Women in Entertainment and ArcLight Santa Monica are joining forces. The group of activists, artists, entrepreneurs, executives, and journalists are set to launch a series highlighting female-directed documentaries at the California cinema, Deadline reports. Docs will be screening over four consecutive Sundays with the series kicking off October 4.
“The series is part of an ongoing collaboration with ArcLight Cinemas to celebrate women behind the lens,” the source writes.
“Living in Los Angeles, the epicenter of film, I find myself frustrated that so many of the best documentaries that have debuted at top festivals around the country never have a chance to play in theaters in this city,” observed curator Marjan Safinia. “This series is filling that gap.”
Gretchen McCourt, EVP Cinema Programming at ArcLight Cinemas, added, “If there’s an opportunity to support women filmmakers, and to celebrate the rich diversity and artistry of documentary films, we’re there. We are passionate about supporting these films. Documentaries are among the most interesting and nuanced films being made today.”
Films screening include Jennifer Kroot’s “The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin,” a portrait of the writer and gay rights pioneer, and Erin Heidenreich’s “Girl Unbound: The War to Be Her,” the story of young woman in Pakistan who defies the Taliban and disguises herself as a boy so that she can play sports.
Every screening in the series will be followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers. Head over to Deadline for more information on the event, including the complete program.
