AFI’s Directing Workshop for Women program will be holding a screening of eight short films all directed by women. The films are a result of a year-long fellowship with AFI, honoring those in the 2012 AFI DWW class.
Ava DuVernay, award-winning director of Middle of Nowhere, will be making the keynote speech.
The AFI DWW, established in 1974, is an intense, immersive program for women directors designed to create a short film. The program’s emphasis is on women who have industry experience who are looking to transition into directing. Only 4% of applicants are chosen to participate. After the workshop, 25% of alumna are able to secure professional directing credits.
Some of the films have already been accepted at film festivals (including SXSW) and also feature actresses like Frances Conroy, Mireille Enos, Shohreh Aghdashloo and many more. The showcase will be held in Los Angeles at the Directors Guild of America on May 6th.
Here’s a list of the shorts screening. All descriptions are from the AFI.
ALASKA IS A DRAG – Shaz Bennett
Leo’s dreams of becoming an international superstar while working in a small town fish cannery in Alaska are hard fought — until a new boy arrives.
BURN BRIGHTLY – Lauren Ludwig
When a teenage boy who’s allergic to the sun falls for a woman jogging by his window, he’ll do anything to prove they are soul mates.
LEARNING TO FLY – Juliana Penaranda-Loftus
An imaginative boy develops a friendship with his odd neighbor he believes could be a superhero.
SEQUIN RAZE- Sarah Gertrude Shapiro
When the producer of a hit reality TV show receives inside information about a contestant from the show’s psychologist on its closing night, her moral compass is tested.
SHE COMES IN SPRING – Antoneta Kastrati
A mysterious young woman visits a middle-aged father in a Serbian village, compelling him to uncover a dark secret buried in his wartime past.
SILK – Catherine Dent
A middle-aged seamstress, sold into marriage as a child, finds a unique opportunity to reclaim her life.
SIX LETTER WORD – Lisanne Sartor
An unlikely mom is forced to confront her young son’s autism after they have an unexpected encounter with one of her johns.
WILD HORSES – Stephanie Martin
Courage, love and memory collide as two generations of women bear witness to the brutality of wild horse roundups in the American West.
