February 6 – 9 New York, NY (January 7, 2014) – The 2014
THE FOURTH ANNUAL ATHENA FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES LINEUP OF NARRATIVE, DOCUMENTARY AND SHORT FILMS. FILMS INCLUDE BELLE, DECODING ANNIE PARKER, GERALDINE FERRARO: PAVING THE WAY, THE BOOK THIEF, SHORT TERM 12, IN A WORLD…, AMONG OTHERS
The 2014 Athena Film Festival announces its lineup of narrative, documentary and short films. The festival honors extraordinary women in the film industry and showcases films that address women’s leadership in real life and the fictional world. Now in its fourth year, the festival runs from Thursday, February 6 through Sunday, February 9 on the Barnard College campus in Morningside Heights. Artemis Rising Foundation is the Founding Sponsor of the Festival.
The New York Premiere of BELLE, starring Gugu Mbatha-Raw and directed by Amma Asante, is the Athena Film Festival’s Opening Film, screening on Thursday evening. DECODING ANNIE PARKER, starring Helen Hunt and Samantha Morton and directed by Steven Bernstein, is the festival’s Centerpiece Film, and will be screened on Friday evening. GERALDINE FERRARO: PAVING THE WAY, directed by her daughter, Donna Zaccaro, is the festival’s Closing Film, screening on Sunday evening.
Among the feature films included in this year’s slate are: SHORT TERM 12, starring Brie Larsen and directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, THE BOOK THIEF, starring Sophie Nélisse and Emily Watson and directed by Brian Percival, and IN A WORLD…, written and directed by Lake Bell. The documentary category includes ALICE WALKER: BEAUTY IN TRUTH, directed by Pratibha Parmar, REGINA, directed by Diana Groó, WHOOPI GOLDBERG PRESENTS MOMS MABLEY, directed by Whoopi Goldberg, THE OTHER SHORE, directed by Timothy Wheeler, and THE 99ERS, directed by Erin Leyden. A wide variety of shorts will be featured including: THE RED PILL, directed by Academy Award nominee Lucy Walker, THE WORLDS OF BERNICE BING, directed by Madeleine Lim, MISS TODD, directed by Kristina Yee, and TINA FOR PRESIDENT, directed by Carmen Emmi.
“We are proud to announce such a diverse group of films, portraying women in leadership,” said Kathryn Kolbert, co-founder of the Festival and the Constance Hess Williams ’66 Director of the Athena Center. “Each year we strive to bring influential films to the festival that will entertain and inspire us all.”
“We are thrilled to welcome such talented filmmakers and a broad range of films to this year’s festival,” said Melissa Silverstein, co-founder and Artistic Director of the Festival and founder of Women and Hollywood. “We again present films full of talented female characters that exemplify the possibilities for a culture full of women leaders.”
As previously announced, Sherry Lansing, former Chair and CEO of Paramount Pictures and former President of 20th Century Fox, is the recipient of this year’s Laura Ziskin Lifetime Achievement Award. Additional awardees include Callie Khouri, Academy Award winning screenwriter of Thelma and Louise, and creator of the series Nashville; Kasi Lemmons, actress, director and writer of Black Nativity, Talk to Me, Eve’s Bayou and The Caveman’s Valentine; and Keri Putnam, Executive Director of the Sundance Institute.
The full lineup is available now on the Athena Film Festival’s website. Additional screenings, panels and special events will be announced in the coming weeks. Please visit
athenafilmfestival.com for regular updates and to purchase tickets or passes.
Athena Center for Leadership Studies at Barnard College • Women and Hollywood
#fineartmagazine
