Women set to reel in audiences

Celebrating its eighteenth year, the World of Women (WOW) Film Festival promotes female filmmaking in a male-dominated industry.

Promoted by Women in Film and Television (WIFT) NSW, the WOW Film Festival aims to encourage amateur and experienced filmmakers to showcase their creativity.

The festival, from March 6 to 16, will feature almost 40 short films from the genres of fiction, documentary, comedy, animation and experimental at various venues.

Director of the WOW Film Festival, Michelle Bleicher, said the Festival aims to close the gap between men and women in an industry where women are not taken as seriously as they should be.

“Eighteen years ago [WIFT] set up a group of film makers who wanted to promote and support women in film and television, and promote a positive image of them both on and off the screen,” she said.

“Women are underrepresented on screen in film and television, especially in technical areas and directing.”

The Festival will also celebrate International Women’s Day by screening Australian and International short films and acknowledging women’s achievements on March 8.

Ms Bleicher said: “The only thing I regret is that there isn’t enough screen time to show more films, because we had some fabulous shorts enter.”

A former winner and entrant who made the cut this year, Venetia Taylor, said she liked the idea of a film festival where there would be a large representation of women.

Ms Taylor said after winning the WOW Film Festival in 2009, it opened other doors for her. “We won a significant amount of equipment hire at the WOW Film Festival in 2009 that allowed us to produce five more shorts – two of which are featuring in this year’s festival.”

The “dark(ish) comedy” inspired writer and director has entered ‘Garbo’, and ‘Distant Thunder’, which is based on a true story.

First time writer and director, Renata Bialkowska, will also feature in the Festival. “My mantra for the films that I’d like to make are for damaged people and their empowerment.  I’ve always been obsessed with the human psyche and I hope my films challenge people’s perceptions of themselves and others,” she said.

Her movie, CRUMBLE, is set in New York and is about an unlikely friendship between a trophy wife and a prostitute and how they save each other from their lives.

Ms Taylor said: “[WOW is] about creating a programme and environment where women are seen as filmmakers first, and women second.”