The 24th annual Through Women’s Eyes International Film Festival opens tonight with talks and a film screening from 5-9 pm. Ringling College of Art and Design will host the opening night event with a red carpet celebration. The night will open with a reception, opening talks by festival organizer E. Scott Osborne, and a brief talk by President of Ringling College Dr. Larry R. Thompson about the Ringling College Film program and the College’s commitment to advancing gender equality, followed by a film screening of Shirin Ebadi: Until We Are Free in the Morganroth Auditorium.
The festival will showcase seven features, 21 shorts, and 10 Emerging Filmmaker films, representing China, Ireland, Ukraine, England, Canada, Germany, South Africa, Belgium, the Philippines, the United Arab Emirates, and the U.S. The selected films reflect the diverse experiences of global women and the LGBTQ+ community.
The event will be the first in-person North American screening of the documentary Shirin Ebadi: Until We Are Free, which tells the story of Ebadi, a human rights lawyer who has been working diligently to protect women and children against the current regime in Iran, and shows how fragile democracy and human rights can be. Ebadi is the first Muslim woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize. Following the screening, festival organizers will present comments by Dr. Ebadi and film director Dawn Engle.
In 2022, the Ringling College alumni film Code Red screened at the Through Women’s Eyes festival. Code Red was written and directed by Jada Poon ’20, Film, producer Katerina Mullen ’20, Film, and executive produced by Vivian Owen who was the lead faculty for the Branded Entertainment track at the time the film was produced. The film shines a light on period poverty. It tells the story of a sixth-grader experiencing her first period while at school. The film follows her on her journey to track down a pad or tampon. Winning several awards and screening at multiple festivals, the film drew the attention of Always, a company that produces period products, and inspired them to name the Code Red team a Period Hero. Code Red was launched on YouTube on March 8, 2023 on International Women’s Day.
Tickets and information for the film festival are available at the Through Women’s Eyes International Film Festival website.