Submissions are open for the 2021 Athena Film Festival. A celebration of fierce and fearless leaders, the fest is now entering its 11th year, and currently accepting short film submissions. The New York City-based fest is expanding their short film programming to include programs such as STEM shorts, First Time Filmmakers, Quarantine Shorts, etc.
The Athena Film Festival at Barnard College features a curated program that includes Academy Award-nominated films, award-winning features and documentaries, NY premieres, and shorts. Next year’s edition is slated to take place February 18 – February 21, 2021. The fest is monitoring the COVID-19 situation and will make adjustments in line with public health recommendations.
“An Athena film is one of defiance, survival, breakthrough and radical joy that comes from living as yourself. There are many ways to be a leader and there are even more ways to be a leader as a woman,” the fest’s website details. “Leadership was defined, and continues to be defined by men. Athena Films challenge that narrative and show how women work in and outside of this traditional definition to change what leadership looks like.”
Melissa Silverstein, Women and Hollywood’s Founder and Publisher, is a co-founder of the Athena Film Festival and its Artistic Director.
Submissions are open until August 31, 2020.
Check out requirements and guidelines for submitting below. Shorts must be submitted via FilmFreeway here.
Guidelines and Requirements:
Films must have a woman (girl) or women character(s) in leadership role(s) or position(s). Projects from all genres are accepted, and stories about women from all racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, and cultural groups;
Filmmakers of any gender are welcome to apply
Only short films can be submitted (under 40 minutes in length);
Non-English films must be subtitled;
Films that don’t focus on women leadership WILL NOT be considered;
Premiere status is not required;
Films that have screened virtually or are available online due to COVID-19 are eligible.
Please note: We charge a $14.00 submission fee. Submission fees are non-refundable.
This year, to ensure BIWOC voices are amplified at our festival and in recognition of the extra barriers BIWOC artists face in the film industry, we are offering submission fee waivers to films written, directed or produced by BIWOC artists.
We are also offering submission fee waivers to films that have suffered financially due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Please fill out this form to request a BIWOC artist submission fee waiver.
Please fill out this form to request a COVID-19 submission fee waiver.
If you have a feature-length film that you would like to submit to the festival, please email Athenafilmfestival@gmail.com with the title of your film, a full synopsis, and how it fits our criteria.
