For five full days, the Cinema Femme Short Film Festival gathered audiences to celebrate and support female, trans, and non-binary filmmakers. In its seventh edition of exhibiting short films, Cinema Femme reached new spaces, nourished new and existing communities, and curated programming both on and off the screen. Although anchored in Chicago, Cinema Femme showcases films from across the globe. The diverse selection of films was evident not only with the stories on the screen, but with the filmmakers present to discuss their artistry.
Under the stewardship of newly appointed festival director Emily Broderick—with the support from fellow RogerEbert.com contributor Peyton Robinson, who serves as one of the festival’s senior programmers alongside 3 other curators—35 films were curated into 3 programming blocks, along with opening and closing night series. Despite being in its third year of in-person programming, Cinema Femme officially expanded into the beloved Music Box Theatre’s main cinema. While there is still room to grow, the authentic energy throughout each day of the fest was palpable. Many of the pre-screening receptions and post-screening parties in the lounge would spill onto the theatre’s patio, the air filled with gushing gab about all things film.
On opening night, rather than a traditional taste of what’s to come, Cinema Femme led with a “Best of Fest Retrospective.” Rooted in this remembrance, it was poignant to hear from some of the filmmakers after the screening about how Cinema Femme has stood out in their careers compared to other festivals. “Places of Worship” director Bridget Frances Harris, whose film was included in the retrospective, proudly stated how Cinema Femme really focuses on building a continuous community, one that lasts beyond the festival dates.
Notably, every screening block was followed by a Q&A. Sometimes stages were graced by filmmakers or films’ subjects, and each was well moderated, driven by honesty and optimistic realism. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday’s shows were sandwiched between panels, award ceremonies, and mixers. As symposium-style film festivals grow, Cinema Femme is well balanced in programming for cinema-supporting audiences and being a well-rounded resource for filmmakers. Partnerships with other femme and film-focused organizations like Mezcla Media Collective and Film Girlz Brunch also played a major role in keeping community at the festival’s core.
In its closing act, Cinema Femme packs together five powerhouse pictures. Curated under “Short Films, Big Impact,” each film surveyed a significant social issue: queerness and coming out, coming of age and ageism, gender identity, ableism, and immigration. During the Q&A that followed, Coach Derrick Milligan, a subject in Luchina Fisher’s documentary short “Dream Team,” remarkably rebranded the shorts-block as “real American films,” ones focusing on “the pursuit of happiness and freedom.” Closing night concluded with the Oscar-nominated “A Lien,” a “14-minute panic attack,” as described by producer Tara Sheffer. In just fourteen minutes, we are reminded of a harsh, predatory reality we thought was behind us.
These complex short stories are indeed a true reflection of the melting-pot, spectrum-spanning experience of living in the United States. To watch a wide variety of films back-to-back-to-back is no different than double-tapping into the lives of the people we pass by every day; our collective empathy only grows when we help enhance the spotlight on these narratives.
Leaving the final day of the fest with a weight on my shoulders, it’s a burden I am proud to bear; to be able to experience and witness such real, relatable stories alongside others, knowing that we collectively cannot look away from the beautiful and the anxiety-inducing. Cinema Femme’s ethos exudes and washes over the audience; we part ways wanting to see future editions of the festival’s success but also keen to stay up to date on the filmmakers’ future projects.
To further uplift their mission and provide continued opportunities for femme filmmakers, Cinema Femme will be recirculating the films in a virtual rendition of the festival. Dates are to be announced, but engagement and support of Cinema Femme can happen all year round. Visit https://cinemafemme.com/.
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