To close this magnificent #FemmeFilmFest I have assembled a small jury of film-lovers to honor a select few of these outstanding new short films. There are 5 of us in the jury, who will contest on the official selection and come to a (very difficult) decision as the top merit in each of the 10 categories. There’s no big ceremony in a swish theater (I don’t think), and no physical, gold plaque – just the immense admiration and gratitude of genuine loves of film.
Obviously not all films features at the Femme Filmmakers Festival are new releases, only those shorts from the last year (2016/17) are chosen for selection here – there 8 of them. I personally want to give a huge, huge shout out to those other short films, some true gems I will not forget, and will continue to scream about. Oscar winner Torill Kove, the unique talents of Mary Neely, Jennifer Reeder, Meghann Artes, Lisa Hammer, Billimarie Robinson, and showcasing today the brilliant Katina Mercadant and Chelsea Christer. And so many I haven’t mentioned. They all deserve a prize.
Here are the 8 short films in competition for the Femme Filmmakers Festival 2017:
Hala (2016) – Minhal Baig – 14 mins
Fangirl (2016) – Liza Mandelup – 5 mins
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWNc8Ts8_8E
3-Way (Not Calling) (2016) – Molly McGlynn – 11 mins
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPwUNX_VIO4
Tinder Will Understand (2016) – Sofija Sztepanov – 5 mins
I Just Said That (2017) – Stefanie Davis – 3 mins
After Sophie (2017) – Minhal Baig – 9 mins
Hot Seat (2017) – Anna Kerrigan – 13 mins
Strange Beasts (2017) – Magali Barbe – 6 mins
Total running time: 66 mins
Here are the 10 categories (fiction, animation, non-fiction):
Outstanding Mixed Media Outstanding Visual Design Outstanding Short Film Editing Outstanding Cinematography Outstanding Short Film Writing Outstanding Original Music Outstanding Short Film Directing Outstanding Male Performance Outstanding Female Performance The Maya Deren Innovation For Short Films Prize The Dog Tooth (Third Prize) Red Lantern (Second Prize) The Gold Sovereign (Grand Prize)
And finally, the jury is:
Robin Write – #FemmeFilmFest Founder and Film Writer
Justine Peres Smith – Freelance Film and Culture Writer
Hayley Moss – Film and TV Composer
Bailey Holden – Filmmaker and Writer
Bee Garner – Feminist and Film Nut
Please comment below with your choices, we would be delighted to hear your thoughts. Results announced 10pm London time.