Women Under the Influence (WUTI) has announced the lineup for its inaugural film festival, WUTI Goes IdyllWILD. Set to take place September 20-22 in Idyllwild, California, the fest will showcase women-directed films and feature events about subjects as varied as comedy and technology. Attendees can expect “part creative experience, and part summer camp,” according to a press release.
The fest’s slate includes women-directed classics such as Penelope Spheeris’ “Wayne’s World” and Kimberly Peirce’s “Boys Don’t Cry.” Both filmmakers will be present. Among the events scheduled are a Belletrist book club discussion with Emma Roberts and Karah Preiss, a day of programming with Internet Girl and Candace Reels, and panel discussions about technology with Claire Evans and Milica Zec.
The festival will also feature LA-specific programs such as “LA Stories,” an exploration of how women in film have depicted the city on-screen, and LA Rebellion, a retrospective of the African American film movement in UCLA from the the 1960s-90s.
WUTI has partnered with The North Face on the Move Mountains Filmmaker Grant, which will see four women directors receiving $25,000 each to develop and shoot a four to seven-minute short as well as a 30-second trailer that “captures the spirit of exploration.” Grant recipients will attend WUTI Gone IdyllWILD and receive guidance by mentors curated by WUTI, including director Eloise King (“Gurl’s Talk”), documentarian/photo journalist Taylor Rees, and A24 VP of Acquisitions and Development Ali Herting. Grant applications will be accepted until July 23.
Launched by director Tabitha Denholm, WUTI aims to “challenge the misconceptions of the film world and push back against the industry’s bias” by sharing stories directed by women. Early bird tickets for WUTI Goes IdyllWILD are available now through July 26.