Chicago Women Film Fest

Welcome to the IMDb qualifying Chicago Women Film Fest in partnership with the Chicago Women Film Institute!

The seasonal and annual fest is dedicated to the promotion and screening of female voices in cinema. The Chicago Women Film Fest advocates for and advances the careers of women working in the screen industries—in front of and behind the camera, across all levels of experience—to achieve parity, transform culture and promote the language of cinema and female directors.

According to Dr. Martha Lauzen, the executive director of the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film, "If men are directing the vast majority of our films, the majority of those films will be about males from a male point of view. The female presence in filmmaking is more significant than just employment, it contributes to a greater cultural issue.

Even though there is a huge gender disparity in filmmaking, there are notable exceptions, women who have figuratively broken through the celluloid ceiling and become pioneers in their field. Lois Weber, Kira Muratova, Leni Riefenstahl, Kathryn Bigelow, Jane Campion, Gina Prince-Bythewood, Claire Denis, Sofia Coppola, Patty Jenkins, Ava DuVernay, Catherine Hardwick, Amy Heckerling, Julie Taymor, Nora Ephron, Greta Gerwig, Chloé Zhao, and Lulu Wang are some significant female names in filmmaking today and in history. 

Our intention is to offer continuous promotion and screening throughout the year to female directors and women in films through our seasonal and annual programs and events. Check out our latest winners being promoted every edition through the Chicago Women Film Institute: