San Francisco Makes History for Women's Film

    
Women's Film Institute is hosting a Networking Mixer this Thursday, January 14th form 7pm to 9pm for film fans, filmmakers and artists at Ninth Street Independent Film Center in San Francisco. This exciting event brings together everyone from writers to producers to visual artists to musicians and more in a creative space to explore and connect. And this isn't for women only. It is meant for the entire community.

This is all leading up to the Sixth Annual San Francisco International Women's Film Festival, presented by Women's Film Institute. Scarlett Shepard, founder of the festival, is a filmmaker and community educator at heart. The Networking Mixer provides a fun forum to educate the public about the upcoming festival as well as allows participants to promote their own work. This is part of a larger strategy to get more women in film.

Shepard started the SFWFF in 2004 while she was a student at San Francisco State University because, not only was there lack of women filmmakers, the history and contributions of women in film were being overlooked. "I felt that the lack of women in film was really detrimental to our stories and our voices. It wasn't just that we were invisible. It is like there is violence there when we aren't heard and omitted."

Shepard responded to the lack of women's presence behind the camera by creating the SFWFF. "I have been an activist since I was little," said Shepard. "I come from a line of strong women." It was this upbringing that made her uniquely prepared to tackle this challenge. "It isn't easy," she said, "being flexible is key."

Over the years, Shepard has also learned the simple rule that "starting early is key". This event is part of that plan by getting people connected to each other and to the Women's Film Institute. Thus, when the 80 short films and 3-5 longer features are announced at the end of January or beginning of February 2010 there is a community willing to help promote the festival. "Volunteers,donations or funding support from film lovers and the arts community, and word of mouth are the lifeblood of our festival," said Shepard.

The goal of the SFWFF is not just producing a high quality film festival. Shepard acknowledges that the lack of women behind the camera is not the only issue. There is a lack of curriculum available for colleges and universities to teach about women in film. Shepard said, "I believe professors and staff  need to create a curriculum that is more inclusive to women by celebrating their achievements in cinema just as they do with our great grandfather's of cinema."

The production of a film festival and it subsequent awards in filmmaking elevate the women filmmakers and make it easier for them to garner funding for future projects. And it helps create a richer history of women in film; a history that demands to be taught within colleges and universities.

The San Francisco International Women's Film Festival runs April 5 -11, 2010 in venues across the Bay Area including The Roxie Theater. Over 800 films have been submitted from around the world.

Ninth Street Independent Film Center is located 145 9th Street in San Francisco, CA.

For more history on women in film, check out Reel Women: Pioneers of the Cinema 1896 to the Present by Ally Acker and Shooting Women, a documentary by Alexis Krasilovsky.

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