The Femme Filmmakers Festival is largely about the creative talents of those women behind the camera, of course. But designing the official poster of the online event has always been a somewhat exhilarating – and creative – task in itself for this editor. Over the years we have had posters paying wondrous honours to female filmmaking greats, past and present. I have my favourites, sure, the Agnès Varda inspired 2019 poster is up there. Thanks Sezen.
I wonder if this one is my greatest work. As if I would gloat. The 10th edition official poster celebrates those distinct women who were awarded the Best Director prize from our respective jury each year from the Competition Selection. Not until our 2nd edition did we introduce the awards aspect of the festival. And with a tie 3 years ago, we can present those 9 prize winners in their full glory.
To encapsulate the small but superb history of our humble little film festival, the notion of making the 10th poster inclusive of this growing legacy would not leave me alone. The scope of celebrating these filmmaking women has always been without boundaries. But with the captivating, raw talent of the short films and their creators the core of this event, those were the women we must push to the front of the queue.
The very first winner of the Best Director prize was Minhal Baig (bottom right) for Hala. In 2018 the winner was Myrsini Aristidou (centre) for Aria. Courtney Hope Thérond (bottom left) was the third recipient of the directing prize for The Dress You Have On. In 2020 it was Sophie B Jacques (top left) who received one of three prizes for Hearth (Foyer). The directing prize then went to Thessa Meijer (top centre) for The Walking Fish at the 6th edition.
A tie for Best Director in 2022 when Paule Beaudoin (bottom centre) for Neige, and Cansu Boğuşlu (top right) for Down From the Clouds shared the honours. Former award winner at the fest, Maegan A Houang (left centre) took the prize at the 8th edition for Astonishing Little Feet. And then last year, of course, it was Edith Jorisch (right centre) who was the jury’s favourite for directing Mothers & Monsters.
If you have seen the films, you can figure out the animated images. If you haven’t, go watch them as soon as you have saved and promoted the 10th edition poster below.
