Media
Female Eye Film Festival Celebrates 20 Years June 9-12, 2002
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Toronto, ON – Returning LIVE, the Female Eye Film Festival (FeFF), founded by Canadian trailblazer Leslie Ann Coles, celebrates its 20th Anniversary June 9 to 12, 2022, at TIFF Bell Lightbox.
FeFF was way ahead of its time at its founding, and the festival’s tagline, “Always Honest, Not Always Pretty,” says it all. It’s an eclectic program of features, documentaries, shorts, and the highly anticipated Late-Night Thrills and Chills – an international program of horror, suspense, and thrillers directed by women – on Friday, June 10, and Saturday, June 11, at 10PM.
Voted one of the “Top 50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee” by Movie Maker Magazine for a 10th consecutive year (2013–2022), FeFF is a competitive international women’s film festival that provides an exclusive showcase for Canadian and foreign women and gender-diverse directors.
FeFF has tackled gender equality and inclusion since its inception. The Indigenous Filmmaker Series launched in 2008 with Indigenous Canadian filmmaker Jules Koostachin at the helm. In 2009, FeFF produced the inaugural Young Filmmaker Development Workshop, a mentorship for debut female filmmakers. To date, FeFF has produced 46 short debut films, 26 by Indigenous filmmakers, and all had their premieres at Female Eye. FeFF continues to provide a dedicated showcase for local directors with the Toronto Filmmaker Series, which held its inaugural event in 2001. The Script Development Program, open to both men and women, celebrates its 15th edition in 2022.
The BEST IN THE BIZ TRIBUTE celebrates 2022Honorary Director Valerie Buhagiar on Saturday, June 11, at 1PM. In Buhagiar’s latest feature, “Carmen,” based on true events, 50-year-old Carmen finds her voice and her true calling and liberates villagers in a small Maltese town. (Supported by Telefilm Canada’s Promotion Program.)
“When I answered Leslie Ann Coles’s call about receiving the Honorary Director’s Award at this year’s Female Eye Film Festival, I felt a warm embrace, along with the accumulation of years sitting at my kitchen table writing, organizing, and envisioning project after project,” says Buhagiar. “FeFF has presented four of my films since 2008. This year they are opening the festival with my fourth feature film as writer/director: ‘Carmen.’ It is communities like FeFF and the WIDC [Women In the Director’s Chair] that have propelled me forward to reveal my true voice in cinema. The greatest gift you can give someone is inspiration, and the team at FeFF has done this over and over again. I am truly grateful and honoured. Thank you.”
Other notable Canadian features, supported by Telefilm Canada, include “We’re All in This Together,” a clever adaptation of the novel by Amy Jones written by, directed by, and starring Katie Boland in her debut directorial feature film; “The Kissing Game,” a passionate urban fantasy and solo performance that explores love, betrayal, friendship, and identity directed by newcomer Montreal filmmaker Véa; “Be Still,” by Elizabeth Lazebnik, an homage to Canadian photographer Hannah Maynard, who was 40 years ahead of the Surrealist movement. FeFF also celebrates Toronto media artist Edie Steiner with a film retrospective and artist talk.
“In this ever-evolving landscape, supporting women in film and uplifting their work continues to be a priority at Telefilm Canada,” said Christa Dickenson, Executive Director & CEO, Telefilm Canada. “Increased career development, training for women of colour and Black women at all levels of experience, and enhanced data collection are all integral to supporting more diverse storytellers in Canada. Celebrating 20 years of believing and elevating Canadian talent both nationally and on a global scale, we’d love to thank Female Eye Film Festival for all the work they do in putting talented Canadians in the spotlight.”
Foreign film highlights include documentaries “Mama Irene: Healer of the Andes,” directed by Elisabeth Möhlmann and Bettina Ehrhardt, a documentary that features a remarkable 84-year-old shaman from Peru who draws upon endangered Indigenous knowledge and traditions (Peru); “Independent Miss Craigie,” directed by Lizzie Thynne, which captures the extraordinary life story of Jill Craigie, one of the first women to direct documentaries in the United Kingdom, whose work has long been neglected (UK); “Moonlight Shadow Wall,” directed by Shiman Ma, which tells the story of three families who reside at the foot of the ancient city of Xi’an who embrace cultural traditions while trying to embrace a new era (China); and “Forbidden Womanhood,” directed by Maryam Zahirirmehr, a poetic and symbolic portrayal of betrayal and loss in which 12-year-old Mahi’s mother refuses to tell her how a woman gets pregnant (Iran).
This year’s INDUSTRY INITIATIVES, supported by Ontario Creates and ACTRA Fraternal Benefits (AFBS), feature industry panel discussions, script readings, the 10th Annual Live Pitch, the Directors’ Roundtable, and a panel dedicated to women in virtual production who hold positions of creative control in this quickly evolving pipeline. This panel will showcase excerpts from their work and explore the topics of democratized storytelling, female authorship, and creative empowerment. The filmmakers will use process videos to demonstrate aspects of the VP workflow as it pertains to pre-visualization, production, and creative collaboration.
“For the past 20 years, in an industry where female filmmakers and screenwriters have been underrepresented, FeFF has brought a female perspective and diversity to the art of screen-based storytelling,” said Ron Zammit, President and CEO of AFBS. “AFBS is proud to stand behind FeFF as a long-term supporter.”
“WIDC is delighted to co-present the annual Directors’ Roundtable at the 20th anniversary of the Female Eye Film Festival. While the festival returns to in-person screenings and festivities, hosting the roundtable online offers an opportunity to enrich and expand the festival’s community of women and non-binary screen directors and guests across the globe,” says Dr. Carol Whiteman, co-creator and producer of Women In the Director’s Chair (WIDC), which recently celebrated its 25th anniversary.
In 2014, Coles began international collaborations with the KIN International Film Festival (Armenia); the Flying Broom International Women’s Film Festival (Turkey); FemCine (Chile); the Los Angeles Women’s International Film Festival (USA); and Doctober (USA). In 2021, Coles juried films for the Beirut International Women Film Festival (BIWFF; Lebanon) and the Porto Femme International Film Festival (Portugal). FeFF shares a tradition of mentoring young women on their debut films, which premiere at our festivals with Beirut and Women’s Voices Now (WVN; USA). FeFF proudly presents a selection of short films directed by female youth produced by BIWFF and WVN. We also look forward to co-presenting a selection of dance-on-film shorts with Dance Camera West (Los Angeles) and shorts culled from Porto Femme.
Special thanks to our sponsors: Telefilm Canada, Ontario Creates, ACTRA Fraternal Benefit Society (AFBS), Cinespace Film Studios, ACTRA National, and Women In the Director’s Chair and Encore+.
TIFF tickets are available at ticketmaster.com/tiff3.
Discounts available for seniors and students and TIFF members.
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Media inquiries:
Sasha Stoltz Publicity & Management:
Sasha Stoltz | Sasha@sashastoltzpublicity.com | 416.579.4804
Sasha Stoltz Publicity:
Sasha Stoltz | Sasha@sashastoltzpublicity.com | 416.579.4804
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The US government has seen reports of NewsClick’s alleged links to China and is aware of concerns around it though it can’t independently comment on the veracity of those claims. But, as a general principle, the US continues to urge Indian government as well other governments across the world to respect the human rights of journalists, including freedom of expression online and offline.
At a regular State Department briefing on Tuesday, when asked about the raids on the proprietors, staffers and contributors of NewsClick and a New York Times report that the news website was a part of a Chinese influence operation funded through an American businessman, State department‘s principal deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said, “So we are aware of those concerns and have seen that reporting about this outlet’s ties to the PRC (People’s Republic of China), but we can’t comment yet on the veracity of those claims.”
Patel added that, separately, the US strongly supported “the robust role of the media globally, including social media, in a vibrant and free democracy”.
“We raise concerns on these matters with the Indian Government, with countries around the world, through our diplomatic engagements that are, of course, at the core of our bilateral relationship. And we have urged the Indian Government, and have done so not just with India but other countries as well, about the importance of respecting the human rights of journalists, including freedom of expression both online and offline.”
Patel, however, said that he did not have any additional information about “this particular circumstance or any of the underlying issues that may or may not be related to this outlet”.
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(Bloomberg) — India’s latest media crackdown puts the US in an awkward position as it seeks to balance promotion of human rights with courting New Delhi to counter the influence of China.
Police in the South Asian country’s capital arrested the editor-in-chief and another employee of online newspaper NewsClick Tuesday under sweeping anti-terrorism laws. Authorities also raided the offices of the publication, without giving a reason.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has been targeting critical independent media since he took office in 2014. NewsClick came to prominence in 2021 for its extensive coverage of farmer protests against government plans to liberalize agriculture. India has previously accused the media organization of having funding ties to China, which it denies.
For Arati Jerath, a New Delhi-based political analyst, the arrests create a challenge for Washington.
“The US does not want to get too involved in India’s domestic affairs,” she said. “They are looking at India through a geopolitical prism and with China in the picture, India is a strategic partner.”
US Department of State spokesman Vedant Patel said he couldn’t comment yet on claims NewsClick has ties to China.
Patel also stressed the importance of press freedom globally. “We raise concerns on these matters with the Indian government, with countries around the world,” he told reporters in Washington.
India has often argued its democracy and vibrant press are a counterpoint to China with its one-party state and heavily controlled media. The US frequently finds itself torn between its efforts to defend human rights around the world and the pragmatic need to partner with governments accused of rights abuses.
India’s government has often used its anti-terrorism law to intimidate and punish journalists. The law, which doesn’t allow for bail, empowers the police to detain suspects for years without leveling official charges.
India has also scrutinized many mobile app and technology companies for alleged links to China after a Himalayan border clash between New Delhi and Beijing in 2020.
In 2021, authorities raided NewsClick’s office and the homes of seven staff members for what they described as improper foreign investments. Several of them were questioned and NewsClick called the allegations “misleading, unfounded and without basis in fact or law.”
In August, the New York Times cited NewsClick as an organization allegedly being used for Chinese propaganda overseas. India’s Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur said at the time the media outlet was being funded by Beijing.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Thakur said he didn’t need to justify the raids. “If someone has done something wrong, the investigative agencies will work on it,” he said.
Free Democracy
NewClick’s human resources head Amit Chakravarty was also arrested. Several employees’ laptops and mobile phones were seized. Local media reported at least 30 premises were raided, including the homes of six NewsClick reporters.
India fell to 161st of 180 countries and territories in a press freedom ranking by Reporters Without Borders, a press advocacy group, this year. In February, authorities raided the BBC’s offices in New Delhi, weeks after the British broadcaster aired a documentary about Modi’s role in 2002 riots in his home state of Gujarat.
Last year, Mohammad Zubair, a journalist running a fact-checking website, Alt News, was arrested after highlighting anti-Islamic comments made by former BJP officials.
The Press Club of India expressed concern about the arrests and raid, saying it wants the government to explain its actions. The group plans to protest the detentions at a march Wednesday.
Jerath, the analyst, questioned India’s move to arrest the people under the terrorism law without providing details or evidence.
“You have already labeled them as terrorists,” she said.
(Updates with details on the crackdown. An earlier story corrected paragraph 11 to show authorities raided the homes of seven NewsClick staff members in 2021.)
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