Saturday, October 1 (Online)
12:00 p.m. EST - Workshop: "International Screenwriters' Association (ISA) Crucial Characteristics of Your Script Must-Have" 2:00 p.m. EST - "Behind the Scene: Female Directors Creating Magic," featuring Christine Swanson, Tessa Blake, and Meghann Plunkett 2:00 p.m. EST - Panel: "Distribution, Development, and Representation: What Independent Filmmakers Need to Know," with Haley King of GK Films
3:00 p.m. EST - Panel: "Talent Agents: What Actors Need to Know," featuring Alexis Walker and Angie Lucania of Entertainment Lab
For the complete lineup for the 2022 ITWIFF's film schedule and more information about the programming schedule, please visit www.imaginethisprods.com.
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