On Saturday, November 23, Sheffield will hold its first international film festival for women and non-binary talent.
The film festival, aptly named FFS (Females, Films, Screens), is a new showcase for female filmmaking talent from all over the world.
The event, which takes place in Sheffield’s independent cinema hub The Showroom, promises to be a celebration of women in film and will include both short and feature films, ranging from documentaries to horror.
Mel Gourley, festival director for FFS, said, ‘I’m so excited to be showcasing some unbelievable talent from around the world. It’ll be a wonderful celebration of female and non-binary filmmakers, but also an opportunity to discuss how we can break down barriers to entry into this industry.’
The day-long festival kicks off at 10am with a collection of family-friendly short films that highlight the talent of women in film, with the youngest filmmaker being just 16-years-old.
The first feature film to screen, Shanghai Girls, is a 2023 documentary by Tong Lau. When the members of the Shanghai Girls Choir reunite after 30 years and reminisce about their adolescent years, the movie examines what it means to be a middle-aged woman in contemporary China.
Next, a Q&A panel of filmmaker Toby Poser, writer Nora Murphy, and artist and filmmaker Professor Esther Johnson offers a unique insight into women working within the film industry today.
A second feature film, action-thriller Revenge by Coralie Fargeat (whose 2024 release The Substance has been a standout horror), will close the day.
Details and the full programme for the festival can be found here
Read our in depth interview with festival directors Mel Gourlay and Dr Diane Rodgers here.
